Need advise from experienced salty yaker.. Please help!

Please help... I have experience in fresh water kayak & kayak fishing but none in the ocean " That means I know nothing."

 I just recently moved to the Monterey area from Sacramento about 3 months ago and I'm itching to get on the water..but....... I need an honest opinion on what kind of ocean kayak best suits the Monterey coast. I have been shopping stores and they all keep trying to sell me the Hobie Pro Angler @ $2,500...Why? Is it really the best or are they just trying to sell me most expensive thing they have?  Can I really break surf in that tank battle loaded ?I'm 6'3 190lbs... Any suggestions would be great. Thank you

Great Forum..I look forward to meeting some of you at a hook up soon!
 
Thanks again!

id say no way on the hobie battle ship (for the ocean)...If you are dead set on the hobie for salt look at the Adventure or Revo....I see Mooch it looking at this post so I wont steal his line...of try before you buy

demo, demo and demo.

Monterey Bay Kayak Company offers demos and lessons. I don't know if they have Hobies available for demo. Might want to check the Santa Cruz area.

Good luck, take your time deciding on what you want - don't buy because it's a "deal".....buy because the kayak feels right on you 

Is it me or does it look like a tasty meal with moving fins?

Do you own a yak already for the fresh water? I use mine in both some are compatible. There are tons of yak info in the kyak zone choosing a yak category at the bottom of forum page screen. this thread was recently started http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,34707.msg370554.html#msg370554     

Best of Luck

Wes

Welcome to Monterey dude. If you want a Hobie, definitely consider a Revolution or Adventure or even an Outback before the PA. Unfortunately, there aren't any Hobie dealers nearby. But MBK has Ocean Kayak, Wilderness systems, and Malibu kayaks. You should go there and demo a couple different models to see which one you like best. For 30 bucks you can demo all their yaks (and I think they'll even put your $30 towards a new yak if you buy one). Checkout the OK Trident, the WS Tarpon, and the Malibu X-Factor.
http://www.montereybaykayaks.com/home/sale.lasso

these guys said it all already.
Go to a kayak shop & tell them you want to demo some boats, and that you are in the market to buy one. Avoid any shop that won't do this. At the very least they might charge you a rental price but they should apply that money to any yak you buy (like MBK does, $30 is a bargain). Try 4-5 different yaks. I paddle a Tarpon 140 and have for almost 6 years.

Hi Yakers:
              While you demo, don't forget your VHF Radio, PFD,
 , NRS Farmer Johns, Etc.
                                                              Regards
                                                              Ernie

I agree you want to demo kayaks but keep one thing in mind.  You launch in less then ideal conditions, or more typically you launch in great conditions, but land in crappy conditions.  Where are you going to put your gear?  Are you really going to shimmy up the front hatch in big swell?  Or sit side saddle to work a hatch behind your seat?  If the answer is no, then the trident starts to rise above the rest.

My first yak the tarpon 160 paddled like a dream but storage was an issue.  My trident 15 doesnt paddle as well, but for fishing I love it.  for surf launching and landing, I REALLY love it.

First off, WTTM and to Monterey All of our brothers just gave ya some great pointers: demo various yaks to see which one ya feel most comfortable and most confident in, as well as figure what kind of conditions you will be dealing with in regards to landing/launching.

I've got a OK T13 w/ rudder that is my primary salt yak, and it has gone through some gnarly ocean conditions. The rod pod is a plus also!

I look forward to seeing ya otw sometime soon, maybe we'll hookup on a Tuesday Anyways, welcome here and to this area 

Welcome to Monterey Bay!

Thank you all for the great advise..Problem solved.. I was shopping inland retailers with little to no experience other than selling kayaks. I found a great local shop with experienced kayak anglers.


Thank you all once again!