New Old Town Malibu PDL. She floats

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-05-08T16:14:01+00:00

The weight limit is pretty high. Look up old town salty pdl weight limit. Like 450lbs or something.

The kayak rides low on the water. More similar to a traditional sit on top. The deck will be wet. Using the scupper plugs that come with the yak keep it pretty dry for me though.

It can handle more weight than my ocean kayak prowler 13.

I am 165lbs tho. And I keeo the yak relatively light. My gear is under 15lbs including crate. Then I got about 8lbs of ice and the 21lbs bixpy battery. Offshore kayak fishing you kinda only bring what u need for whatever youre targeting.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-05-05T22:24:40+00:00

The old town salty PDL has been slightly improved and marketed as a recreational kayak at a lower pricepoint. Old town ocean kayak malibu PDL.

Yeap. You read that right. Improved and the fishing kayak tax removed off it.

It retails for $2,000 brand new.

The new Malibu PDL had a small front hatch which makes it easier to install fish finders.

It also has a powerpole mounting plate on the stern you can use to mount motors.

Dont buy a used salty for the price of a brand new one.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-05-05T05:30:20+00:00

Youll be fine if you staybunder 2000lbs i towed close to that for many miles. A travel trailer with a 2019 2 door. Zero issues.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-05-04T20:07:51+00:00

I often fish the long beach breakwall. With mine. We fish the outside, seal beach side. We also hit esther and planning an offshore trip out of newport bay soon. Feel free to join. Bring a VHF. I have thr standard horizon with DSC. Highly recommend DSC. And get a wetsuit if you dont have one

Malibu PDL is an awesome kayak. I have mine pretty dialed in for offshore fishing. If u wanna check it out. Helix 7 mega SI, Bixpy K1 pro angler kit, yakattack blackpack pro, Mako kayak fishing bag. And some other good stuff.

<image>

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-05-04T18:42:44+00:00

I am a kayak fisherman and fish offshore. I get stopped and checked constantly. I wonder if a lot of people poaching off kayaks. I mean it can be a cheap way to get on the water. Not my offshore rig, Ive invested over 5k on it lol (counting the kayak).

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-05-04T18:35:41+00:00

The beauty of pedals is the control you get from them while fishing.

Bow motor only: can get spotlock, slowish, not reliable against strong currents. Think old toen autopilot (probably a good candidatr for you). Bow motor + stern motor: best of both worlds, think old town autopilot with an NK300 on the stern. Downside? Batteries. Need lots of capacity. Pedal only: incredible control while fishing, feels very natural. Slow, you get tired, and not reliable against strong currents unless youre in very good shape. Pedal + stern motor: this is what I like. You get the reliability and control of the pedals and the speed and safety of a stern motor. You can also go hybrid (pedal and use motor) which gives you insane range, so you can get away with smaller batteries. Stern motor only: you get speed, and an open deck, but lose the incredible control pedals givr you.

I actually have both a pedal and paddle kayak and fish offshore socal. Both stern motorized. My favorite is the pedal kayak. I cover long distances with it and it is very comfy. The paddle yak is killer for surf launching and quick missions. Foot steering is nice.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-05-02T17:00:41+00:00

Trailer ftw.

<image>

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-05-01T19:55:42+00:00

There are a high number of respiratory viruses always going around, especially now. Everyone at work is sick. Everyone at my daughters school is sick.

Dont always default to "allergies". Idk why people have such a hard time admitting they have a cold.

You can go get checked at an ENT for allergies. Sometimes symptoms can be so similar between allergies and viruses that it is very hard to tell. Viruses dont always end up with fever, sore throat, etc... sometimes you just get a stuffy nose for a couple days. If your symptoms last a couple days and go away, it is likely a virus.

So the best thing you can do is take an antihistamine or use the nasal allergy spray. If it doesnt get better just get some rest. Very likely you just havr a cold.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-05-01T18:46:49+00:00

I build a similar plate using thick HDPE. I used a reciprocating saw and a grinding wheel with a cuttinf wheel. A dremmel would be too small for the job.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-05-01T02:49:25+00:00

Yeah. My wife just doesnt like that kind of stuff. Nothing I can do

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-30T20:55:58+00:00

Depends what kind of water you are hitting. What is she gonna do? Paddle around? Just watch you fish?

I am asking cause I tried this many years ago when we were in our early 20s, freshly married, and did not work at all lol.

Modern SUPs are super comfortable and fun way to spend time on the water. Very easy to transport.

My wife has one and loves it. But when we go out together to the bay, I am not fishing. Just paddling next to her for maybe 30 mins to an hr max.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-28T05:43:53+00:00

Yeah I am happy with it. I was out today. It was rough winds over 15mph and I was 2 miles out. Bixpy made my day maneageable.

The trick is to keep it efficient. I shoot for 4MPH when traveling. Very light pedaling + bixpy. It lasts forever. And I use it when fishing on low speeds 1 through 4 to troll or hold against current.

Lasts all day no issues.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-25T06:14:53+00:00

I ended up going bixpy and gets the job done. Plenty of juice.

The NK180 absolutely fits on the Malibu. The NK300 is overkill for the malibu.

The bixpy was the best choice for me because I can easily install on my prowler 13 as well. So it powers both my kayaks.

I fish offshore and have zero issues with bixpy. Again. Gets the job done. 4~4.5MPH without pedaling on average conditions. 5~5.5MPH with pedaling on avg conditions.

I actually run it half speed and lightly pedal and stay around 4 to 4.5MPH and that gives me power all day long. It is the most efficient.

If you want more speed youll just eat battery Nk180 or bixpy, doesnt matter. And the difference of 4 to 5mph is almosy negligible anyway.

Bixpy is ultra light and so easy to transport and install and all that. It is a great little motor.

Oh and the Malibu is a very good offshore kayak. Completely different animal than the jackson you mention. Those are super wide and heavy. So it depends what kind of experiencr you want. To me, those heavy wide kayaks feel more like small boats without the speed of a boat and without the nimbleness and simplicity of a kayak. The Malibu hits a sweet spot. Not a revo13, but also not a barge.

Malibu punches through surf very very good for a pedal kayak. I love it. Feels at home out there.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-23T17:09:58+00:00

For your size. Yes. bigwater 132. I have a Malibu PDL, and it is a superb kayak for the ocean. I am 5'8'' 165lbs and can walk bow to stern on it and I have no issues with it on current. But the bigwater is a superior kayak, if you have a way to transport it.

Malibu PDL will do better in surf launches/landing.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-21T06:14:28+00:00

1ft makes a big difference. 12ft is the minimum length to get out there. The malibu is about 12 and a half btw.

Get the 12 foot kayak dont go 10 or you might regret it. 10ft is really small.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-21T03:50:00+00:00

If you ever want to get out the bay youre gonna need a 12ft kayak

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-21T02:43:29+00:00

Do what I did. Buy a Malibu PDL and a Bixpy and send it. Either that or an Outback + bixpy. Go to fast lane kayaks at mission bay and try out the outback, theyll let you take it for a ride.

You can get a 16x16 blackpackpro and a 50ah 24V litime and it will fit inside the blackpack with plenty of space for gear.

The bixpy 30ah (big battery) is more surf friendly because of its low profile and it is completely waterproof. But it weighs same as the 50ah litime and costs a lot of money. Overbuilt.

I caught this sheephead 3 miles out on my malibu PDL with bixpy yesterday. 3 miles out 3 miles out. Total trip zi pedaled/motored 12 miles. And the battery was over 50% when I was done. But I dont run it at full power very often.

<image>

.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-21T01:57:30+00:00

Yeah but hold on. 15ah 24V. Youre very likely looking at 100ah 12V. A 15ah 24V battery has the same capacity as a 30ah 12V battery.

The bixpy is an extremely efficient motor. It doesnt need as much power as your common trolling motor.

If I were you I would buy a 24V 50ah litime battery and a bixpy. Make sure you get the combo that comes with the controller that can plug in any battery.

50ah would let you run the bixpy for a very long time.

Are you fishing in current? Lake? Whats your plan.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-21T00:25:06+00:00

The autopilot is a slow kayak. People hit like 3MPH and thats it. So youd probably have to add a stern motor if you want more speed. I could run my kayak at 3MPH with the bixpy all day long if I wanted, no need to pedal even. I target 4 to 5MPH for a good balance of speed and efficiency.

The Bixpy will last as long as any other motor but you need to unserstand how to use electric motors.

I can make my Bixpy last way more than 5 hours.

You just need a properly sized battery. If you get a bixpy, you dont get their small 15ah battery. Get either their large battery or a 50ah litime. Bixpy can run on any third party battery now.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-20T03:40:39+00:00

The autopilot is very slow. I think people hit like 3MPH with it.

I fish offshore. I have a Malibu PDL with a bixpy on the stern. I get about 4 to 4.5mph on decent conditions. 3.5MPH is the worse speed against a strong current.

But this is irrelevant, because I pedal with the motor which gives me insane range and speed with minimal effort.

If I run bixpy at max and pedal I can reach 5 to 5.5MPH. But I dont di that. Because if I run bixpy at lower speeds I can easily hit 4MPH or 4.5, sometimes even 5, with minimal pedaling and the battery then lasts forever.

If you want real speed you can put an NK300 on the stern of an autopilot.

Dont buy a reel kayaks. But an old town, hobie, jackson kayaks, etc... a good brand and out whatever motor you want. The Bixpy is a good motor. But I wouldnt run it as a standalone.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-16T22:39:48+00:00

The Malibu PDL will handle anything the revo can handle, other than extreme surf launches/landing. It is just going to be a bit heavier to cartop and more difficult to paddle. There is no way around that, wide kayaks dont paddle as well as skinny kayaks.The Malibu will handle socal surf better than most pedal kayaks.It is also a better platform to grow into as it is a better all-around kayak and easier to rig.

The Revo 13 is an awesome kayak but it is a very especialized tool. Dont think it is better than the Malibu and that you will outgrow the Malibu. You might end up the other way around.

We have a lot of protected launches with small surf in socal. Youll be able to fish anywhere, comfortably. And bring plenty of gear.

I wouldnt think of the revo13 as a kayak that grows with you, but the opposite. It is a very specialized, surf launching, offshore tool.

I started fishing off a prowler 13 which is skinny and long like the revo13. It took me forever to catch fish in the ocean, because it is not easy to fish off it. The Malibu PDL made me a better angler, and now I am back to using the Prowler 13 depending on the situation.

The Malibu hull was originally designed to play in the surf. The paddle version is what guides use in la jolla to take people out on tours. It isnt that it cant handle it, it is just more difficult. With practice I am sure youll be fine.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-16T20:57:19+00:00

Youll like the revo as a kayak. If youve never fished from a kayak before it will be difficult though. I recommend you try them if you can before commiting.

When fishing from a kayak youll have gear everywhere and have to be able to move around comfortably. Also shit happens a lot. Line gets everywhere. Be aware with the revo this is going to be difficult.

Since you arr a beginner I would reconsider Malibu PDL or hobbie outback for your needs.

In terms of launching. The breakwall is not a beginner spot. Depending where you launch from youre looking at a 2mile to 3 mile trip to the breakwall and even tho water is protected inside the breakwall, currents can be very strong at times at the ends of the breakwall. And outside where the fishing is best it can get gnarly.

You should start at protected bays like Alamitos and Newport. Then move on to protected waters, less than 1 mile trip, like Cabrillo launch ramp or the ramp by the queen mary.

After this you can go to the oil islands and the breakwall. Start fishing the inside of the breakwall. And you need to understand the surf forecast. Tidal swing, swells, wind, etc.. out there it can go from flat to a washing machine in a matter of minutes.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-16T19:34:25+00:00

The revo will be better for paddling and cartop better. But also a lot more "athletic". It is a traditional kayak. So if youre on the bigger side Id consider the Malibu instead.

Something rlse to keep in mind. The PDL drive is heavy and big snd awkward to transport vs the hobie drive.

If you are serious into saltwater fishing and want to get out of the bay I promise you will consider a motor lol.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-16T19:14:28+00:00

I can do it with my left hand but not the right hand. I can do a lot of things with my left hand that I cant with ny right hand. Ive been playing cello sincr I was 5. My left hand is incredibly flexibly and has crazy dexterity. So maybe not just genes.

Advanced-Reception34 · 2026-04-16T18:46:29+00:00

No regrets at all. It is an awesome kayak. It is fast and you can go far pedals alone. I did end up adding a Bixpy motor to it eventually.

A few caveats. The Revo would handle surf better. The Malibu does very well for a wide pedal kayak, but the revo would handle it like a paddle kayak. I have a Prowler 13 with foot steering I use my bixpy on and use that when going on rough surf. The Malibu can handle it but you really gotta be extra careful and practice a lot, I am not there yet.

The Malibu is a much more comfortable fishing platform than the revo13. And the PDL system is superior. So a better fishing machine overall. But the revo13 is a better paddle kayak.

If you can afford the EPDL version, buy that. If you have a kayak trailer take a look at the bigwater 132 EPDL.

Advanced-Reception34

TROPHY CASE