Old Town Topwater 120 Review

Experts reviewing the Old Town Topwater 120 seem to agree on a few key areas. Perhaps most of all, the fact this boat is so stable and undemanding on the water despite its low price tag will appeal to anglers looking for a great value tide-over.

Reviewers praise the kayak highly for its ease of adaptability between sat and standing fishing positions, helped along by a wide platform and an adjustable seat.

Comfort also seems to be high on Old Town’s agenda here, with its wide, two-position seat reportedly being very easy to configure and reset. For anglers riding over long periods of time, the angle of the seat’s backrest and the width of the seat itself will certainly help to distribute weight and prevent fatigue.

That said, there is some disagreement on the overall quality of the seat’s build, meaning if you’re looking for a more padded option, it’s best to look at other Old Town boats.

Stability is a huge plus point for experts – the Topwater is clearly built to offer steadiness on the water if you want to stand up and fish, and it’ll take a heavy lean from side to side without tipping. There’s reportedly some loss of speed and acceleration as a result, but this is to be expected to some extent.

That said, experts claim this Old Town kayak performs amazingly in shallow and tight waters and will turn without much encouragement. It also tracks reasonably well, but buyers shouldn’t expect it to work any miracles on open water or under rough weather conditions.

Seasoned fisherpeople will also enjoy the secure, waterproof storage onboard as well as how easy it is to access. The front hatch is reportedly easy to reach and use while in the boat itself, and there are also rubber side pockets for tech and gear if you need them.

Further back into the boat, secondary rod holders and wide cup holders pick up further interest from reviewers, particularly as they’re positioned in such a way that your average paddler won’t need to stretch too far.

What experts really like about this boat is the fact you probably won’t have to drill much tech into the body of the kayak. There’s lots of room for customization, with plenty of flat surfaces that should appeal to anglers and riders looking to upgrade with their own preferred gadgets.

The boat’s scupper holes are self-draining, meaning that while water will get into the boat under pressure, it’ll soon drain free. That said, it seems the kayak probably won’t let much in unless you really push it to its absolute limits.

With a rudder attached, the Topwater 120 can reach impressive speeds for a kayak of its class. However, it’s unlikely the target audience for this vessel will want to go at a breakneck pace!

The boat also seems to garner high praise in terms of portability despite its relatively high weight. Handles are positioned accessibly enough to ensure solo and duo paddlers can carry it to and from the waterline, and you can collapse or remove the seat to easily store on a car or at home.

Durability tends to be pretty high on Old Town’s agenda, and their lifetime warranty applies to the super-tough polyethylene here. Provided you don’t purposely try to damage the boat on purpose, this boat will barely take a scratch or a dent over time.

As such, reviewers appear to suggest it’s a reasonably comfortable, extremely convenient kayak clearly built with the multiple needs of a feature-friendly angler in mind. That, and for a vessel under $2,000, it picks up a lot of “great value” labels online.