hobie quest questionn/newbie

HiYa,

I am shopping for my first SOT boat for fishing, have a touring boat.  I was made a good offer on a quest, but see almost no info on this site about them.  I'll test-drive it this weekend, but wanted to get some opinions on it's weather-rough water abilities.  Anybody have one?

Thanks,

Rick

Rick... I think the Quest is one of the more underated and overlooked fishing kayaks out there.... perhaps because Hobie is more known for it's Mirage pedal driven yaks.  I think Quest paddles as good or better than a Prowler 13 with some advantages....

The Quest has ...
-  an easy to access hinged front hatch
-  a watertight 8" round cockpit hatch with one toggle (the best round hatch on the market today!)
-  nice wide adjustable foot brace

The only real gripe is that the two rear flushmount rod holders point almost straight back.  I can live with it, but most guys like more angle.

Personally, I would get it without the rudder option since it's quite maneuverable without it.  Plus, you'll have less line tangle headaches too.

If you're wondering if the Quest is suitable for chasing big fish, look check out this pic of Sean "scwafish" and his gorgeous roosterfish...

I wrote a review on hear somewhere...

Pros

Fast and paddles very nicley in mellow water
Great front hatch (but it looks like a shitter seat)
Fantastic footrests
Reasonable layout
Fairly comfy
Nicely  molded

Cons
No rocker...SUCKS in big chop
Super wet for my 220#
Flush mounts are too small/shallow wrong angle

Never saw a need for a rudder

I love my Quest, yes it doesn't have the mirage drive, but it does do a great job.  You can haul a small car in it.  It has tons of room compared to other boats of the same size.  I can use a double milk crate with room to spare.  I also have a rudder which I find really useful.