In the 7-minute YouTube video below, the host of “Fishing with Nat” conducts a detailed stability test of an Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 fishing kayak. 

In the comments section below the video, you’ll read post after post saying basically the same thing: “This is by far the best stability test I’ve seen on any kayak.”

I agree. As an owner of three different-sized kayaks, including an Old Town pedal-drive model (PDL) that measures 13 feet, 2 inches, I can tell you that nothing I’ve used compares to this design when it comes to overall stability. And that includes testing several other brands/models of kayaks owned by my fishing buddies.

Note that the 12-foot Sportsman PDL 120 is a sit-on style kayak as opposed to a sit-in kayak. As the host explains, with this design, the angler will often fall into the water before the kayak flips.

From experience, I know that my Old Town PDL is stable, but I’ve never put it to the test like Nat does in this video. It’s truly amazing what you can do — or get away with — in this kayak. I’ve stood in my PDL to cast, but I’ve never walked around it as shown in the video. (Fast-forward to the 4:45 mark if you’re in a hurry.) Amazing!