Paddling on a kayak is fun. Until, of course, your arms and shoulders begin to fatigue, which makes getting back a real chore. Which is why we’re quite fond of kayak pedal systems, which allow you to use your legs to propel the boat similar to bicycles, making it possible to stay on the water far longer before succumbing to fatigue. The Old Town Sportsman BigWater ePDL+ 132 is a pedal-powered kayak that integrates an ebike-style pedal assist system to make navigating the waters even less taxing.
That’s right, this fishing kayak comes with a pedal assist system, so you can propel it with the same ease that you get your ebike moving on the road. Well… probably not as easy with the extra resistance from the water, but still a heck of a lot easier than paddling or pedaling without any help.
The Old Town Sportsman BigWater ePDL+ 132 is a fishing kayak with an integrated pedal system, allowing you to propel it using your legs, instead of relying on your puny arms like a traditional kayak. Except, this one also comes with the outfit’s ePDL+ rig, a power-assisted pedal system that can provide motorized assistance, so you need not put your leg muscles through grueling work. You can, of course, punish your legs if you want by putting it in Manual Mode, although it gives you the option to activate Power Assist and choose one of five levels of motorized assistance. Don’t want to pedal at all? Not a problem, either, as it offers a Cruise Control mode – just set the speed level you want (they have five options) and the motor takes over all on its own.
The motor, by the way, is hooked up to an integrated 20Ah battery that can keep it running for up to 46 hours at the slowest Cruise Control setting. That’s right, a whopping 46 hours. Do note, you’re going to move painfully slow in that mode, so you’ll probably only want it when you’re trying to check out a particular patch of water. Maxing out the Cruise Control level to the highest speeds will cut down the battery life to three hours.
The Old Town Sportsman BigWater ePDL+ 132 uses the outfit’s Bigwater kayak as its base watercraft, which they, basically, retrofitted with the new propulsion system. It’s not small, by the way, measuring over 13 feet long and weighing 122 pounds, so you’ll probably need help mounting this on top of your car’s roof rack. Yeah, it’s pretty heavy. On the upside, it has a weight capacity of 500 pounds, allowing you to carry a good load of gear any time you take it out fishing.
It comes with plenty of storage, including a forward-sealed cargo compartment, a center console pod with two removable containers, dry storage in the sealed bow hatch, six accessory tracks, multiple rod holders, cup holders, and even a tackle box under the seat. Other features include a highly-stable tri-hull design, a fully-adjustable seat, non-slip EVA foam deck, foot braces, and a stand-up assist strap.
The Old Town Sportsman BigWater ePDL+ 132 is now available for preorder, priced at $5,999.99.