“Big stable kayak which has been a great addition for when I’m travelling and for days off to fish local systems. Ample room to carry plenty of fishing, camping equipment and a large esky if needed. I would recommend starting with the propellor drive set up so you can reverse as the flap drive is only forward. I have the flap drive which is good and works well but have realised having reverse would be handy when moving in tight spaces. I have had some awesome fishing sessions already in the short time I’ve owned it.”
“A big beast that certainly lives up to its marketed review of being stable. I acquired the peddle drive with the yak and can achieve just over 2 knots comfortably but how I go on a river against the tide - could be a bit embarrassing.
Weighing over 50Kg, its heavy and as I have to load and unload it myself from a Landcruiser 200 series some mods were applied to assist. I have a rhino rack to which I have build a roller system that can extend past the 200's rear window fin before it tilts 45 degrees to take the initial load. Lift is basically an easy kettle bell lift/swing and it on the move up onto the roof Both unload and load were achieved very easily. The one attachment needed to the yak for this is strapping on 2 x 200mm foam balls either side of the rudder so as to protect the rudder when you lift it onto its stern to place the hull against the tilt rack. The foam balls with a long and short load strap worked well to achieve that protection. A mod here to be able to readily remove the rudder. While the rudder can be unscrewed, I would not want to do this excessively as its a little on the delicate side so went with the ball option. A pull pin, to remove the rudder flap itself would be a great mod.
The build appears good with many tracks for mounted attachments. I installed a Lowrance Hook 7 with Triple shot transducer which works well in the transducer hole mounted onto a piece of 50 x 75 RHS aluminium to raise the transducer to give the necessary 180 degrees vision.
The Transducer hole, to hull access paned could benefit from some more thought on how to easily achieve water-tightness. I had to go with plenty of silicone option once the cables were in.
Being a large Kayak, there is plenty of space for larger framed individuals. Being part dwarf At 167cm, I am having to work out how to get the seat closer to the peddles as I need to stretch on the farthest reach of each stroke. Unfortunately, the adjustable seat screw holders are not reversable which would have provided another 7-10cm of adjustment closer to the peddles. Looking how I best fix this, may be a different seat to that provided which otherwise is a very comfortable and suitable seat. I did go with a Native Side kick as a wheel option to the yak and that’s worked out very well without losing much room from the rear.
Happy with the purchase, interested in the electric option which replaces the peddles or flap drive, but as always price dependant but with many after market options also available.”
“I bought my pedal pro 3.9m kayak 2nd hand from a Bay Sports customer but am happy to share my experience with a unit that is well worn in. All components seem to be holding up well. It is a serious beast of a thing. Very well thought out with useful storage compartments in all the right areas. I weigh 110kg and was actually pleasantly surprised how stable this thing is. I was able to comfortably reach over the pedal drive system to access the front hatch while in small to medium swells out in the ocean. I was able to spin 180 degrees on the seat to access the rear storage area and fish the opposite direction with no concern of tipping whatsoever. Not even close! You can easily stand and fish out of it if you want, though that's not why I bought it. You sit really high on the water so visibility is heaps better than in a normal sea kayak and makes fishing very comfortable. I notice compared to my GFs normal sit on top kayak, the Pedal Pro doesn't bob around anywhere near as much. The rear storage is huge and you could easily take a swag with you or are tent and sleeping bag and esky and do some overnight trips. The downsides to this kayak that I've discovered are the weight! This is a big deal and I wasn't quite expecting the challenges this would bring! The thing weighs a LOT, its awkward to maneuver and you basically need a trailer to get it around. I've managed to fabricate an elaborate system to get it on the roof of my 4x4 but I think for most, a trailer is a must and will limit you to boat ramp launches and beach launches where you can drive on the beach. Due to the hull shape underneath, I've given up trying to get the thing to balance on the dolly as it's near impossible to get it to sit right and it doesn't seem to play nice once I roll from the concrete to the gravel. The other minor annoyance is the rudder. Dragging this kayak from the front on the beach means the rudder digs into the sand. The rudder seems strong though. I've knocked it around a fair bit and seems to be taking it well. Talking about the rudder, the steering is quite slow. It's not very nimble to maneuver, especially when fighting a current. So the turning circle is quite large. Other than that, it feels like a very sturdy vessel. I feel very safe on it and look forward to pulling in some big fish on it and going on some big adventures up/down the coast of Adelaide. I would definitely recommend this for the serious kayak fisherman!”
Samsta, thank you so much for reviewing the Pedal Pro 3.9m. It is indeed a beast of a kayak, and we second your opinion on it being extremely stable. Indeed the turning circle is not huge, but just a reminder that the rudder system on this unit is the 2-stage drop down rudder - so you remove the little pin in the rudder, and the second vertical drop down rudder will release. This greatly increases its turning capability for much sharper turning - something that some people aren't aware of or over look.
As for the trolley, not sure which model you have but the correct one for this big kayak is the Heavy Duty All-Terrain kayak trolley: https://www.baysports.com.au/collections/kayak-trolleys/products/heavy-duty-kayak-trolley-with-beach-balloon-wheels-all-terrain
Enjoy your adventures! Kind regards, Bay Sports.
