I was almost sold on it until I saw how much water got into the compartments where electronics would go and then your mention of water getting into battery box as well. Not good if you use in salt water. You could have cut that part out of your video and no one would have known. Thx for your honest review. You have made me a subscriber.
Dan... id like just say God bless you and your business , you're running an honest business and building it slow and steady ! Good luck , greetings from Norway
I agree... this is the best review of the Dorado out there. Probably too big and heavy for me, burgeoning on boat more than kayak, but you provided more insight than most. Thank you!
Tested one at the last demo day, Near Lake Conroe in Texas. Really nice Kayak. Handled very well. Only down fall was my Cell phone fell out of my pocket while peddling and ove the side it goes lol. Wife demoed the Big Fish 120. She loved it. Will be getting her that. Thanks for sharing.
I have a BigFish 120, it's made by feel free, it has the cat design. It's so stable, I've added a seat that sits up 1.5ft off of the deck, I never feel like its gonna flip. You have to do something crazy to get yourself in that position. I wish I could afford this beast!
Awesome. Best video of the dorado in action so far. Thanks for the review. The Dorado looks super stable, curious how much water would come over the top in the ocean from swells and surf
Lets talk about ocean swells and waves oh lets add some choppy water too and rocky beach landings. Sitting that high in sometimes nasty water I would like to see a video of that. If I flipped it in the surf coming to a beach landing will the peddles and mechanism be ok?
@@dkat1108 Ive flipped my Feelfree Tandem coming thru surf. Overdrive was fine. The paint on the side doesnt withstand saltwater even after rinsing thoroughly after every use though
No. Not for entertainment. One of my drawbacks/hesitations on buying a kayak, is flipping it over and righting it back up again. So, I for one, am damn glad you demonstrated that.
Another great video! Thanks for giving us so much info and insight. Will there be an available upgrade to the rudder to help the turning radius of the Dorado 125?
Excellent review. I’m looking forward to the review with the power drive. Please get a gps or equivalent. I’m also interested in the fish ability of this kayak. Basic fishing and storage, both dry and wet. Are there any hatch options to gain access under the deck. I appreciate your efforts to give great unbiased reviews while trying to still sell the products you review. Rare air you are in sir. Thanks
Been watching many of your reviews they are so helpful, thank you. I’m looking for a stable pedal kayak to do wildlife photography. I would have a tripod mounted and use a 200-600 lens. Can you give me your top choices for a comfortable pedal kayak, price not being a concern. Thank you. Cindy
can you please do a vid on the Dorado doing from the beach into the ocean. would love to see how it handles in a little rough water .I can see it would be good on a glass lake .so please do one from the beach
Thanks for the great review video. If you had to pick one pedal fishing kayak in the 12 to 13 plus feet range (regardless of price), which kayak would you prefer? Which would be your favorite go-to boat? Thanks...
Damn I really need to know what's better the Dorado or The lure 11.5 I smell a head-to-head challenge between price maneuverability and all around bonus features
Im looking for my next kayak, I had a total knee replacement and my left is being fixed soon too, how hard is it to pedal and the water in the compartment area, will that only happen if you flip? Thanks in advance.
After watching you paddle... i was struck by how odd it is that there's no gearing available like on a bicycle. With a three speed you could really get that Dorado moving. That's an impressive boat.
I never see tests that I want to see and my guess others might want to see too. test 1, pedal the kayak as fast it can go, then do a sharp turn. This test show how stable this kayak is. test 2, have a motor boat create a big wave and hit the kayak side way, this test also show people how stale the kayak is. I know Old town predator 13 fail the fist test and possible the test 2 too.
I figured the fwd hatch to be watertight, but apparently it's not. If it were my rig, I would probably drill a couple of holes in the lower corners of that front hatch tray/insert to permit drainage....just in case.
@@HeadwatersKayak: Yep, pretty much the majority of them are intended to have just the bottom submerged ;) . Just figured that large hatch, and the cost of the Dorado, would have a better sealing hatch, especially since electronics are intended/could be stowed there. Still a great looking rig, with lots of nice features. If I didn't fish really skinny water, and mind hefting a 124lb rig in/out of my truck, it'd be a really nice kayak to have. Still loving my Lure 11.5. 👍
Jim Barbee like crap if I’m being honest. All big pedal drives like this, PA, Titan, Oldtown etc all paddle like slugs in the water. I filmed that and when I watched the footage it just seemed so ridiculous that I edited it out. If you needed to get home sure you could paddle it, but it would only be in an emergency situation, or I’m thick cover.
@@HeadwatersKayak thanks for that response. Have been searching for some type of review of someone mentioning how it actually paddles as I don't want to pedal all the time. Guess I might give the Lure 13.5 a shot.
Yes at some point next year. Right now every seat is going to the Dorado. Talked to the factory today, and they are selling them as fast as they can make them.
I hear they are good, but I don't have any experience with them. Here in CA out of 100 pedal drive kayaks on the ocean 95 of them are Hobie. The drives work great in salt, and the hulls seem to handle waves and rough water great. And no I'm not a Hobie or Oldtown dealer, so thats some unbiased advice.
Jason Duong similar. Maybe a little better Initial stability. But again if you felt unstable in something like this than kayaking not for you. Any of these big yaks (Titan, big rig, PA) are all more stable than they need to be.
@@HeadwatersKayak thanks for the reply. I have a Titan 13.5 which you're right probably more stable than it needs to be. Wanted a comparison with something i had experience with. Thanks again.
wayne nagle I paddles this back to back with the Titan 12 and the Dorado has it beat for primary stability. But honestly at that point your splitting hairs. They are both more stable than anyone needs them to be.
I have a lure 11.5 and live in Thailand. It would be nice to see how well that stands up in 20 km wind and 2 foot waves and raining. Every video I have watched on UA-cam has been in calm weather.also that Dorado prop system isn't worth shit in skinny water and weeds...flip it over in 20 feet of water with a 60 pound battery and all your fishing gear just before dusk and tell us how much fun your having.
How many lbs of thrust does the power drive provide for the Dorado, i noticed that the Old Town Predator comes with the optional Minn Kota 45lb thrust console.
@@HeadwatersKayak Found it, ty. The built in lighting is a big sell for me, I'll be near some reasonably busy water and am likely to be out at night. Let me ask you one question. You're one of the few people that has spent a lot of time in both kayaks. Between the lure 13.5 and the Dorado, which one is better for traveling longer distances around inshore saltwater?
So was that front hatch where the "brains" of the electric motor is supposed to go is not water tight? If you do by any chance get flipped then your brains of the motor drive are dead and no longer usable.
Roderick Bryant this boat is not meant to be upside down. It’s mainly for bass fishing inshore. If someone flipped they would be in water this boat was never intended for. Honestly I just don’t see it ever happening. It’s no different than an aluminum boat in that regard. If you flipped an aluminum boat you’d do more than blow out some fuses.
@@HeadwatersKayak I was thinking about marsh and jetty fishing. I've never flipped in the marsh or jetty in my hobie pa 12 but I'm a what if guy. I was just thinking or typing out loud😂. I love this boat just thinking about how practical it would be for my type of fishing.
I dont like the seat design. You sit so high, as if you're a tennis umpire. Why is that? Are there any pedal Kayaks that are used for leisure only, such as a tandem (2ppl), less the fishing bullshit? I don't think so.
I don't know what's more impressive: the dorado's stability or your handstand skills. Sick review man, thanks.
I was almost sold on it until I saw how much water got into the compartments where electronics would go and then your mention of water getting into battery box as well. Not good if you use in salt water. You could have cut that part out of your video and no one would have known. Thx for your honest review. You have made me a subscriber.
Best video yet. I loved that you showed on to flip the kayak back over and how to get back in.
Dan... id like just say God bless you and your business , you're running an honest business and building it slow and steady ! Good luck , greetings from Norway
Thanks man! I appreciate it.
The seat design is what really grabbed my attention with these.
The Sac area is lucky to have you guys as a local kayak shop. Super impressed!
Best Feelfree Dorado review. You answered my questions. Thanks.
Bill Dodge so glad it helped you.
Awesome review. And I like the honesty behind it too.
I agree... this is the best review of the Dorado out there. Probably too big and heavy for me, burgeoning on boat more than kayak, but you provided more insight than most. Thank you!
Looks like i will be shopping for a Feel Free Dorado right after the holidays. outstanding video, thx
Congratulations on hitting 100K!!
Tested one at the last demo day, Near Lake Conroe in Texas. Really nice Kayak. Handled very well. Only down fall was my Cell phone fell out of my pocket while peddling and ove the side it goes lol. Wife demoed the Big Fish 120. She loved it. Will be getting her that. Thanks for sharing.
When he did the headstand on the seat 😂 he’s goofy😂 I enjoyed the review good stuff man!
Been waiting years for this video! Might be my new tournament boat next year... 🤔
Love the high back gravity seat!
I have a BigFish 120, it's made by feel free, it has the cat design. It's so stable, I've added a seat that sits up 1.5ft off of the deck, I never feel like its gonna flip. You have to do something crazy to get yourself in that position. I wish I could afford this beast!
Headstand crazy. Alex hasn't done a headstand. Great job.
Awesome. Best video of the dorado in action so far. Thanks for the review. The Dorado looks super stable, curious how much water would come over the top in the ocean from swells and surf
Lets talk about ocean swells and waves oh lets add some choppy water too and rocky beach landings. Sitting that high in sometimes nasty water I would like to see a video of that. If I flipped it in the surf coming to a beach landing will the peddles and mechanism be ok?
@@dkat1108 Ive flipped my Feelfree Tandem coming thru surf. Overdrive was fine. The paint on the side doesnt withstand saltwater even after rinsing thoroughly after every use though
LIKE YOUR REVIEWS. VERY COMPLETE.
Another good video!!! The boat looks great.
You're a kayak ninja lol👍👍
No. Not for entertainment. One of my drawbacks/hesitations on buying a kayak, is flipping it over and righting it back up again. So, I for one, am damn glad you demonstrated that.
Great video bud keep them coming
Would like to see a comparison of an overdrive lure 13.5 and the dorado
love it.. If i had the scratch I would go down to you right now and buy one.
Nice, really looking forward to your test with the motor and how well it operates.
Amazing boat!!!
You should get another shop started down in so cal
Thanks Dan, definitely the best test video on the Dorado thus far. Has the battery box behind the seat let any water in?
Hans van der Merwe yes there was water in it too.
Another great video! Thanks for giving us so much info and insight. Will there be an available upgrade to the rudder to help the turning radius of the Dorado 125?
Great job ,thanks .
Good video dan ..!
Can we count on seeing a review of the old town topwater pdl from you? That really seems to be a great bang for buck boat.
Kostaki Gogos no they had no interest in working with us when I reached out.
@@HeadwatersKayak well that's a real shame because you guys make some good comprehensive videos.
Thanks man. Old Town is just so cooperate they don’t get it. They make a great product, but they are so far from their roots it’s sad.
Great review! Is Lodi? In Michigan?
Excellent review. I’m looking forward to the review with the power drive. Please get a gps or equivalent. I’m also interested in the fish ability of this kayak. Basic fishing and storage, both dry and wet. Are there any hatch options to gain access under the deck. I appreciate your efforts to give great unbiased reviews while trying to still sell the products you review. Rare air you are in sir. Thanks
Looks like fun.
Been watching many of your reviews they are so helpful, thank you. I’m looking for a stable pedal kayak to do wildlife photography. I would have a tripod mounted and use a 200-600 lens. Can you give me your top choices for a comfortable pedal kayak, price not being a concern. Thank you. Cindy
Love Hobie kayaks if price is no option they are smooth and efficient. Also enjoy the Native for fishing.
Will you make review of Dagon 14, maybe?
can you please do a vid on the Dorado doing from the beach into the ocean. would love to see how it handles in a little rough water .I can see it would be good on a glass lake .so please do one from the beach
Pretty impressive re-entry with the seat in the high position. You make it look easy sir.
Wm S THanks!
Would the sonar pod work in that hull the same as it does in the lure?
Thanks for the great review video. If you had to pick one pedal fishing kayak in the 12 to 13 plus feet range (regardless of price), which kayak would you prefer? Which would be your favorite go-to boat? Thanks...
Hobie pa 14
Damn I really need to know what's better the Dorado or The lure 11.5 I smell a head-to-head challenge between price maneuverability and all around bonus features
can you do a test like this with the big rig i have not found a stability any where on youtube for the big rig
Im looking for my next kayak, I had a total knee replacement and my left is being fixed soon too, how hard is it to pedal and the water in the compartment area, will that only happen if you flip? Thanks in advance.
How does the stability on this yak compare to the jackson big rig. Im a big guy and stability is my #1 concern about buying my first yak.
Same.
Need that 8 ball steering for the lure
Ying Yang yes! Hope they do that mod. It would be a game changer for the Lure.
@@HeadwatersKayak didn't they just have the beaver tail mod for the lure too?
Yep.
And the higher backrest on the lure too
What’s better for salt water the big fish 108 or the dorado 125
Did you adjust the rudder for tighter turning?
Uma nave esse caiaque .
show de bola !
Did you think it was loud?
After watching you paddle... i was struck by how odd it is that there's no gearing available like on a bicycle. With a three speed you could really get that Dorado moving. That's an impressive boat.
You really should pitch that idea to the company.. maybe make a few bucks
Awesome! Thanks Dan!!! How long does that deck take to drain out when it has 1/4" of water?
It drains fine. Once its moving it drains easily.
Nice!
Did you try draining the hull after the rollovers to see how much water was inside? Looks incredibly fast too.
Yes.It was roughly a cup inside.
Well dry storage seems to be a huge issue with his kayak
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I never see tests that I want to see and my guess others might want to see too. test 1, pedal the kayak as fast it can go, then do a sharp turn. This test show how stable this kayak is. test 2, have a motor boat create a big wave and hit the kayak side way, this test also show people how stale the kayak is. I know Old town predator 13 fail the fist test and possible the test 2 too.
I ordered my fire Dorado today they are on sale 15% off.
How long and heavy is it? Plus, how much does it cost, an arm and leg? Funny that nobody shows top speed on water.
I figured the fwd hatch to be watertight, but apparently it's not. If it were my rig, I would probably drill a couple of holes in the lower corners of that front hatch tray/insert to permit drainage....just in case.
Greg Jackson this boat is not intended to be upside down. No different than an aluminum boat in that regard.
@@HeadwatersKayak: Yep, pretty much the majority of them are intended to have just the bottom submerged ;) . Just figured that large hatch, and the cost of the Dorado, would have a better sealing hatch, especially since electronics are intended/could be stowed there.
Still a great looking rig, with lots of nice features. If I didn't fish really skinny water, and mind hefting a 124lb rig in/out of my truck, it'd be a really nice kayak to have. Still loving my Lure 11.5. 👍
Looks like a nice boat. How does it Paddle???
Jim Barbee like crap if I’m being honest. All big pedal drives like this, PA, Titan, Oldtown etc all paddle like slugs in the water. I filmed that and when I watched the footage it just seemed so ridiculous that I edited it out. If you needed to get home sure you could paddle it, but it would only be in an emergency situation, or I’m thick cover.
@@HeadwatersKayak thanks for that response. Have been searching for some type of review of someone mentioning how it actually paddles as I don't want to pedal all the time. Guess I might give the Lure 13.5 a shot.
Will the new High back seats be available for current Lure owners to buy?
Yes at some point next year. Right now every seat is going to the Dorado. Talked to the factory today, and they are selling them as fast as they can make them.
Great vid HK but that is in calm nice flat water watta bout ocean with half a meter swell mate ?
Aus Fishin not the right tool for the job. Look at a Hobie Outback for something like that.
@@HeadwatersKayak old Town predator 13?
I hear they are good, but I don't have any experience with them. Here in CA out of 100 pedal drive kayaks on the ocean 95 of them are Hobie. The drives work great in salt, and the hulls seem to handle waves and rough water great. And no I'm not a Hobie or Oldtown dealer, so thats some unbiased advice.
@@HeadwatersKayak appreciate for your help mate.👍
@@HeadwatersKayak funny the company gave it an offshore fish name.
Can you put the dorado seat in a lure?
TrussellStovers yes
I like it
Can you pedal backwards to go in reverse?
Yes
being you are in California,do you ever run across snakes in the lake there?
How do you think this yak would do in the ocean???
I’d like to it motorized, with depth finder, rod holder, net holder on the ocean.
Yeah that prop thing is annoying, I like how high the seat is, almost like riding a bike but dont like that up down motion lol
I believe these were designed to climb back on the bow, or nose climb if you go overboard
ナイスな動画ですね。
私もこのメーカーのカヤック購入予定です！
Nice kayak but the noise of that drive would wake King Neptune .
Can you stick a nice trolling motor on there?
The beauty of this system is there is a motor unit that plugs right into the pedal drive. Stay tuned for our next video.
Toppp show de caiaque....vou pedir de presente para papai do céu, pq só Ele pra me dá está maravilha. ...abc
Show show show.....l want for me.....my God
Great vid, out of curiosity how is the stability compared to the Titan 13.5? Thx
Jason Duong similar. Maybe a little better Initial stability. But again if you felt unstable in something like this than kayaking not for you. Any of these big yaks (Titan, big rig, PA) are all more stable than they need to be.
@@HeadwatersKayak thanks for the reply. I have a Titan 13.5 which you're right probably more stable than it needs to be. Wanted a comparison with something i had experience with. Thanks again.
Best stability still the Titan?
wayne nagle I paddles this back to back with the Titan 12 and the Dorado has it beat for primary stability. But honestly at that point your splitting hairs. They are both more stable than anyone needs them to be.
When you think you'll have more videos out for the lifetime Tamarack build
Lodi Lake?
Andrew Scott yes sir
Need a better water seal on that compartment
It's only an issue if your upside down. Its meant to shed water and keep the electronics out of any water that would come up from the bottom.
I have a lure 11.5 and live in Thailand. It would be nice to see how well that stands up in 20 km wind and 2 foot waves and raining. Every video I have watched on UA-cam has been in calm weather.also that Dorado prop system isn't worth shit in skinny water and weeds...flip it over in 20 feet of water with a 60 pound battery and all your fishing gear just before dusk and tell us how much fun your having.
Sounds like you're peddling a big wheel
How many lbs of thrust does the power drive provide for the Dorado, i noticed that the Old Town Predator comes with the optional Minn Kota 45lb thrust console.
Manvet 67 it’s also 45lbs
Great !
What color is this one you have?
Fire Camo
The Dorado is advertised as have an outstanding electronics package but I didn't see any of that stuff installed. What gives?
Elthenar I did a walkthrough the day before where I covered electronics. Check that one out.
@@HeadwatersKayak Found it, ty. The built in lighting is a big sell for me, I'll be near some reasonably busy water and am likely to be out at night. Let me ask you one question. You're one of the few people that has spent a lot of time in both kayaks. Between the lure 13.5 and the Dorado, which one is better for traveling longer distances around inshore saltwater?
Too bad the dry storage sucks or it’d be a easy buy
I just put things in a dry bag in the front hatch, and no issues.
Everybody finds normal the water inside after he capsizes?Huge fail if you want to use it at sea...
This or old town equivalent like predator
Can’t say it’s a kayak. Maybe a glorified paddle boat. I think grandma would have fun with it.
I appreciate your reviews, but would really like to see more hard objective data on speed, weight, etc... not just subject reviews. Thanks.
So was that front hatch where the "brains" of the electric motor is supposed to go is not water tight? If you do by any chance get flipped then your brains of the motor drive are dead and no longer usable.
Roderick Bryant this boat is not meant to be upside down. It’s mainly for bass fishing inshore. If someone flipped they would be in water this boat was never intended for. Honestly I just don’t see it ever happening. It’s no different than an aluminum boat in that regard. If you flipped an aluminum boat you’d do more than blow out some fuses.
@@HeadwatersKayak I was thinking about marsh and jetty fishing. I've never flipped in the marsh or jetty in my hobie pa 12 but I'm a what if guy. I was just thinking or typing out loud😂. I love this boat just thinking about how practical it would be for my type of fishing.
I dont like the seat design. You sit so high, as if you're a tennis umpire. Why is that? Are there any pedal Kayaks that are used for leisure only, such as a tandem (2ppl), less the fishing bullshit? I don't think so.
Uma nave esse caiaque .
show de bola !