Old Town^® Introduces Pedal-driven Predator PDL™ Advanced human-powered fishing watercraft offers unrivaled hands-free boat control and fishability, including forward and reverse

Old Town, Maine (July 8, 2014): For over a century, Old Town^® Canoes & Kayaks has raised the bar in personal watercraft, offering paddle-driven solutions for passionate anglers and boaters.

But it isn’t all J-strokes with the iconic Maine, USA-based watercraft builder. Although the company is renowned for its strong boat-building heritage, they’re also a progressive team committed to innovating new watercraft technologies.

“The Predator PDL completely redefines the pedal-driven fishing kayak category,” said David Hadden, Brand Director for Johnson Outdoors Watercraft. “Our engineers spent over three years building not only the most durable, dependable, fastest, quietest, and easy-to-use pedal-driven mechanism in the industry, but the perfect hull and boat design complement from the ground up. Our goal was to create a Predator that offers the best pedal fishing experience on the planet.”

He continues: “Anglers were unanimous. The ultimate pedal boat had to have forward and reverse, which are essential for boat control and pinpoint positioning in wind, current, and around structure.”  

The result is the perfect boat for avid kayak anglers who need forward and reverse dexterity, prefer casting over paddling, yet still want some form of exercise. Similarly, the Predator PDL offers hunters a great way to access waters where motors are restricted.

The Technology: Old Town PDL Drive™

To that end, the Old Town PDL Drive is a brilliant piece of engineering founded on proven technologies in the lifecycle market. The result is an easy to carry, operate and stow system that efficiently converts modest pedaling into maximum propulsion. A 10.3:1 gear ratio means that anglers can reach speeds up to 5.5 mph to reach fishing spots fast and efficiently. A proprietary weedless prop design creates the perfect combination of efficiency, speed, and torque. Additionally, Pedal Drive allows smooth forward and reverse and a small turn radius allow for the ultimate in boat control via one-handed rudder control on the boat itself.

“We also knew the system had to dock, deploy and stow quickly and easily, run in shallow water, but also pivot up quickly for navigating underwater obstacles. That was another considerable engineering hurdle,” said Hadden.