Old Town Topwater 120 PDL Review

Experts all agree that the 120 PDL is an angler’s dream – it’s packed with intuitive storage such as deep hatches, recessed rod areas, and anchor and wiring holds should you need them. Most reviewers also love the central dry pocket built into the PDL itself – it’s ideal for keeping sensitive items in and away from the water.

Old Town is always a reliable name when it comes to waterproofing, too, and the innovative hatches onboard here more than lock out water splashing across the stern.

Paddlers love the ease of access to rods via the holding systems and the sheer space you’ll get from the interior kayak. It’s worth noting that taller paddlers will benefit most in this regard, but there’s still lots of storage under the seat and even toward the end of the boat. Paddlers should also look under the boar – there’s tons of room to set up a large transducer if you wish!

The PDL drive is, of course, the biggest selling point of this kayak; it’s as easy to use as riding a bike. The drive unit itself locks and unlocks whenever you need it to, and even has a safety function where it will pop out cleanly if the kayak hits the floor.

You really won’t have to do much to maintain the PDL – it should withstand plenty of use over time.

Convenience is absolutely key here, as you benefit from not only pedal power but also ease of access to a tension knob should you wish to tighten the rudder up for easier handling.

For everyday anglers, this kayak is likely to handle fairly well. It doesn’t seem to need much power or exertion and will move smoothly through most waters. It doesn’t appear to have the best turning radius, but this is a small trade-off, given the sheer convenience of the pedal propulsion. You can even get a good amount of power and handling just by paddling – but some reviewers claim that you only ever need one pedal to get this kayak up to good acceleration.

The Old Town Topwater PDL is also one of the best sit on top kayaks out there in terms of stability. It’s one of the most steadfast fishing kayaks of its class, which is great news for any anglers heading out in rough weather or onto choppier waters. It seems really easy to stand up in and adjust your position, and what’s more, 11 different scupper holes will take care of water ingress and prevent sogginess en route.

The 120 PDL scores highly on innovation but less so on seating comfort. Some critics even chose to upgrade with new seating outright, as the default fitting causes pain and fatigue after a few uses. That said, reviewers claim it’s easy enough to adjust, even though you do only get the one height setting.

The handles onboard the 120 PDL reportedly make it fairly easy to lift and attach to vehicles, as well as to hoist up into storage. That said, given the weight of the boat, including PDL, it’s going to be worth investing in a trolley or adding a skid plate.

Another key point that makes the Topwater PDL one of the best sit on top kayaks in its category is the high capacity. The 120 PDL can take up to 500 lbs at base weight, which is a serious improvement on older Topwater kayaks, and is certainly competitive with boats of similar prices.

The Topwater 120 PDL will appeal to any fisherpeople or kayakers looking to ease off on the paddles and who are looking for flawless stability combined with immense customization and storage potential.