Outback or PA

The PA12 is friggen luxurious. You can stand sideways on the seat to pee.  I e never been on a PA 14, but I bet you can walk around.

I’d go outback for sure. I really enjoy the weight if my Compass. Not sure I could  stomach that much more weight if a PA.  I am however very tempted to buy an outback. Haha.

no experience on an Outback - but many here have given good advice on that.
I've had my PA14 for a few months now, only had it on freshwater so far, 5 lakes of various size, various wind, and various waves/wakes.  I've been really happy with it so far.  it is heavy, but I'm able to get it on and off the top of my car without any issues - so it is not a problem for me. I've had various canoes and kayaks for the past 20 years, and fished from them all - the PA is my favorite so far.  Looking forward to getting out on the ocean.

someone mentioned issues with righting a capsized PA - I can see how this would be challenging, i'd approach it the same as I would a small sail boat, have a line tied to one of the H-rails (in place of the mast), throw it over the bottom, and climb on the other side while pulling on the rope - the whole thing should flip over at that point. I'll play around with this when the weather warms up and I feel like playing in the water.

there are so many good fishing kayaks on the market today - you really have a bunch of good choices

no experience on an Outback - but many here have given good advice on that.
I've had my PA14 for a few months now, only had it on freshwater so far, 5 lakes of various size, various wind, and various waves/wakes.  I've been really happy with it so far.  it is heavy, but I'm able to get it on and off the top of my car without any issues - so it is not a problem for me. I've had various canoes and kayaks for the past 20 years, and fished from them all - the PA is my favorite so far.  Looking forward to getting out on the ocean.

someone mentioned issues with righting a capsized PA - I can see how this would be challenging, i'd approach it the same as I would a small sail boat, have a line tied to one of the H-rails (in place of the mast), throw it over the bottom, and climb on the other side while pulling on the rope - the whole thing should flip over at that point. I'll play around with this when the weather warms up and I feel like playing in the water.

there are so many good fishing kayaks on the market today - you really have a bunch of good choices

You should definitely let us know how easy/difficult it is to right your capsized PA.  BTW.  I haven't seen any reviews or feedback of PA users experience in the Ocean.

no experience on an Outback - but many here have given good advice on that.
I've had my PA14 for a few months now, only had it on freshwater so far, 5 lakes of various size, various wind, and various waves/wakes.  I've been really happy with it so far.  it is heavy, but I'm able to get it on and off the top of my car without any issues - so it is not a problem for me. I've had various canoes and kayaks for the past 20 years, and fished from them all - the PA is my favorite so far.  Looking forward to getting out on the ocean.

someone mentioned issues with righting a capsized PA - I can see how this would be challenging, i'd approach it the same as I would a small sail boat, have a line tied to one of the H-rails (in place of the mast), throw it over the bottom, and climb on the other side while pulling on the rope - the whole thing should flip over at that point. I'll play around with this when the weather warms up and I feel like playing in the water.

there are so many good fishing kayaks on the market today - you really have a bunch of good choices

You should definitely let us know how easy/difficult it is to right your capsized PA.  BTW.  I haven't seen any reviews or feedback of PA users experience in the Ocean.

will do..but don't expect a YouTube...that would be too humbling!
I talked to a few PA12/14 users who've had good experiences on ocean before I purchased - the standard quote was 'super stable', I've been out there in Canoes and Kayaks before - from what I've experienced so far - I expect good results.  The initial stability is lower than my sit inside Loon 16T, but the secondary stability seems to be similar.

Check out this guy encountering a persistent shark while fishing.  This is when you hope your kayak is super stable or a speargun:smt072

It all depends on how big you are. I'm 6'2'' 300lbs and the PA is better for me since i alone will max the weight capacity

It all depends on how big you are. I'm 6'2'' 300lbs and the PA is better for me since i alone will max the weight capacity

+1 This should be at the top of the list when deciding on a kayak. 

Check out this guy encountering a persistent shark while fishing.  This is when you hope your kayak is super stable or a speargun:smt072

Some of the comments on that video are pretty good, like this one:

Some dude on a boat 200 yards away: “that guy can’t kayak worth shit”

Had an Outback, great yak. Sold it for more stability PA14, as in stand-up fly casting.

Really liking the PA14. Excellent yak except for one thing...it's a heavy tank of a craft.
That 40-lb weight difference to put on top SUV, unloaded w/chair, front box, gear out, is very noticeable compared to the Outback.

The 360 drive makes up for slower maneuverability, really an aid in fighting, landing a big powerful fish such as salmon, yellowtail, big hali.
Example: tired fish, ready for net or gaff, circles toward stern. Twist 360 lever, pedal, yak responds & turns instantly, and fish landing much easier!

I 99% fish salt water usually once a week in a 2014 pa 14 .i installed a double gasket on the front hatch & sealec the rod holders . i have been in all kinds of ocean from flat to 9@10 .never been in an outback so i cant say much about it .the pa has lots of room , a great chair & is extremely stable .i have flipped it in practice & use a recovery rope tied to a side handle to flipback over .i prefer the bigger boat because i fish 80% of the time alone .some day i will have a buddy seat on it for my son & that was also a reason i wanted the extra capacity .best of luck either way you pick .both are game changing vessels .

I have owned both. I had a 2019 pa14 and currently have a 2021 outback. Outback all the way especially for trolling. But that’s just my opinion and there are plenty of people here that are willing to give their experiences and opinions. It’s  always good to ask to see what other think but the only option that really matters is yours! It’s your $$$ that’s buying it so you just need to make sure your happy with what ever kayak you end up buying. Test them both out, look at what options they both offer or are lacking and then make your decision based off that.

it's like religion or partners, there is no one right answer for everyone.

I honestly don't think you can make a bad decision in the Hobie line.  I've fished with guys on all the variations, and they all 'love their boats'

Outback hands down!!  I have been in both

Outback is too heavy as it is for surf launched trips. I couldn't imagine lugging around a PA.

I own a 13' Revolution and a 12' Pro Angler 360.  I got the PA 360 because I do a lot of jigging.  I'm pretty skillful at staying stationary over the bottom in my Revolution, but as I expected, the 360 drive is terrific for the maneuvering required to stay stationary over the bottom in wind and waves. If you do a lot of jigging or other tight maneuvering, there are huge advantages to the 360 drive.  However, that capability is the only thing I like about my Pro Angler.  Here's a partial list of things which I dislike about the Pro Angler:

1. It's heavy and a beast to move around, to get on top of a vehicle, and to launch at unimproved launch sites.  I can't pick it up and move it more than a couple of feet by myself - anything other than minor repositioning has to be done on a cart. 

2. It's slow, especially in headwinds and in waves.  In completely calm conditions and for short periods of time I can get it up to half a mile an hour slower than I routinely travel in my Revolution, but if there is any wind or waves, I'm usually moving at about 1.5 mph slower than I would be traveling in my Revolution. If I want to troll, I use my Revolution. At the end of a day in my Pro Angler, I'm more tired than I am after a day in my Revolution.

3.  The H rails make it a lot harder to get in and out of the kayak.  This is particularly a problem when I'm landing in waves which are crashing on shore, and climbing out of the kayak over the H-Rails while holding a paddle is real awkward.  I prefer gear tracks to the H rails.

4.  It's a beast to paddle when you need to paddle, as the steering mechanisms next to the seat and anything you have mounted on the H-rails, such as a fish finder and a rod holder, interfere with paddling.  And the high seat and H-Rails mean that you need to use a long and awkward paddle to paddle a Pro Angler.  It's bad enough when you need to paddle a short distance away from or back to shore, but paddling longer distances is a awkward and a lot of work.  A month or so ago the belt on my 360 drive mechanism broke, freezing my drive when it was sitting at right angles to the keel.  I was about 1.5 miles from my launch site.  I took my fish finder and rod holder off the H-rails and paddled back to my launch site.  It was a lot of work. By comparison, my Revolution is a pleasure to paddle.  I've paddled it on four day and five day unsupported kayak trips on the John Day River in Oregon, with a plug in the drive hole.  My Revolution paddles better than my 13' Ocean Kayak Trident.  I'm an experienced whitewater kayaker, but I would not feel comfortable paddling my Pro Angler in or out through surf.

5. The paddle required to paddle a Pro Angler is too long to mount on a paddle holder on the side of the kayak, so after you paddle away from shore you have to break it in half and store the halves on clips on the rear half of the kayak, and before you land you need to re-assemble the paddle.  This is a pain in the butt.  And if one of the paddle halves got knocked out of its clip, it would sink.

6.  Only Hobie makes accessories which mount on the H-Rails, and those attachments are expensive.  For example, a tackle bin which mounts on the H-Rails costs $55. You can mount a base from any manufacturer on a Hobie H-Rail mounting plate, but you have to buy the mounting plate for $25 to do it. Rather than buy the Hobie gear bin, I bought two "Mainstays" ice bins from Walmart for $2.00 each and clip them to the H-Rails next to my seat, where they fit perfectly.

7.  When paddling my Revolution in large and breaking waves, I can brace and set the kayak on its edge like a whitewater kayak.  You can't do that in a Pro Angler.  Paddling a Pro Angler is sort of like paddling a section of a floating dock.  It's comfortable to sit on the dock in a lawn chair in moderate waves, but if the waves get too big, the section of dock is going to flip over, and there isn't much you can to to prevent it from happening.

On the positive side, the Pro Angler is a nicely designed kayak with a comfortable seat and many thoughtfully designed features, and there are kayaks produced by other manufacturers which are heavier than the Pro Angler. There are no doubt people without much kayaking experience who feel safer and more comfortable in a big kayak like a Pro Angler, but I prefer a kayak-sized kayak to the Pro Angler and other mini-bass-boat kayaks.

I wish that Hobie would produce an Outback with a 360 drive.  If they do that, I'll buy one instantly and sell my Pro Angler.  I don't know why Hobie couldn't produce an Outback with a 360 drive - the Outback is only two inches narrower than a 12' Pro Angler.