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ocean kayak vs. hobie


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I have an ocean kayak trident 15 and love it,,,The only downfall about it is not being hands free and there are times when I am close to submerged boulders and white water all around them, while fighting a fish. I have been debating to go with a hobie due to the foot pedals and single hand steering. I guess the only thing that makes me nervous is, it seems like most of the time I hear about the hobies, they are broken down due to the drive shafts or whatever, Can someone shed some light on my ignorance of these yaks? Thanks...


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Originally Posted by The Rev View Post

I guess the only thing that makes me nervous is, it seems like most of the time I hear about the hobies, they are broken down due to the drive shafts or whatever, Can someone shed some light on my ignorance of these yaks?




Some folks have had issues, sure, but they don't constantly break down or require any kind of painstaking maintenance. I've had one since late 2010, and another since 2011. I give them a rinse and a bit of wd40 every now and then and haven't had any major issues. I've broken rudder pins getting smashed in the surf but I'd have to say that's expected every now and then if ya wanna get out in the bigger surf. 


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I've had my Outback for 2 years now.  I had a single breakdown due to my poor maintenance very early in my ownership.  Now that I have properly educated myself I've not had a problem since.   I make sure I lube after each use and check the cable tension and other regular parts on a schedule and it's been issue free since. 


I wanted to touch on the reason I went out a hobie.  Hands free fishing.  This is hands down why I went with the manufacturer I did.   I am a structure fisherman and can't fish how I do with a paddle yak.  I can stay in the fish zone way more this way and will out fish a paddle kayaker easily and have done so in a way that's made them jealous and making them wonder about their kayak choice.     

I fish 3-4 days a week from spring to fall  -  no problems since I learned how to maintain my boat.   


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Originally Posted by The Rev View Post

 

wow....great responses and I appreciate the feedback. I am definitely going to be upgrading sometime in the near future..What would you guys recommend for hobie...specific type?




 



This is a loaded question and one of preference to be honest.  You need to find a good dealer and go try each of them because they are all different and each of us have a different style and need for comfort level but here's a few things to keep in mind. 


Pro Angler:  Big and heavy -  you won't be lifting this on a car top and so you'll need a pickup or trailer.  With this though comes a stable platform that's wide, plenty of storage, comfortable and a proven track record.  It's really a "boat" and not a kayak in a traditional sense.  I would have loved one of these for the size and storage etc but it was so big and heavy that I would have never been able to get it to the water easily where I fish.  I was never going to be picking it up and getting it over a rock walk. 


Outback:  This is what I own.  It's VERY stable, wide, comfortable and ready to fish.   I consider it the battleship when compared to a Revolution which is the faster, narrower, sleeker "destroyer" of the two.   I have fished the outback in NASTY conditions and found it to offer me and the way I fish a stable platform and is plenty fast enough for me to stay in the game when fishing.   I feel safe and that is the most important thing to me.  I use a thule hullavator to get this on top my suv but I can also lift it just as easy. 


Revolution:  Is like outback but narrower, sleeker, faster when underway but for me and my body size was a little too unstable for me.   Very great boat.   This is very much like a outback just sleeker and just as capable. 


Again with the above said put 5 guys in a room and ask for a recommendation you'll get 5 different responses.  You need to try the kayaks.  If you don't have a dealer ask a buddy or find a rental joint and rent each for a day and put them through the paces.   It was my experience of test driving which sold the right boat for me and you'll have to do the same because my recommendation might not fit your fishing style.  

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Sorry guys but Hobies do have a high failure rate ............ I know of a bunch here in Md ........ That said. ....... Hobie took care of them. I know 1 guy that is on his 3rd Outback. Even with this, I still don't know of 1 that went another yak because of it .........

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After years of paddling I switched to a Hobie Outback last year. There is significantly more to worry about and more to go wrong on a Hobie but honestly I still think it was some of the best money I ever spent on fishing. Their biggest problem from what I understand is hull issues. I got a hole in my rear scupper hole in less than a year. They have since reinforced this area (my Outback was the last model that didn't have reinforced scupper holes) and Hobie did replace my boat with the newest model (though they still charged me several hundred bucks). The Mirage drive can be problematic but this is rare. I had a drive chain break on me leaving me stranded on the Delaware bay once. Rudder pins snap but only take a minute to put a new one on. Always have a spare with you. I've never had any problems with the cables. I try to keep everything maintained the best I can and spot problems before they break. If I had to do it all over again I would absolutely still buy a Hobie. These little nuisances are far outweighed by how great a fishing vessel they are. You can't beat hands free. I do still have a couple paddle yaks that I use for shallow freshwater as the Mirage drive is really annoying in skinny water but for bigger freshwater and all my saltwater needs I really love my Outback.

Proud member of the South Jersey Kayak Bass Fishing Club
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3 years in April with not a single issue. After my first year, I told a lot of people that I had gotten 10 times my money's worth out of the boat already. Now, looking back, I would say this was some of the best money I have ever spent...in any facet of my life. I can't tell you all the adventure I've gotten out of my Outback, and how many people I've met, and how many trips I've taken, and how many fish I've caught, and how much I've learned, and...

 

And I had a paddle kayak before my Hobie!

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Hobie haters gonna hate :waah:


 



I would have to guess that most kayaks out there in this area are Hobies so with more kayaks out there sure they are going to have more break and they have 10X more mechanical parts then a regular kayak with a lot more stuff to break. On top of that all the guys who bash Hobie are always the first ones to let everyone know that someone they know had a hobie rudder pin break. Get an Outback you won't be sorry.


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I personally have a Outback and I love it. Before that I had a OK Trident 13 which I loved. The reason I switched is pretty much the same as yours. I wanted to be hands free. Most of the guys I fish with are Hobie owners and to me it seemed I spent more time trying to keep up with them than fish. I'd be to busy paddling against the current while the peddled and were still able to jig or whatever. I'm so happy with Hobie I'm purchasing a Pro Angler 14 for the spring. Go Hobie for sure.

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