How STABLE is the Old Town Sportsman PDL? 

Thanks. It is a very stable kayak - I was impressed.

Yeah, I should have seen how far I could go. Next summer...

Thanks. It is definitely an incredibly stable kayak.

Thanks. It's pretty crazy how stable it is.

I'm glad it was helpful to you. Thanks for the feedback.

Same here. I've had seven and I was blown away by the Sportsman.

Thanks. I appreciate the comment. The PDL 120 is amazingly stable. It is the 4th fishing kayak I've owned and I feel no need to buy anything else.

Thanks. I tried to represent things you would actually do when using the PDL 120 on a fishing trip.

Great, glad it was helpful.

Thanks. It's an amazingly stable kayak.

Thanks Jon. A review of a fishing kayak must include all the things you might need to do in a fishing kayak. :)

It's good to prepare for the unexpected. Flipping a kayak can cause a real panic, or it can be merely an inconvenience if the person has done it before to prepare.

Thanks - glad to have you here!

I've had a few of those big waves hit me from a backward angle. The way those waves shove you and then pull you back can make it pretty tricky to get around (and stay on your boat)!

My dog is about 65lbs and he rides well in the back of the PDL120. The nicest part is that he is confined back there and can't walk around to the front to get in the way. I put some foam sheets back there or a piece of old carpeting and he loves it.

@@FishingwithNat Thanks for your info 🙂

I would think the 106 would be pretty similar. The lighter weight will put your center of gravity a bit higher than it would be in the 120 so the stability might be a little bit less.

I can definitely see it flipping with a combination of you leaning over plus an 85lb dog pushing on the edge. It is an amazing kayak though!

It's an awesome kayak. Heavy compared to my smaller yaks, but it's also much more stable and capable.

Thanks for the comment. The 120PDL is a fantastic kayak.

The regular Sportsman 120 is a great kayak. The PDL system is not necessary for everyone.

is it easy to add a trolling motor to the non pdl version? I'm bought to get 1 myself

@@MYNAMEISNUMBER2 I'm not certain on that but I believe there is an aftermarket plate for the front of the Sportsman 120 to attach a trolling motor to.

I love it. I have yet to find anything I don't like about it, other than the weight. I fished for 17yrs out of kayaks that weighed under 50lbs and they could easily be tossed on the shoulder and carried wherever. The PDL 120 requires a cart or a boat landing. But the many benefits outweigh that one complaint.

Thanks - glad you enjoyed the video and found it informative!

From Navarre Kayak Fishing. I think there are other places to get similar products, but this is where I got mine. navarrekayakfishing.com/shop/old-town-drive-inserts/

Thanks. I hope it was helpful to you.

Wow, that's a heck of a Christmas gift! Hopefully she'll let you try it out too.

The Salty 120 PDL is going to be a little faster, but the Sportsman 120 PDL will be a little more stable. Go with whichever one would be more appropriate for your typical day of fishing.

navarrekayakfishing.com/store/

I'm not certain on that but I believe there is an aftermarket plate for the front of the Sportsman 120 to attach a trolling motor to.

Thanks. Good luck!

It's plenty stable for a 250 / 6'4" man. I'm only 160 / 5'10" but I have let friends use the PDL that are much taller and/or heavier and they have loved it.

Cuz of his long legs i thought he is atleast 6'3. I am 6'3 also 250 pounds+, and i can already us flipping like ninjas hahahaha. My friend, buy a boat, be a normal person, nothing wrong with it, chicks dig it too

Hi Lee, thanks. I show how far you can lean outwards at about 1:38 in the video. I can lean so far that my body just falls off of the seat. This happens well before the boat shows any sign of rolling over. I think you're right - the PDL drive itself probably would add an extra bit of resistance to rolling because of the keel effect pushing against the water as the boat rocks. For that matter, the drive would also lower the center of gravity just a bit too, but I'm not sure that either of these effects would provide a noticeable difference.

@@FishingwithNat Thanks! I don't know how I missed that, but exactly what I wanted to see! I'm about to pull the trigger, but need to clean out the garage a bit to make room first! Happy paddling (pedaling?)!

@@lmychajluk I still say I'm going out paddling! The PDL 120 is a fantastic kayak - you'll love it.

Enjoy your new $2500 price tag for this model. Ask me how I know? Thats all in with taxes, but still.

@@riverpirate1022 The stability alone makes the price seem worthwhile and the overall quality appears better than most other kayaks I've researched. I'm all ears if you know of a better and cheaper one since I don't like to spend money unecessarily. I'm not buying until Spring 2024 anyway.

I have been very impressed with my Old Town Sportsman PDL. I've had several other Old Town kayaks over the last 20 years and they have all been rock solid. I've also had two Perception models and those were solid too. I think any of the big brands provide great kayaks. I would just be careful with very thin, cheap kayaks like Pelicans. They are very lightweight and they work fine for many people, but they won't stand up to abuse like the thicker-hulled brands like Old Town, Perception, Hobie, Native, etc.

Central Wisconsin but I head east to Lake Michigan every fall for the salmon run. I might go over in a couple weeks for some nearshore browns too. I caught my first Lake Michigan salmon in a 9.5ft Old Town Otter. Compared to that, the PDL is a barge. There are actually several kayak-only salmon tournaments on Lake Michigan every year!

I think it was due to you reaching to your left side with your right arm. That would cause your whole upper body to lean somewhat over the side of the boat and shift your center of gravity a lot more than reaching out with one arm. But I'm surprised the boat flipped too and didn't just dump you off the side while remaining upright. I guess the important thing to ask is - did you get the tangle out? :)

@@FishingwithNat I never got the chance ... lost 3 rods in the process!

@@truegrich Ah, crap.That's a bummer.

@@truegrich leash everything ..period.

I use the YakAttack Omega Pro holders. Highly recommended. I talk about them in our PDL Fishing Modification video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gX9YPkLc_Ec.html

@@FishingwithNat thanks man this made it a lot easier

@@janzenlongino1348 Glad I could help.

I got mine online from Navarre Kayak Fishing. I think a couple of other vendors make them too.

Thanks

I've been out in 4ft swells, but no, I don't stand up or walk back and forth. :)

No, there's a week where it isn't.

Thanks

@@FishingwithNat hope you don't mind. I posted your video on my FB page.

@@timeonthewaterca Not at all - feel free to share links to any of my videos. I'm glad they are helpful!

Thanks - glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks - I appreciate the feedback

Cool. The 119 is a nice looking canoe.

I spent 16 years fishing from a 9.5' Old Town Otter before moving up to a few others and finally the PDL. You can catch a lot of fish in any of them, but I agree that the Sportsman PDL is an amazing kayak in terms of stability and a lot of other things!

My preferred ones are the World Wide Sportsman Tech Pants from Bass Pro Shops. Very light and quick drying. It looks like they are on sale now too.

@@FishingwithNat Thank you! 👍🏼

Thanks. I have the Humminbird Helix7 with the sonar/sidescan transducer.

@FishingwithNat I just got an oldtown sportsman kayak..have never used a transducer ever. Feel a but overwhelmed with everything including set up. But going to jump into the game. Thank God for youtube

@@gtaylor9218 I have a video on setting up the Sportsman with a Helix 7 including mounting the transducer (if you decide to install a sonar system) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WLYkFUHSJuA.html

Not even in the center of the cockpit? I would think a Bigwater would be plenty stable for standing.

@@FishingwithNat It might be stable, but I'm not.

I've pedaled alongside them but never been in one. I would expect the stability to be a little bit better than the Sportsman 120 because it's heavier (lower center of gravity).

I think they are the same weight even though it’s a foot longer. My fishing bud had one and it’s a beast and extremely stable.

@@politicalmechanic9501 Thanks for chiming in!

No, but it goes on a wheeled cart quickly for an easy trip down a trail or across a parking lot

It is. I love it.

It is pretty amazing.

I haven't used the non-PDL version, but there is a difference in weight and width. The PDL120 is 36" wide and about 97lbs without the PDL drive in, and the Sportsman 120 is 33.5" wide and 85lbs. A wider, heavier hull will add more stability, so the non-PDL is probably less stable. Still, I've heard that it's a very stable boat.

Thank you so much for your support! It is very much appreciated.

So, if you didn't want to pedal, and thought an aluminum Jon boat was so much more economical, why didn't you just buy a Jon boat? Prices are what they are. Everyone weighs costs vs. benefits differently and has different criteria, so everything is a compromise. Otherwise we'd all be watching the same TV, driving the same vehicle, living in identical boxes, and floating around in the same boat. You could've bought a cheaper/lighter/faster/more stable kayak, but there'd be some compromise and you'd still be saying "I wish...". Yes, we all wish the Sportsman PDL 120 was cheaper, but what have you ever bought that you can't say the same about, yet still bought? For me, I thought hard about a Hobie Outback or PA, and looked at other brand / models as well, but in the end, the 120 PDL seemed to be the best compromise in price, layout, weight, comfort, stability, and durability for me. You must've gone through a similar thought process, weighing the pros and cons, before making a decision, and you still picked the 120 PDL, right? Also, the Sportsman seem to be one of the more stable kayaks currently being offered, but taking any boat and loading it up to near its weight rating, then increasing the center of gravity by raising the seating position, is going to cause problems (again, compromise - comfort vs stability in this case). Maybe you can rearrange your heavier items to sit lower in the hull, or maybe you don't need 20# of tackle, can get a lighter battery, and leave the snacks behind (double bonus!)? Maybe suck it up and pedal for a while - you may find pedaling getting easier and may even lose a few pounds (that's my hope as well!). But, adding another battery and trolling motor is NOT going to help with your stability issues, and if you can't compromise on the weight you're bringing with you, maybe the Sportsman wasn't the right choice for your style of boating/fishing? A non-PDL Sportsman or Bigwater may give you an extra 30-50# of usable cargo weight, and won't have that PDL drive that you don't seem to like. Or, some of the Hobies have higher weight ratings than the Sportsman, but they're going to cost more, and are still pedal drives. If you want to stick w/ the 120 PDL, and you're within the weight limit of the kayak so you stay safe, maybe you want to look at outriggers to add the stability you're looking for?

Fishermen come in all sizes - I can't argue that. I talk about how accessories and their placement can impact your kayak's stability and balance in our Re-entering a Fishing Kayak video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XxQIKV9DnfA.html . Regardless of an angler's body weight, they still have a lot of control over the stability of the boat as they add extra features/weight into the boat. Keep weight as close to the center line as possible, and as low as possible. I've seen people that mount lead-acid batteries up on their side geartrack. I hope they aren't surprised when their boat always wants to flip to that side!

@@FishingwithNat Very good advice and nice response. Wow putting an SLA battery on the rail, crazy stuff unless it's for some kind of counter balance, but still. I will look for your other video.

@@lmychajluk Your right, I went through the process and this kayak made the most sense. I suppose I will try to look at it more like the cheaper version as the hobbies are much more costly. Part of it is me getting used to it, and yes lots of gear makes it worse. The seat height increase is a game changer in comfort for many of us, but yes at a cost. Peddling sucks and yes, I need to do a lot more of it lol. I was not able to test out a pdl kayak before buying one but am no stranger to bicycles. I just wasn't prepared for the level of resistance the water provides. Life goes on, as grumpy as my post was, I'm thrilled to be able to get off the bank, and even do it in skinny water.

You could put on a snorkel mask and take a look around! 😄

You will want a large, heavy kayak like the PDL120, Bigwater 132, or a Hobie ProAngler 12 or ProAngler 14. The heavier your body is, the heavier you need the kayak to be to keep your center of gravity low and keep stability as good as possible. You can also look into kayak outriggers to attach to whatever kayak you end up buying, which greatly increase stability.

I plan to make a video on exactly that once the water warms up this year. Flipping it in deep water and showing what it takes to flip it back over. It's not easy with heavy fishing kayaks but it can be done.

I agree. The cheap ones have their place if someone wants a lightweight boat to take out now and then, but a serious kayak angler should think about investing in a more purpose-built kayak.

I've come to that very conclusion. The lake I fish most often is very deep. Up to 200 feet in places. Even close to the shore it drops off quickly to 30 feet. Last thing I want to do is fall in.

My kayak is stable but it sure is not lightweight, can't be brought along as a carry-on, and definitely doesn't fit inside my vehicle! Everything has its advantages, for sure.

A heavier person probably couldn't stand on the side rail but would still be able to walk around the kayak and front to back.

Very true. If your center of gravity is high from standing, you can fall off much more easily. This video shows what's possible to do without flipping the kayak or getting dumped off.

You probably could. Cast nets aren't legal here so I haven't tried it myself.

True. Although everyone makes a mistake once in a while, or sometimes you are trying to get someone else's lure down.

They are very stable. I've been quite impressed with what I can get away with while using it.

Glad it was helpful. I had to keep pushing it until I got wet!