Video · Kayak Reviews
Old Town BigWater ePDL+ 132: Pedal Assist Kayak On-Water Test
I take the Old Town BigWater ePDL+ 132 out at ICAST and run its pedal assist drive through every level, like an e-bike on the water.
What’s in this video
This footage almost didn’t make it. I lost my iPhone at ICAST, grabbed snorkel gear, found it, and it still turned on. This is one of the most exciting pieces of tech I’ve seen in a kayak. The ePDL+ works like an e-bike. Level zero is full manual and feels just like the standard PDL drive. Levels one through three are set to common trolling speeds. Four and five are the get up and go.
I kept the same cadence and effort the whole time, and the boat kept getting faster as the motor kicked in. On level five I barely moved my legs and there was a wake behind me. If you slow down too much the motor cuts out, and it takes about two slow revolutions to kick back in. There’s cruise control at any level too (the screen turns white), so I could stop pedaling and keep moving. Pedal backwards and it drops out, kind of like a brake. Or just pull the kill switch.
It’s a 13 foot BigWater hull with a little more volume in the stern. It felt stable standing, has a transducer port, a forward rod holder and quiet deck padding. If the battery dies you just pedal. The Old Town rep told me level five gives about three hours, level four about eight, and normal fishing use gets a whole weekend. At the time of the video the price was said to be $5,999.
Quick takeaways
- Assist levels one to three are set for trolling speeds, and levels four and five are for running to your spot.
- Pedaling backwards cancels cruise control, and the kill switch shuts the motor off right away.
- Per the Old Town rep, level five runs about three hours and mixed fishing use can last a two day weekend.
- If the battery runs dead you can still pedal it like a normal PDL kayak.
Gear from this video
- SHOP OLD TOWN KAYAKS
- My Action Camera (drone-like shots)
- My Main Camera
- My Favorite Camera
- My Favorite Life Jacket (for hot days)
- My Amzn Storefront
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