Old Town Sportsman PDL | Still worth it?

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Let me know what you all think! Is the Sportsman PDL on your list?

[@BrianSnodgrass-tk1co]

I would love to have 2 of the Sportsman PDL 120, my wife and I would like to get them. for me fishing and recreation. wife would like one for exercise.

[@CodyPexton1]

@@BrianSnodgrass-tk1co memorial sale right now

[@michaelo5400]

Yeah, and a $200 rebate. I got a great price on close out. $1875 for the 120 PDL before the rebate….1675 after. Incredible deal

[@CodyPexton1]

@@michaelo5400 that is a great deal! I just pulled the trigger on the 106 PDL. $2140 after the rebate. Where did you get yours?

[@zlm2032]

I have it narrowed down to the Bite FD & the Old Town PDL 120. What boat would you recommend for inshore & marsh fishing?

[@jonbullard7074]

I absolutely love my 120PDL. I have no problem loading it in my truck or transporting it to the waster with a cart. Also if you don’t lock the drive down in shallow water it will just pop up if you happen to hit something and it doesn’t affect your pedaling ability. Highly recommended.

[@miamiwax5504]

u can break your prop like that! exact thing happened to me.

[@vibinwithlou8261]

Got my Oldtown Sportsman PDL 120 last Christmas. Upgraded from my older 2016 Hobie Outback (that was used when I bought it). I love everything about it, you are spot on with stability. I weigh 230lbs and standing and casting is extremely easy. The price point is great and seat is super comfortable. Parts are easy to come by and there are tons of upgrade aftermarket products from Navarre Kayak Fishing and Yakhobby. I transport mine in my truckbed with an extender and the molded in handles on the back make it super easy to load/unload. Wheels wise I use the Yakattack tow n stow cart and it works well for me. I was also surprised at how thick the hull is and I’m not concerned about durability because of that reason. The peddle drive is smooth and I can casually go 3.5mph and hit 4 1/2 to 5 if I push it harder. Two areas where I can say that could use some improvement are the dry hatch latch on the peddle drive, it occasionally pops open if I bump it (could be a issue if storing stuff you want to keep dry but I use it for busted plastics etc. The other area is the rudder in wind, tracking is awesome but making directional changes can be difficult. I remedied that with a yakgear assault hand paddle so it’s not a big deal but just something to consider. Overall I am extreme pleased with my Oldtown Sportsman PDL 120 🤙

[@thebeardedpaddler]

My exact on the water experience with it. I was in some bad wind though

[@ichabod13]

Look forward to your on water video. I went with the PDL120 for a lot of reasons you said. I also really like how many 3rd party accessories and mods for the oldtown kayaks there are.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Its a solid choice for sure

[@RoundeyeSamurai]

I can say with confidence that the slide system for the seat will hold up for years. I used the topwater 120PDL for 5 seasons before upgrding to the 106MK (health reasons). It is a great system that holds up.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Not really knocking the system itself, just thinking how lake water may gunk it up. Specifically the knobs that you pull up on. Some lakewater is like old bubble gum once it dries out.

[@nicknadeau5538]

Just purchased my sportsman 106 PDL and I absolutely love it! It’s super stable and there’s plenty of room. I’m 5’11 and weight 250lb it handles me and my gear perfectly! I live in FL and it handles the golf water with no issues Only complaint I have is it’s heavy and a pain to put away in my storage unit.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Yeah a lot of pedal drives that are durable can be a bit much to haul around. An old jet ski trailer is a good investment if you can find one

[@ryanbennett4956]

I’m thinking of getting the 106 I’m 5’6 170 so it should handle me pretty good huh ? I don’t carry a lot of fishing gear I’m less is more when it comes to fishing

[@nicknadeau5538]

@@ryanbennett4956 for sure! I’m 250 and it’s super stable. Even standing up

[@GreyGhost120]

Love my pdl 120. I live about 30 miles from old Town and prob will buy another this weekend . To me. If your gunna use it. It's worth it. I trailer mine and use a cart. If you do both. Things get better lol :)

[@thebeardedpaddler]

I hear ya there. This thing is definitely on the heavier side. Not a deal breaker for me though.

[@tsalibuchert3156]

Just brought a new one home today. Own a coosa, coosa x and now added a pedal drive. Went back and forth between outback, knarr fd or old town. Negatives about every drive and kayak except old town just seems bulletproof and tried and true. Much cheaper than hobie or Jackson as well. I'm excited to get it out.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Hope you like it!

[@51ddb]

Great video as always. Very timely as I still haven’t decided between the 120PDL and the Titan X 12.5. And thanks, as always for considering lefties. Wish the manufacturers would consider us part of the market.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Glad to help. The Titan X is definitely my personal preference because it's definitely the most modern kayak out right now. Best stability and way more nimble that people give it credit for

[@51ddb]

@@thebeardedpaddler agreed! Certainly more feature rich than the Old Town. I suspect Old Town will update the PDL soon.

[@georgemessenger7539]

Bought mine in Tamworth, NH last fall. Guy was going out of business. Got it for 30% off, which is very rare indeed. Can’t remember what I paid but it was quite the deal.

[@gianpieroperez]

With my 120 PDL, I have never been worried about stability, or capacity, or shallow water, in really shallow water with some structure I never lock my pdl unit, so in that way if I hit something it kick up. Best kayak ever.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

I like the bigger opening for the ability to kick up

[@bobbyhogan9207]

Good video Andy 👊 Had my Sportsman almost 4 years, solid performer 😎

[@thebeardedpaddler]

That would be my final analysis. Solid in everyway. It's not jam packed with features and not the most modern kayak in the world, but it's not meant to be

[@nateslocum9950]

Got myself the 120 and my son the 106 this time last year. Some of the best money I've ever spent. Looking at adding a trolling motor in the very near future.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Right on!

[@andreveilleux8640]

Many new fishing kayak buyers want to get the lightest kayak possible, as if a heavy kayak like the pdl was a drawback. However, if you are a saltwater fisherman like me, a heavy kayak with a pronounced keel like the pdl (like the viking drakkars) is an advantage, not a disadvantage. This ensures stability in waves and makes it easy to keep on course in windy conditions.

[@BWT1279]

Enjoy all your video's, thanks! The PDL 120 and Jackson Bite FD are both on my short list. How do you think they compare to the PA 12 when it comes to stability?

[@thebeardedpaddler]

They are all stable. I wouldnt say that there is a night and day difference. Biggest difference is storage and how you want to rig them up. The biggest difference between the 3 is the layout.

[@travisjae1775]

have you had any complaints about the native titan X 12.5 holding water in deck issues? I ask because I'm ready to pull the trigger and purchase one. I've watched videos of Greg Blanchard and seen water sitting without draining and of course he wouldn't respond to any questions about it. Is there another kayak that you would choose over titan X 12.5?

[@thebeardedpaddler]

I've done a short on this issue. There is no issues with the Titan X series with standing water. The deck has been redesigned to slope more towards the scupper. Also they finally fixed the rudder to a better spring blade rudder that is 100% better

[@kjfishman547]

If you did not like the peddle crank arm length you could probably find different lengths at a bike shop. Also you can change to different bike pedals.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

No issue with them. I simply review kayaks as they come stock

[@CrazyCranker]

Here in Japan I have two choices, Oldtown or Hobie. I can get Oldtown kayaks through the base with a decent Military discount and free shipping. With Hobie, I have to buy from a Japanese dealer out of Okinawa, very expensive plus expensive shipping. Oldtown FTW!

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Old Town is solid for sure. That's really interesting to hear. Thank you for your service!

[@bearbuchanan8341]

good morning , very good vid as always . this is MrBear hudson fl. i fish salt water some what of shore 1to 3 miles, i have a ss127. with that said my ? to you is why for a safty factor on all sit on top kayaks why dont thay put a floor hatch cover so if you get a leak you can open it and put your hand pump in, to bail it out. if i get a leak in my ss127 a mile of shore i cant get the water out of the hull , im 64 285lbs and for get the bow hatch. if kayak comp. all of them could put a cirle hatch in front of the seat so we could pump out when needed. may be you could find this out and let us kayakers no . thank you very much stay safe to you and yours.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

hello Mr. Bear, I would probably try to reinforce the hatch seal with more weatherstripping or use a cover. Most kayaks that are meant to stand and fish from (not all) will reinforce the deck to help out with accommodating a standing position. When you put a hatch in the center, it can increase water access into the hull with deck flex. That being said, I understand the frustration. That must be some crazy surf to get that much water in there! Be safe out there

[@Bassinwithjesse]

I’d like to see a comparison between a 106 and a slayer max 10.

[@miamiwax5504]

Those natives are badass and a lot of cool features too

[@thebeardedpaddler]

Very similar. I would give the slight edge to the OT 106 but I like the setup and rigging options with Native a little better.

[@Bassinwithjesse]

@@thebeardedpaddler where would the edge be? Coming from a bass boat and being interested in kayaking. I have a Helix 8 mega plus. Seems like the rigging options are excellent with the native. Only thing I have no experience with is the pedal drives.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

@@Bassinwithjesse personally I like the feel of the Propel drive. It's metal and more sturdy. They are both phenomenal drives. I also like the layout of the Slayer max. Gear track, hull thickness, and front and rear storage. OT needs to update the hull a bit I think, but not because it's bad. Just update for easier rigging

[@craigweaver6003]

I am looking at getting a kayak and I am 6.4 and I was wondering if this would be comfortable for me. I don't want my knees up in my chest when peddling. Thanks

[@wlhjr77]

Nice video, very informative, I wish you showed the boat more, rather than this dudes face.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

I get that

[@Therealtrollking]

Great kayak way overpriced!

[@thebeardedpaddler]

I dunno, compared to the competition in pedal drives it definitely stacks up. OT pedal drives are probably the most reliable

[@Therealtrollking]

@@thebeardedpaddler if you got the money I totally get it but now with so many kayak companies you can get basically the same experience with like a hoodoo. Obviously old town is a better kayak but a couple thousand more.

[@shrubbber_8]

You’re not giving true information. There is no difference in the front of the boats. The only difference is behind the seat at the back.

[@thebeardedpaddler]

I gonna disagree with you there. The hatch and compartment is small in the front and the back The 10.6 hatch is 16" The 12 hatch 18.5" I know because I have them side by side