Old Town Sportsman BigWater PDL 132 Pedal Fishing Kayak, Marsh Camo Review (2026)

Who this kayak is built for

As the name suggests, the BigWater PDL 132 is Old Town's Sportsman pedal kayak built specifically for large lakes, reservoirs and open bays where wind-driven chop is common rather than sheltered creeks. At 13 feet 2 inches long, it is the longest hull in the Sportsman PDL lineup, giving it more length to cut through waves than the shorter PDL 106 or PDL 120 models. It suits an angler who regularly fishes big water and wants a stable, standing-capable platform along with Old Town's PDL Drive for hands-free propulsion over long paddles. Anglers who mostly fish small ponds or narrow creeks will find this length harder to maneuver and transport than it needs to be for that kind of water.

Specs and design in plain terms

Old Town's specifications list the BigWater PDL 132 hull at about 122 pounds with a removable pedal console adding roughly 21 pounds, for a maximum capacity around 500 pounds and a usable capacity of about 378 pounds once hull and drive weight are accounted for. It is built from single-layer polyethylene, and like the rest of the Sportsman PDL line, it uses Old Town's PDL Drive for instant forward and reverse pedaling. The seat carries over the same lumbar-supportive, mesh-covered design used across the Sportsman line for ventilation and drainage. Two accessory tracks on the forward hull and two more in the stern give multiple placement options for rod holders, electronics or crates, useful on a boat with enough deck length to carry serious gear for a full day on open water.

Setting it up and living with it

Given a hull weight around 122 pounds before the pedal console and seat are added, this is a boat most owners move with a kayak cart, trailer or truck bed rather than lifting solo onto a roof rack. The extra length and volume that make it capable in chop also mean it takes more storage space at home than the shorter Sportsman models. As with other PDL-equipped kayaks, rinsing the drive unit and its cables after each outing, particularly after any exposure to sand or brackish water, helps the instant-reverse mechanism keep working smoothly. The forward and stern accessory tracks make it straightforward to add a fish finder mount or extra rod holders without modifying the hull.

Trade-offs and how it compares

Against the shorter Sportsman PDL 120 and PDL 106, the BigWater 132 trades easier transport and lighter weight for better performance in waves and more deck space for long trips on open water. Compared with the BKC Brooklyn 12.5 flipper-drive kayak, the BigWater 132 costs considerably more but offers Old Town's instant-reverse PDL Drive and a hull purpose-built for rougher conditions, rather than the calmer water most flipper-drive kayaks are suited to. Anglers deciding between Sportsman sizes should weigh how much of their fishing actually happens on big, exposed water against the real cost in weight and storage space that the BigWater 132's extra length brings.

Verdict and who should pick something else

Choose the BigWater PDL 132 if you regularly fish large lakes, reservoirs or bays where chop and long paddles are the norm, and you have the trailer or truck bed space a 122 pound hull requires. Its length and volume are built for exactly that kind of water. Anglers who mostly fish small ponds, narrow creeks or protected coves will be better served by the shorter Sportsman PDL 106, which is lighter and easier to turn in tight spaces. Buyers who want big-water capability without Old Town's premium pricing should also compare longer pedal kayaks from other brands before settling on the BigWater 132.

Frequently asked questions