Hi everyone after hobie yak suggestions

[Sarmic]

Hi to all,

I'm a new member and been kayak fishing for about 4 months with a cheap eBay yak. I bought it to make sure I would enjoy and actually use it, I was going to buy a hobie straigh away but before spending a few thousand dollars. I bought a cheap $390 off eBay with all the gear.

I live on the Mornington peninsula and normally head out from Mornington or Hastings only because they the closest but can't wait to go further with a safer hobie. I generally don't go out too far as these kayaks are limited.

Now to my question I'm trying to toss up between the hobie revolution, outback or pro angler and what would work well on western port and port Phillip bay. I really like the pro angler but think it would to heavy and slow but heaps of room and the revo too small. I do like the revo as I've heard its a lot quicker but am unsure whether it's suitable for fishing. I don't carry heaps of gear usually with only a couple of rods, tackle, anchor, cooler etc.

Any input would be great particular hobie owners. also would like andvantages and disadvantages of any.

Thanks

[MrTall]

I have revos and love em, but first up the hobies you mentioned are all no faster than each other when being peddalled, they are all limited to the top speed from the drive.
The difference is that the sleeker yaks like revo take less effort to maintain that speed.
Chat to the hobie guys at SLH would be my suggestion and work out what types of fishing you wish to do then base your selection on that.
Dave

[Seasherpa]

Chat to the hobie guys at SLH would be my suggestion and work out what types of fishing you wish to do then base your selection on that.
Dave

^^This, also sign up for one of their test days, try some yaks out to get a feel for the one that suits you best. In the end you are the best judge of what works for you as all three yaks mentioned are capable of doing what you want to do.

, they are all limited to the top speed from the drive.

In terms of speed, my understanding is that each yak is limited by its hull speed. If it were just down to the max speed of the drives and not hull design then an adventure wouldn't be the fastest yak.
Observations on the water carrying full gear (real life use) are that both revo and Pa are faster than an outback, revo due to hull length and width, PA due to extra length and turbo fins compensate for the extra width.
These observations are from side by side runs outback and revo 13 going from lang lang to french island and 30 odd k's beside Shane in his PA at Port Fairy (my outback has ST's and struggled to keep up. Based on that, I think an outback with turbo's would be relatively equal to a PA but I haven't tested it (yet). Another consideration however is the fitness (or lack of it in my case) of the person pushing the pedals.

Now to my question I'm trying to toss up between the hobie revolution, outback or pro angler and what would work well on western port and port Phillip bay. I really like the pro angler but think it would to heavy and slow but heaps of room and the revo too small. I do like the revo as I've heard its a lot quicker but am unsure whether it's suitable for fishing. I don't carry heaps of gear usually with only a couple of rods, tackle, anchor, cooler etc.
also would like advantages and disadvantages of any.
Thanks

Outback + good all rounder, lots of primary stability, plenty of room for gear, fine for bay work. -slowest of the 3 needs rudder upgrade for sloppy conditions, hull slaps
PA + best primary stability (standing ability), best storage, replaceable mounts, room for big fish. - weight, older models had poor rudders
Revo + fastest of the three, best secondary, cuts through chop, weight -narrow gunnels for mounting accessories, least amount of storage

All the new models have the vantage seat, if you are buying secondhand then it becomes a + for the PA as older outbacks and revos had standard seats.

Primary Vs Secondary Stability
Primary comes mostly from the width of the yak and it is what most people refer to when they say a yak is stable -think of yourself on a flat sheet of ply on the water. You can stand, walk about and it feels very steady. If you walk towards the edge it will flip over on it self. It doesn't want to lean it wants to stay flat on the surface of the water. If you put that yak in rough waves it still wants to lie flat on the surface of the water so it follows the face of the wave and puts the yakker at an awkward angle causing them to tip out.

Secondary stability is easiest explained in terms of a baby-mug you know those ones with the round bottoms? you can lean it right over and it just springs back up. If you compare the liquid in the mug to a yakker when the yak leans over the liquid inside remains level, the kayaker in the wave can do the same thing, not tipping out as easily. This ability to roll side to side on the bottom of the yak is usually what people refer to in a yak as being 'tippy'

[Hammertime]

Hi to all,

I'm a new member and been kayak fishing for about 4 months with a cheap eBay yak. I bought it to make sure I would enjoy and actually use it, I was going to buy a hobie straigh away but before spending a few thousand dollars. I bought a cheap $390 off eBay with all the gear.

I live on the Mornington peninsula and normally head out from Mornington or Hastings only because they the closest but can't wait to go further with a safer hobie. I generally don't go out too far as these kayaks are limited.

Now to my question I'm trying to toss up between the hobie revolution, outback or pro angler and what would work well on western port and port Phillip bay. I really like the pro angler but think it would to heavy and slow but heaps of room and the revo too small. I do like the revo as I've heard its a lot quicker but am unsure whether it's suitable for fishing. I don't carry heaps of gear usually with only a couple of rods, tackle, anchor, cooler etc.

Any input would be great particular hobie owners. also would like andvantages and disadvantages of any.

Thanks

I've got a 2015 Outback and love it. The 2015 has a much better seat than the old ones.

It's stable, I could probably stand in it if I really wanted to, but not as stable as a revo. I've heard the revo's you're more likely to get wet bum, but I'm sure they all have advantages.

[joffarob]

I'll throw my opinion into the mix as well,
I basically did the same as you started off with a second hand paddle yak, upgraded to an outback then upgraded to a PA, reasons I went for an outback over a PA to start with were:
-$1000 or so cheaper.
-lighter and easier to load on roof (or so I thought)

Reasons I upgraded to a PA:
-more room and able to store rods in yak for traveling.(no more hanging out back of ute and risk damage)
-PA's are designed to carry upright on roof/trailor, outback's arnt (this allows the PA to leave things on for travel such as seat, rod holders etc.(manufacturer recommends you don't I think, setup and packup is a lot quicker)
-PA's have replaceable pads at the back on the bottom which allows you to lift at the front and slide up to the roof racks without risk of damage. (I have found it easier to load the PA than the outback)

I upgraded the fins and rudder on the outback and haven't noticed much difference in speed with th PA, I had the outback for a couple years and loved it, some people can stand up and run around on the outback but I'm not one of them however the PA isn't a problem.

Good luck and you'll be happy which ever way you go and the best thing with a Hobie is they hold there value well and if you decide to upgrade/change in a couple years you'll have no trouble getting a good return on yours.

Good luck.

[laneends]

With the talk about about speed, that may not seem important, but it reflects in how hard it is to battle through a head wind or strong current for any sort of distance.

Revos take a bit more thinking about for fit outs, but if you are a minimalist fisher should be ok. probably best also if you do a bit of fresh water fishing as it is easier to use in paddle only mode similar to a quest.

sailing rudder upgrades are not expensive but worth it.

[Steve_R]

Read the thread below and the link in then first post.
http://www.vyak.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=19221

When I first looked at Hobie:
- I laughed at a PA - far too wide and heavy for me.
- The Outback recommended by the shop produced too much wind slap on the hull - the noise would have sent me nuts (it may not worry you).
- The Revo felt better. It responded better in the windy conditions on the day and felt every bit as stable as the Outback when rocked hard side-to-side.
- The store operator suggested testing an Adventure but they are too long for my needs.


1) Make sure you are buying a pedal yak for the right reasons. Paddling, using the correct stroke, uses a stronger muscle group than pedalling. Pedals 'cost' additional service, maintenance, set-up time, etc.
2) Make your decision with bum in seat. Don't be afraid to test pedal a couple of times.
3) Consider buying second hand.

[Sarmic]

Thanks for the information everyone.
I'm hoping to go try a few hobies on Saturday depending on the weather. I'll definitely go new, its around $500 more than used plus all the new inclusions for the 2015 model. All the hobies hold there value really well which is a plus.
I'm heading towards the outback being the middle of the range. Sounds like the outbacks need the turbo fins but that can be done later. I really like the revos but feel they might not be roomy enough for me but will definitely test them too, photos and reviews are always personal I'll have to test one. I Think the pro anglers might be to big for me to handle by myself as I have a 4wd and getting it on off the roof will be difficult, are they worth the extra $1000? Cheers for the replys

[Gozz]

Hey mate.
I went from a cheap yak to a outback and then a PA-14.
Going from a cheap yak to a outback put a smile on my face I couldn't wipe off for a long time.
My outback was a 2012 model and came with a standard Hobie seat which was painfull for me and gave me a wet bum.
I made a seat which made it so much more comfy and best of all I had a dry bum and I could fit two tackle boxes underneath.
The 2015 model comes out of the factory with a seat which will do the same as mine did.
After a while fishing with mates who own pa's i started to see how much more room they had I finally bit the bulet and bought one.
I still miss the outback as it was so much lighter and I reckon faster but when I'm on the water in the pa I feel like a king.
Saying that if the outbacks came with horisontal rod holders I would probably go back to a outback cause those things a the best.