Old Town Bigwater PDL 132 Review

Around a year ago, I decided to make the switch from the Hobie Outback to an Old Town Bigwater PDL 132. This choice was not made lightly, the Outback has a well-earned reputation for being a fast, do everything well, and stable kayak. It felt strange thinking there could be something better out there after catching virtually every common Pacific Northwest gamefish species on a single kayak, while remaining relatively comfortable in the process. But I made the leap, and truthfully, I’m glad I did.

To start, the Old Town Bigwater is fast, really fast. Faster than I, or anyone kayaking with me, expected. A comfortable cruising speed for me is somewhere between 4mph and 4.4mph depending on conditions. This means, if I want to take the Bigwater out on the big water and chase Coho Salmon, I can comfortably maintain the 4mph-ish trolling speed required. If I decide to go after Chinook Salmon in our local waterways where 2mph is the go-to speed, I can sit back and relax. As for top speed, I’ve gotten it just shy of 7mph over a short distance (the distance in question is more cardio dependent than kayak), to give some context to that number, that’s about as fast as a PA14 with a Torqeedo strapped to the back can go. The reason for this remarkable speed is two-fold, one, the Bigwater PDL 132 has a very long waterline, basically the entire length of the 13’2” kayak, and two, the Old Town PDL drive is one of the fastest on the market.

A brief note on the Old Town PDL drive, this is a completely sealed drive unit (aside from the propellor). What this means for you, is there is virtually no maintenance required for the drive, ever. If something does happen with the pedal drive however, it comes with a five-year warranty. It is geared slightly higher than some of the other bicycle-style pedal drives on the market, but that gearing isn’t really noticeable outside of your initial acceleration.

Now, stability. I’ll say it right out in front, this kayak is stable. I have taken it out on the ocean on choppy days, fought 7-foot-long sturgeon broadside, and dealt with incoming tide at the mouth of some coastal bays—it is truly stable. That said, the V-shaped hull (Old Town calls it a Tri-Hull) has slightly less primary stability than most new kayak anglers are accustomed to, however it has secondary stability for days. For you, this means it’ll feel slightly tippier from side to side than a kayak with a pontoon style hull, but if you keep your center of gravity over the center of the kayak, you’re fine. Where this secondary stability shines is in rough or wavy conditions. The Bigwater lives up to its name in the ability to handle bigger water. It feels like it slides over the waves, rather than being pushed around by them.

Kayak fishing and kayak customization have always been closely linked but gone are the days of drilling into the hull to mount the base for a scotty rod holder or doing a DIY thru-hull transducer mount. One thing I’ve come to appreciate about the Old Town Bigwater PDL 132 is the sheer volume of aftermarket accessories produced for this kayak. If I have an idea for a part that might be handy, there’s a good chance someone has produced the exact piece and is selling it online. Furthermore, adding these pieces is incredibly easy. I personally run my kayak relatively close to stock, I replaced the front tracks with plates, mounted a fish finder, and added a YakAttack Mighty Mount to a sacrificial plate in the front. Combined, those modifications took around 20 minutes—the fish finder and transducer were mounted on the kayak while sitting next to a launch ramp.

If you are looking for a fast, stable kayak that can handle all conditions and not break the bank, the Old Town Bigwater PDL 132 is a fantastic option and worthy of consideration.