me decide. I have a Pescador Pro pilot 12 on hold @ Academy for $1499. Savings of $300. Have to pick it up today. Should I wait and save up my $$ for another peddle kayak or next years Pilot 12? Helpppp

No help/opinions????

I've heard nothing bad about the PPP12. I did see one at academy the other day and played with the drive. It might have just been because it was the floor model, but it had a cheap/weird feel to it when I spun the drive unit. Another option would be to hang on to your $$$ and keep an eye out for a good used kayak.

BassFever: That's a great price for a pedal yak. I demo'ed one at Roy's and I was very unimpressed with it, compared to the Propel, Native and Wilderness Helix drives. But, they cost double what you've got reserved. The Pilot didn't paddle well at all into the wind, and didn't steer very well, either. I have a Pescador 12 and I'm used to a yak that is light, manuverable, and is fast. The Pilot's only plus is that it's a cheap pedal yak.

My friend(he's a big guy) bought the Radar 135, and it paddles good, and isn't a tank. The Helix drive is well-engineered. Light-years ahead of the Pilot. Of course, it's over $3000!

My guess is that there will be some used Pilots on the market soon. Maybe not.

Good luck! IslandJim

I haven't had the chance to pedal one but I've heard a lot of people saying that the rudder and drive feel sloppy. But overall there seems to be a lot of people happy with their purchase also. I'd say it's probably a great step to get into a pedal kayak.

Here is my .02

the perception pilot is a "cheap" inexpensive entry level and priced as a entry level kayak ( nothing wrong with that ! ) . It will not feel or be as stable or as quick as a 2k or more kayak ( you get what you pay for ) .
I have spent some time researching fishing kayaks and the guys at Anglers Pro tackle gave me a ton of info and advice .That being said I almost bought the pilot from academy ( I had them hold one for me ) but if I am going to spend 1K plus on a kayak it will be one that has everything I need and I will not settle for a inexpensive kayak ( but I still think $1,400 is a good deal for this kayak ).
The advice I have for you is you will not see a better price on a NEW pedal kayak so if you are just getting into kayak fishing this one is NOT a bad deal . Buy it and give us a review on it. Happy Fishing .

Go get it, it's a great kayak and you get alot for your $$$.

I went and checked it out @ Academy. As posted before. The peddle system does feel cheap compared to the rest. I'm not a small guy and afraid I would rip it apart peddling with my weight behind it.

A pedal kayak for that price is an great deal. The risk factor is low in my opinion because I guarantee you could re-sell it for a good amount if you didn't like it.

GET IT

The boat is meant for big dudes it has a 500# capacity. I don't see a problem unless you were using it for boat racing. But seriously, if I had an extra $1500 for a pedal kayak I would get it. I'd take it out for a week and see how it went and than I would decide if I wanted to keep it. Just don't lose your receipt

This is probably the best advice, I've seen in this thread. Academy will definitely honor the return with the receipt.