Insiders Look - How Kayaks Are Made (Old Town Factory Tour)
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- čas přidán 19. 01. 2022
- Old Town makes tens of thousands of boats each year. They guided us through the production facility and showed us exactly how kayaks are made. This is a high level overview from plastic pellets to final product for their Old Town Sportsman line of boats. It's astonishing to see all of the hard workers, machinery and materials that go into each and every kayak and canoe. Definitely an experience to share with paddlers!
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Wow! Really cool! Old Town has always had good quality and with all the caring generations of employees it’s easy to see why! Thanks for sharing Gatewood!
Agreed! The multi generational employee is admirable and tells me a lot about the company. They seem to look after their employees which in turn provides them with an encouraged workforce. That’s fleeting these days!
I meant to say is I waited 8 months for my kayak Old Town PDL sportsman the companies you guys distribute out to they feed you all the good stuff and when it's time to give you the kayak they postpone a postponed and postpone it that's the reason why I never got my kayak and I got my refund back
@@tonychapa3330 I actually waited 6 months for my kayaks as well! No special treatment here since they look after all customers equally
Covid was a blessing for any outdoors manufacturer. Kayaks were sold out EVERYWHERE in 2020. If you did find a used one, they wanted double the price.
Lots of price increases! They seem to be coming down now
Love my Sportsman 120 PDL. After 19 years of being "grounded" from SOT kayaks due to back issues, I can now spend 8-10 hours fishing on the water at a stretch without any back or knee pain!
That’s such an awesome story! Man, 19 years is a long time to be sidelined. So stoked you’re back out there fishing. I love the seat and layout of the whole kayak. Definitely a winner!
Really cool. I absolutely love my Old Town Kayak. Best kayak I’ve ever had.
Totally agree Jason! OT has taken care of you and I for awhile now. As long as my boats don't get holes in the middle of a trip I'm good to go haha
That 12 boat oven is one of the more impressive things I've seen!
Temporary employee, then second shift and finally first shift. Holy cow, I'm glad I went to engineering school!!!
Hey that is awesome! Dedication to your craft. Thanks for making rad boats!!
yeah, what a trash company
@@muckfoot-4093 it's like that everywhere. Kenworth does that hires 350 , after 18 months later layoffs 300
@lowlifeangler temp service is a loop hole way for companies to screw employees out of benefits and pay.
@@muckfoot-4093 Yup, I avoided it. I been is plastics since 1995 working for suppliers for Honda, Toyota, Subaru and Nissan.
Proud to paddle an Old Town. Their story makes it that much more worth it!
Agreed! I’m proud to paddle their crafts as well. Especially after seeing the facility and meeting the people making these boats. Unique story for sure!
As a previous owner of a Large Retail Paddlesports store and Manufacturer of Kayaks in Australia and a proud dealer of Old Town Canoe and Kayaks, I can fully appreciate the incredible range and quality of this range. Well done and this video is testimony to a great company. Thanks for this great video. Ross
That’s so cool to hear your perspective! Mine has always been from a consumers perspective but I know there’s many different aspects to doing business in the outdoor industry. They are world class people!
loved hearing "3 shifts a day, 7 days a week" they never stop, they know these boats are worth a lot right now. tons of demand and growing interest
Yes! Old town definitely is heeding the call to get boats out the door. Hopefully things return to normal one day
I have the same 14 ft old town canoe for 22 years it's still looks new and still holding together old town is simply the best
Dang! That’s a long time to have a canoe. A testament to their quality
A few days ago I was searching for how kayaks are made?
Today when I opened CZcams I saw this video.
Thanks for sharing sir.
What a coincidence! Hopefully this touched on enough of the process to appease your inquiry. It's certainly not everything but I think it'll help a lot of folks to better understand where they come from.
I LOVE my Loon 120. It’s my latest/newest ride. The quality of the craft is really great. I’m 6’-1” and 240 Lbs and this is the right boat for me. The seat in the Loon has to be the most comfortable in the industry. I place a lot of value in what you have to say about kayaking-so your trust in Old town helped me make the decision to buy one myself.
Thanks Man!
Hey curt! The loon is a wonderful kayak. I’d love to paddle one someday. Hopefully they put the loon seat in some of their other kayaks like the vapor. Old town has been great to me for many years before I got to tour their facilities and go on trips. To this day it is still a great relationship!
I have a sportsman 106 and very happy with it. It’s not the fastest but it is stable in the water. Your customer service is fast and friendly. A great product from a great company.
That’s about what I’d expect with the 106. I’d like to try one sometime for sure!
Just bought the PDL 120 and I freaking love it! Thanks Old Town.
Those pdl’s are sweet!
Completely jealous you got to interview and film inside a production facility. Really stepping up and stepping out. Can't wait to see where your cinematic journey goes.
As always Happy Paddling
It was a surreal experience for sure! Very thankful for the opportunity and glad I could show all the hard work their company is doing. It’s important for consumers like myself to get an appreciation for what goes on behind the scenes too. Cheers!
Just bought from the old town website, the Autopilot 136 in limited edition Gray ghost color. great to see how it was made and what was put into it. Should arrive within the upcoming week!
That’s a beast of a kayak! I’d love to have the 120 auto for fly fishing. Such a cool package and especially in that unique color way. So rad!
I would love to own an Old Town kayak someday. Awesome video . Thank you.
I highly recommend them! Wonderful boats and a great company standing behind them.
Spectacular video! Loved it!
Thank you so much Lynda!
That is so cool to get a tour of the video Factory. I just got me add Old Town Vapor attack. Have yet to try it out because of very low flow in the Texas rivers right now
Hey that is awesome! Definitely formed a new appreciation for the manufacturing process of my boats. The vapor is a great kayak! May have to stick to east Texas for decent flowsbhaha
@@GatewoodBrown I may have to
After seeing that I will make sure that My next kayaks are Old Town. Love their canoes too & have owned each.
I can say the quality of their canoes definitely spills over into their kayaks. Great product all around
This was super cool, love my Oldtown
Thank you! Yeah that production facility is wild and very eye opening. They have it down to a science
I still use my four Otter sport kayaks with my wife and friends I bought over ten years ago.
Kayaks last a long time with no maintenance which is sweet!
I love my old town kayak. For sure my next will be another
Yes! I love mine too
Love my Loon 120. Perfect kayak and floats so well in shallows. Thinking about getting an Old Town canoe next!
I've heard wonderful things about the loon!
@@GatewoodBrown It's the first kayak I got and probably will be my main for quite a while. Hopefully you'll get to try one out or own one in the near future😁
I think it's crazy you can't really find a kayak like the O.K. Prowler 13T these days. Such an all-around great kayak. Great storage, great performance, great styling and great versatility.
Never heard of that craft! I’ll
Check it out
Nice!!! Now I want one!!!
Cheers to that! I always want more kayaks haha
I grew up in Old Town, they originally made clipper ships until the dam went up in Bangor, once that happened they changed to boats and canoes. You were able in ships, at high tide, to go down the Penobscot (from Old Town) to the Atlantic during high tide. We had one of their boats that was made in 1921, with the serial plate info, they were able to go to a file cabinet and tell us everything about the boat, start, end of build dates, who worked on it, even how many pounds of nails were in it, board feet of wood, who the supplier was. More info than you would ever want for a boat. They change and grow with times and needs, that's how the original company has been in business for so long.
That’s a really cool story! Thanks for sharing and so interesting about how they track the serial number on every boat. 1920s and they still have the info, incredible! Seems like Old Town and the Penobscot are doing well these days which is good to see
its just a piece of plastic
@@muckfoot-4093 yup, 100% agree. But it gives people a choice between buying American made vs imported Chinese crap.
@@david78212 never buy Chinese crap, no matter what 🚫
I own a stealth kayak , super light kayak and also enjoyed this video , excellent . Kayaking is awesome .
I’ll have to check that out!
@@GatewoodBrown we live in Scotland as well .
after seeing this old town company tour, i will appreciate my kayak, MORE. really cool....lol (i'm buying one, next year. "or maybe this winter..:))
You should be stoked! I love my old town kayaks. So much history to them too
Can you PLEASE do a video on the video and microphone equipment you use? I LOVE your videos and how smooth you add your voice in. New at this, would love to learn from you.
Luckily it is simple so I’ll explain it here! Get a Tascam DR-10L as your lav mic system. Put it on your subjects sternum (most ideal). Hit record and just let it roll the whole time. Then I’ll sync the audio up with video in my video editor. This part is tedious but worth it! There ya go, that’s how I do all of my lav mic audio. Feel free to ask further questions too!
What a cool process of making these Kayaks. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for tuning in! I wasn’t expecting the 12 Kayak oven but that makes sense given their size and demand
Thank you for making this video and hope there is more to come in the future. Old town has great quality products and made in the USA. Thank you
Thanks for watching! Looking for more factory tours or ‘how it’s made’ type videos? Old town is a prime example of what companies should operate like. I get the sense they’ve all got a good head on their shoulders
I wouldn't mind taking a tour of the old town facilities just to see how kayaks are made in person and get some in put from the employees who make the kayaks. To bad old town doesn't offer if your buying a new kayak he/she can pour the material into the mold after he/she sign legal papers saying old town isn't responsible incase something happens to he/she while making the kayak.
@@brianmacklin8625 that would be cool! Kind of like how makers mark will let you dip your own bottle of bourbon at their distillery
Thanks to you I got a Sportsman PDL 106
That’s a rad kayak!! I want to try out one of their PDL’s. Never been out on the water with a pedal drive. How are you liking it?
@@GatewoodBrown I really love it once u go pedals u never come back to paddles I'm a believer I had a pelican 100 catch for a year so I wanted to step up my game so I bought the PDL 106 and man was the best move I could do we have group on FB come check us out there's a lot of great info plus this video that u shot got the ok by me to go head and get one I have full setup for fishing now but I still have my pelicans for island camping here in the Halifax River north side of Daytona Beach
Just received my 15’ kayak can’t wait to use it
That’s rad! Which one? Just in time for spring!
i always enjoy watching your videos, on the water or documenting products.
I appreciate that! You’ll always find genuine tales here on the channel. Just showcasing parts of my life and things I’ve found interesting
WOW. What a great video Gatewood
Thank you, Richard! I appreciate you stopping by and watching a bunch of the videos. Cheers!
I’ll be getting one of these boats once I have enough money they’re so nice
Old town makes a great boat for sure! I’ve loved owning their crafts all these years
Sweet, gr8 video! Into my old towns, very interesting to see where & how they were made 👍👍👍
Thank you! I absolutely love my Old Town's as well. They have great offerings at all price points.
This is amazing!!!
Thank you for checking it out!!
Great video, always love checking out the kayak factories✌
Cheers to that! I’ve watched plenty of factory tour videos but this was my first time in one. Such a unique experience
That an awesome perspective from behind the scenes of making kayaks!
Totally was! The giant turret oven was pretty crazy. 12 at once!
Great video! Nice to get a behind the scenes look.
Thanks! Yeah it was a more involved process than I was thinking. Very cool!
Very Cool!!! Thanks for sharing bud
Hey you bet! We need to go for a fish sometime
@@GatewoodBrown for sure
Now there is my dream job! Interesting process
See if you can get on with them or another boat manufacturer! Labor is in high demand right now
I absolutely love my 106pdl
Those look like beast mode kayaks! I still have never tried a pdl kayak
loved that, nice to see behind the scenes
Thanks gray! It was fun to share with everyone
Thanks for sharing!
Hey thanks so much for watching! Means a lot
I love my Old Town I’ll never get rid of it..
Same! The only way I’ll get rid of mine is if they’re going to my friends, who will in turn use them with me haha
Love this video! My Old Town Cayuga 146 is the best all around kayak I’ve ever had!
That’s a beast kayak! I’ve been paddling old towns for many years and the durability is always impressive
Awesome video
Thanks my man! Definitely a cool experience
Awesome video! So cool to see how my Old Town PDL 106 was made! 👍🤡👍
Cheers! Thanks for watching! I can guarantee you're in good hands with an old town. The facility was awesome
This amazing another great video that has been up for less than a month with almost 200 comments and over 75K in views. Keep killing it man!!
Thanks Shane! This one definitely popped off haha. So wild! As always though, on to editing the next one
For about 25 years I've been the happy owner of a sit on top. Just after acquiring it I helped a business owner from Carolina Beach, North Carolina go to the factory and pickup his new inventory of eight more. Mine could use new straps & I'm getting ready to move across the country so sadly I need to sell it. I'm hopeful I'll be able to replace it once I'm settled even though my budget is really tight.
Great video!!! Thanks for sharing. Sold even more on the brand.
Thanks for tuning in! Most definitely. I’ve always enjoyed my boats but seeing where they come from added a whole new facet of respect for them.
Learn something new everyday love the content
Thanks Aaron! Yeah this was such a unique trip for sure. Learned a ton at the factory
Very cool to see behind the scenes.
Definitely enjoy all of the factory visits you’ve done. Finally got a chance myself to check out the inner workings. Very cool! Hope your shoulder heals quickly after that PT visit
Great behind the scenes vid
Man it was so cool seeing all of the workers and machines going in tandem. Definitely a huge appreciation to the whole process now
@@GatewoodBrown it definitely was. I see why they're a great kayak
@@alfredguajardo3562 most definitely! Lots of care seems to go into each one
Keep up the good work!
Hey thanks Cole! Will do my man
I wonder if ours were being made during the tour, lol. We picked them up at a truck terminal from one of their retailers and after we took off the tons of wrapping they’ve been a lot of fun. Great tour, thanks!
It’s a possibility! Haha how crazy would that be. You can reach out to old town and they can tell you the exact day your kayak was made
Man this is Awesome video. Just seeing how kayaks are built. My 3th son John & my 6th son paul said they wanted to know how kayaks will build. Just them seeing this video shows them how it gets built. It would be nice if you could go to the factory & watched the kayak you want to be built the color that you want for extra cost. That was awesome video buddy. I hope you and your family are doing well. Thank you for sharing.
Cheers Mack! Yeah they definitely give me a lot of confidence now that I’ve seen how they’re made. That would be cool to see your personal kayak made! Like what they do with bourbon barrells
Pretty fascinating to watch the production
Agreed! Lots of people coming together and working in tandem. Very impressed with their prodictivity
@@GatewoodBrown nah I just like their equipment.
@@dbf_91 haha that too! I like their gear as well
Best kayaks around
I’ve been loving mine for about 5 years now!
Os caiaques de vocês são top!
Queria muito ter um aqui no Brasil
I have an old town 12 ft dirego , very comfortable and stable
That sounds like a nice boat! Back when I was shopping for a vapor 10 I was also considering the dirigo. Didn’t find any on the used market though so I pulled the trigger on a vapor
Absolutely love my sportsman 106 MK! It is a real conversation starter at the boat ramp. I might just pick up the auto pilot 120 also.
Oh dang that’s a sweet boat! Honestly man I’d love to try out the auto pilot…it’s an absolutely beast. How are you liking the MK?
@@GatewoodBrown it’s awesome! Impossible to flip (you will fall out first) only complaint is when I am in water to deep for my power pole I find myself wishing I had spot lock.
@@networkguy3152 that all makes sense. What type of fishing are you usually doing? Also, are you using a manual power pole or did you go with the electronic one?
@@GatewoodBrown Freshwater. Normally bass and northern. I have the electric power pole and it is amazing. Especially when I am on a river. I had an anchor wizard originally but some of the lakes I fish are really weedy and I got sick of pulling up a volleyball sized bundle of weeds with my anchor every time. If I do get the auto pilot I would buy another base and wiring harness for the power pole so I can just throw it on whatever yak I was using. Spot lock would be great but won’t work in the grass and would be to noisy on the river.
@@networkguy3152 freshwater is probably where I’d spend my time too. Cool to hear about that power pole. When I fished with RX Angler he had one on his autopilot and it was an absolute setup. All bases covered haha. The traditional anchor has never been appealing to me for the reasons you mentioned
Damn interesting video and coverage.
I appreciate that! One of the more unique experiences I’ve had when it comes to seeing how things are made first hand
@@GatewoodBrown The "inside-info" is much appreciated. What a operation. Gnarly machine.
@@redw0lf848 yeah that thing is beast mode haha. So massive and hard to show on camera. The noise was pretty loud too
I have an old town canoe I call it the blue banana, its a fiberglass canoe, blue of course!
Haha now that would be something if it wasn’t blue lol. Sounds like a fun boat!
Looking forward to next spring and hopefully being able to purchase the Old Town sportsman 106 with the Minn kota spot lock. That will change the way I fish forever. I'd do it this spring but I don't have the money and I've got a torn acl.
That’s a rad boat! The 106 won’t have spotlock but if you spring for the autopilot then you’ll have that functionality. Both are rad boats!!
@@GatewoodBrown what do you mean by autopilot? Is that the same motor as the 120 and the 136? Sorry gatewood, I'm new to all of this and if I really want this boat then I'm going to make sure I know everything I need to know.
@@seanhall5024 Great questions! 106 minn kota is a different motor than the autopilot 120 (and 136). The autopilot has spot lock while the minn kota does not. Great reviews are all over youtube for both so I think that'll really help you out!
@@GatewoodBrown so I just talked to a customer service rep from Old Town kayaks and canoes. You cannot interchange motors with the 106. You're stuck with a motor that they mold the boat to. Because the autopilot 120 and 136 are molded differently and have a different shape. The 106 has an oval whereas the 120 and 136 has a lip that it sits on and latches into.
Had a hell of a time in 2020-2021 to get a kayak, which I was not successful. Heck many of their shops that buy from them told me "They are currently not making kayaks" or "They are back ordered for two years."
I hope this year is different.
2020-21 was mayhem for sure. At the start of the pandemic I’d imagine they had to shut down for a bit. But now they’re working more employees than ever before to catch up. I’d imagine things will be better in 22
@@GatewoodBrown I hope they don't "shit down" too much in 2022!
@@HelloDonkey9 oh geez that was a bad typo hahaha. Fixed that one!
Loon 160Tandem. Must be nearly 20 years old and still going strong.
I'd believe it! Kayaks are one of the best pieces of gear when it comes to long lasting durability and maintenance
Wow! What an interesting and efficient factory. Thanks for sharig.
Efficient for sure! Everyone was on a mission for sure. Great facility and proud to paddle their boats!
Nice
Thanks!
I really wish Old Town made a PDL Replacement Drop in Trolling Motor for their Sportsman Series. I spoke with Bixby & they are working on a Drop In unit but they are high dollar & loud
That would be cool to have both a pdl and a trolling motor!
I just bought 2 Old Town Salty 120pdl's and love them but they gouge & scratch up deeply & easily on the TX Coast by accidentally hitting oysters.
We're buying Keel Guards for ours. Or the "Stick On Type for the front & Rear of the Kayaks. Ours are 2 months old & have a few deep scratches already from 4 outings.
Not much can protect you against the oyster rash! That’s one of the more harmful things for kayaks. That and dragging over rocks and boat ramps! The salty has my eye for suee
What a cool company, can you make a mini sailboat
Cool indeed!
Love your videos, what paddle do you recommend for the sportsman 120?
Thanks! What sort of budget are you looking for? For premium I like the aqua bound whiskey. For a more budget option you can look for a nice fiberglass shaft and blade on Amazon or big box store (dicks, academy, etc)
I've seen that in alot of your videos you use the aqua bound, i was thinking about getting that one myself and trying it out. Thanks on the videos of the sportsman 120 you've done i went to get myself one! 😀
@@JoseGarcia-tn6pj yeah it’s my favorite paddle of all time. Very expensive BUT it’ll be the last paddle you ever buy which is cool. You’ll absolutely love the 120, it’s rad!
Thanks for the advice!
Have TOPWATER 10' PDL LOVE IT!!!
That’s a slick boat! I’d love to try their PDL sometime
Glad i got mine from swift
I’m not familiar with swift, I’ll have to check them out
do you add glass fibers to the hot melt or can that be special order someday
I think they only stick to plastic these days, probably no special orders writhed. But there are a bunch of boutique boat makers that could probably get that done for you!
Hola en donde es esa fábrica venden para colombia quiero uno
it's perfect to build a kayak in a factory
Definitely is!
Keren om
Love my autopilot 136.
Now that’s a boat I want to try one day
Never thought about it but no kayak or Canoe is the same.
That’s spot on! Not something I’d really pondered either.
Old town castine 145 😎
ThTs a slick boat!
Insane how they hatch them like eggs
Hahaha I never thought of it that way, but makes sense!
Anyone notice they are making Ocean Kayaks too? Did Old Town buy Ocean Kayak?
I should’ve explained that. Johnson outdoors owns both old town and ocean kayak. So you’re sport on! OK is made the same way as old town here
@@GatewoodBrown wow didn’t know that. They should bring back the Scupper Pro. I have 2. It’s a good name because if you get caught in chop and wind in the ocean that’s a good boat to be in. I live in the Appalachians now but the kids like those old ones still because they are so fast in the James River without barely paddling. But my next boat is going to be an Old Town Canoe.
@@stephendaniel168 I’ll have to check out the scupper pro, never heard of it! You have plenty of beautiful rivers up there in Appalachia. I’ve always enjoyed my time up there
Interesting
Thanks for watching! Definitely an interesting process
200 people making 10’s of thousands of kayaks a year. Not much time for coffee breaks. Interesting.
They were working hard for sure! I didn’t see much ‘breaking’. One of the ways they’re keeping up with demand I suppose. Very impressive!
slave labor
very cool tour, saddens me to hear about the toxic "temp" culture that even small companies prey and rely on to succeed
It’s always a balance. Temps are great for meeting seasonal demand. A business won’t have any employees unless the balance sheet is maintained
Johnson and assoc. bought out most of the kayak companies about 20 years ago, full corporate overthrow.
My friend and I were freelance designers and builders of plug/prototype for Ocean Kayak.When Old Town bought out O.K. Necky etc. they(Johnson) screwed us over for back pay and royalties. I hate greedy, big companies.
my neighbor worked there for decades
That’s so cool! What positions did he work?
I use my OLDTOWN 132 to lobster fish! I pull traps all year long with it! Such a work horse! Check out the channel to see how it’s done!
That’s so rad! We loved eating Maine lobster last summer. Such a special experience
what kind of plastic is it made of?
Not sure! Their website may have that info
No offense to all the kayak people out there but I'm the proud owner of an Old Town Canoe I have Ram mounts Humminbird Fishfinder and all the goodies and my girlfriend just nailed a 30-lb catfish in the thing you got to love Old Town in their products
I love their kayaks and canoes! Sounds like you have an awesome setup my man
Do you use recycled raw materials? Old plastic bottles etc.
Ya know I’m not sure. They didn’t touch on it during the tour
@@GatewoodBrown so probably not. It seems like a perfect opportunity.
@@dougdavis8986 I agree. There’s a company that makes cargo carriers here in Texas and they use recycled Allyn in. Pretty cool stuff
Спасибо парни, у меня SAP с вашего завода.
Too bad I can't get the one I want in Atlanta at a dealer.
Bring the Loons to ATL!
Haha the people need some loons! Seems like the kayak shops are stocking up infinitely better than this time last year. The loon is a favorite for sure
Did they explain why Kayak prices have exploded? The ascend H10 is now $890 new.
I’ve noticed the budget kayaks have exploded in price but it seems like the middle priced boats have not increased much. The H10 is not worth it at $890. That’s ludicrous. I’d say some companies are charging that strictly based on supply and demand. Material costs have certainly gone up, but not by that much
Try to make a boat that is light weight that someone in a wheelchair could lift to put in a truck to go fishing and still have room for his dog. Been looking for gust that tipe of boat and can't find one