# Any pescador pilot owners on the forum?



## barefoot

Hey;

Has anyone on the forum bought the pilot?
Can you give us your on the water review?

Did they fix the noisy drive and so on....


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## sportsman58

I bought the first pilot at Pensacola kayak and Sail shop...it is the best kayak I've ever owned... Long as u maintain the play in the locking pin by adjusting the slide plate no noise is procented ... All u hear is your nees popping... Lol... I stand 70 % of the time in my pilot . Very stable... There isn't no complaints on any thing on the kayak other then the small hull hatch in the back... But it's not a big deal... I take my yak of shore and take it in the bays and even hit the smooth blackwater rivers alot. If you have any more questions or even wanna take one out for a spin let me know...


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## sportsman58

Also Brian at Pensacola Kayak and Sail will answer any questions too... He is a pro when it comes down to everything to do with yaks and there performance...


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## barefoot

sportsman58 said:


> I bought the first pilot at Pensacola kayak and Sail shop...it is the best kayak I've ever owned... Long as u maintain the play in the locking pin by adjusting the slide plate no noise is procented ... All u hear is your nees popping... Lol... I stand 70 % of the time in my pilot . Very stable... There isn't no complaints on any thing on the kayak other then the small hull hatch in the back... But it's not a big deal... I take my yak of shore and take it in the bays and even hit the smooth blackwater rivers alot. If you have any more questions or even wanna take one out for a spin let me know...


Sportsman;

Thanks for reporting on this yak.
So it's a stable ride, pedals easy.

Has the peddle mech. been reliable?


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## SurfRidr

Enquiring minds...


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## sportsman58

Peddle mechanics have been 100%... Wash them good after every ride. And I haven't had a problem yet... I put my kayak through hell and it always impresses me.. I had to oil the rudder controller the other day with wd-40.. but that was nothing....and this is a very awesome yak for the price compared to other peddle yaks. To be honest I figured I would have had alot of issues with this kayak also buying it when it first came out. But i was proved wrong.


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## barefoot

Sportsman;

Thanks man for the honest review.


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## makats

sportsman58 said:


> Peddle mechanics have been 100%... Wash them good after every ride. And I haven't had a problem yet... I put my kayak through hell and it always impresses me.. I had to oil the rudder controller the other day with wd-40.. but that was nothing....and this is a very awesome yak for the price compared to other peddle yaks. To be honest I figured I would have had alot of issues with this kayak also buying it when it first came out. But i was proved wrong.


Have you by any chance compared your pilot to Hobie Compass? I am deciding on my first peddle kayak purchase and considering those two options now, but can't find any reliable comparisons of pilot to compass.


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## lobsterman

makats said:


> Have you by any chance compared your pilot to Hobie Compass? I am deciding on my first peddle kayak purchase and considering those two options now, but can't find any reliable comparisons of pilot to compass.




Here is what I found. The pilot does not hold a candle to the Hobie but the Ild Town Predator PDL. Is a top notch boat and it is far easier on my knees to go in circles compared to back and forth. I Demoed the Compass for 20 minutes and my knees were killing me. I fished out of a Predator PDL for a couple hours and didn’t miss a beat. Had no knee pain whatsoever. From what I was told about the pilot is they had a bunch of bugs to work out of the pedal drive.


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## makats

lobsterman said:


> Here is what I found. The pilot does not hold a candle to the Hobie but the Ild Town Predator PDL. Is a top notch boat and it is far easier on my knees to go in circles compared to back and forth. I Demoed the Compass for 20 minutes and my knees were killing me. I fished out of a Predator PDL for a couple hours and didn’t miss a beat. Had no knee pain whatsoever. From what I was told about the pilot is they had a bunch of bugs to work out of the pedal drive.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks for the input! I've heard that PDL is a very decent yak, but it is almost $1000 more then pilot, so I guess that is expected. I also heard that mirage drive is advertised as being "better" for your joints as it is supposed to be less tiring, but it might be a personal preference. Where were you able to test drive the compass?

I will might just have to wait until Pilot 2.0 comes out, or get another $600 to buy compass with mirage 180 reverse upgrade.


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## lobsterman

makats said:


> Thanks for the input! I've heard that PDL is a very decent yak, but it is almost $1000 more then pilot, so I guess that is expected. I also heard that mirage drive is advertised as being "better" for your joints as it is supposed to be less tiring, but it might be a personal preference. Where were you able to test drive the compass?
> 
> I will might just have to wait until Pilot 2.0 comes out, or get another $600 to buy compass with mirage 180 reverse upgrade.


Yes I did try the Compass. It is a light and stable yak, more so than the Outback, but it is bare bones and you have to install accessories yourself. I also tried it with the 180 drive. That is where the PDL also comes in better if you ask me. The reverse is immediate, just pedal backwards. The Compass you have to line up your feet together in the middle and pull a cable to switch to reverse. No big problem unless you are fighting a fish around a dock and need an immediate action taken. By the time you pause and pull the fish has you busted off around the pilings.

Just remember the old addage, you get what you pay for.


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## CB541

I was in the same boat looking at the Pilot due to if fit my budget. Went to Pensacola sail and compared Native, PDL, and the Pilot. After see all three the pilot was no longer an option. The quality difference and quality between the 3 was very noticeable. PDL was wider, longer, better seat, metal rudder, not plastic all around a better boat + life time warranty on the hull. It was a toss up between the native and PDL but chose the PLD for the room, stability and its a larger kayak and glad I did.
I did order it from Austin Kayak, Free shipping and discount on accessories. They will do a package deal with Kayak, Paddle and life jacket. If you want to try it out one day your more that welcome to take it for a spin.


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## CB541

Get one while you can. Great price https://www.austinkayak.com/products/21777/Old-Town-Predator-PDL-Pedal-Drive-Kayak.html


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## lobsterman

CB541 said:


> Get one while you can. Great price https://www.austinkayak.com/products/21777/Old-Town-Predator-PDL-Pedal-Drive-Kayak.html




It’s not just that one. Just about all of the kayaks are on sale.


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## d.rink

barefoot said:


> Hey;
> 
> Has anyone on the forum bought the pilot?
> Can you give us your on the water review?
> 
> Did they fix the noisy drive and so on....



So this is a few months old now but were you able to make a decision? I'm about 2 weeks out from buying a Pilot so wanted to see if you were satisfied.

In the price range, It's essentially a new Pilot or a used Native for me (reverse was a must). Thanks!


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## lobsterman

d.rink said:


> So this is a few months old now but were you able to make a decision? I'm about 2 weeks out from buying a Pilot so wanted to see if you were satisfied.
> 
> In the price range, It's essentially a new Pilot or a used Native for me (reverse was a must). Thanks!


Don't know about now, but they had a lot of drive problems to work out!


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## d.rink

lobsterman said:


> Don't know about now, but they had a lot of drive problems to work out!



Definitely an important point. From my understanding (YouTube and Google searches), they worked those out after the first batch (Q1 2017) and anything made after that should be good. I'd definitely be buying new.

I know it isn't comparable to the quality of a Hobie or a PDL, but it's also $1k+ cheaper so just want to make sure it's stable enough to fish Bayous, Bays, and rivers with the occasional Gulf day around Pensacola.


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## lobsterman

d.rink said:


> Definitely an important point. From my understanding (YouTube and Google searches), they worked those out after the first batch (Q1 2017) and anything made after that should be good. I'd definitely be buying new.
> 
> 
> 
> I know it isn't comparable to the quality of a Hobie or a PDL, but it's also $1k+ cheaper so just want to make sure it's stable enough to fish Bayous, Bays, and rivers with the occasional Gulf day around Pensacola.




From what I am told it might be a tad less tippy than the Slayer propel. But I have not personally sat in a pilot, so I am not for sure on that. I do for fact know as a rookie, I did not fell comfortable in a slayer propel for sure. I would tell you like most others on here. Try before you buy, so you can make an informed decision. 


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## lobsterman

lobsterman said:


> From what I am told it might be a tad less tippy than the Slayer propel. But I have not personally sat in a pilot, so I am not for sure on that. I do for fact know as a rookie, I did not fell comfortable in a slayer propel for sure. I would tell you like most others on here. Try before you buy, so you can make an informed decision.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Let me also say I know several people with the slayer propel and they love them. So it all comes down to personal comfort. For me it was a no brainer. Please try before you buy!


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## d.rink

lobsterman said:


> Let me also say I know several people with the slayer propel and they love them. So it all comes down to personal comfort. For me it was a no brainer. Please try before you buy!


Thanks. I am fairly new (currently in a 14 ft Heritage Angler for less than a year) to kayak fishing, so as much of other's experiences that I can gather the better. Appreciate the feedback.


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## lsucole

There is a huge kayak store in Gulfport right next to the outlet mall on I10/hwy. 49. It is called Everything Kayak -- they actually have a huge indoor pool where you can test the kayaks. They carry several different brands.


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## barefoot

lsucole said:


> There is a huge kayak store in Gulfport right next to the outlet mall on I10/hwy. 49. It is called Everything Kayak -- they actually have a huge indoor pool where you can test the kayaks. They carry several different brands.


Good to know.
Now I have another reason to go to Gulfport.


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## BackHome

d.rink said:


> So this is a few months old now but were you able to make a decision? I'm about 2 weeks out from buying a Pilot so wanted to see if you were satisfied.
> 
> In the price range, It's essentially a new Pilot or a used Native for me (reverse was a must). Thanks!


I know I'm late to the discussion, but here's my $.02. I recently bought a Pescador Pilot. After 2 fishing trips paddling around the bay in my friends borrowed kayak, I knew that I wanted to let my feet do the work. Saw the Pilot on sale at Academy for $1500 and got the last one. Here's what I've discovered. The rudder isn't the best and turning can be an issue sometimes. I'm thinking about adding some horizontal depth to it to make it more maneuverable. My friend has a Native and I've noticed that when we are pedaling side by side, I have to pedal a little faster to keep up with him. Not a lot, but enough to notice. It's like the gear ratio on the Native is a little better than on the Pilot. Only really a big deal if you're traveling long distances. The so called rod holders are too wide and not deep enough to hold a rod securely. I put together a rocket launcher type rod holder with PVC and eliminated that issue. Other than that, I don't think you can beat it for the price. I'm usually out 2-3 times a week in mine. So, for the short time I've had it, I've put quite a few miles on it.


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## SurfRidr

BackHome said:


> I know I'm late to the discussion, but here's my $.02. I recently bought a Pescador Pilot. After 2 fishing trips paddling around the bay in my friends borrowed kayak, I knew that I wanted to let my feet do the work. Saw the Pilot on sale at Academy for $1500 and got the last one. Here's what I've discovered. The rudder isn't the best and turning can be an issue sometimes. I'm thinking about adding some horizontal depth to it to make it more maneuverable. My friend has a Native and I've noticed that when we are pedaling side by side, I have to pedal a little faster to keep up with him. Not a lot, but enough to notice. It's like the gear ratio on the Native is a little better than on the Pilot. Only really a big deal if you're traveling long distances. The so called rod holders are too wide and not deep enough to hold a rod securely. I put together a rocket launcher type rod holder with PVC and eliminated that issue. Other than that, I don't think you can beat it for the price. I'm usually out 2-3 times a week in mine. So, for the short time I've had it, I've put quite a few miles on it.


Thanks for the update on your experience. I am still eyeing a kayak purchase at some point "soon" (that being relative to budget and life's circumstances getting in my way), so I'm interested in people's opinions on these pedal drives.

Could you post a picture of your rod holder modifications? Thanks!


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## BackHome

Cost was about $30 for supplies.


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## crashin

My two cents. I have been in several yaks. As far as a fishing platforms with peddle drives I like Hobie, it is what I own. I will buy a pdl next in addition to it. I am just wanting old town to a new version when they do that, I think they will have learned very much from this platform and make it even better then it already is.


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