Wide or Narrow? Long or Short?

Sorry for the confusion,
The main problem could be in the question.
To say something is BETTER would depend on the actual usage.
For me at 6'2" and 245lbs the T-15 is BETTER for traveling, yet for my son at 5'6" and 125lbs the T-11 is BETTER for him to handle,
Than again for me in the tight confines of the river the T-13 is actually BETTER and for him the caper is BETTER when at camp and using as a dive platform.
As every angler has different needs the best and most professional advise any person could give would be to paddle and see what fits your personal needs. Any other advise would be based on their own personal usage and could cause more confusion 

                   AMEN to that one

If you want to peddle, get a bike. If you want to kayak get an Ocean Kayak. I have a scupper proTW and its a fast boat at just under 15ft.

I can go faster...

Z

                    At my age speed is no longer of the essence. ts all about comfort.

OK I gotta throw this in, we always talk about "fast"  IE is a 15 faster than a 13?

But aren't we really talking about human energy expended per unit of distance traveled?

As out of shape as I keep myself, that is exactly what I mean, and in the past I have asked which yak might be the easiest to paddle (which could cause some confusion in itself). Easiest being which one will I expend the least energy to go a mile in?
 
So to me fastest and easiest are the same,

Even at that all the other stuff, (advice) still stands,

Opinions?

Dale L

my 2 cent's on the matter -

It depends on what kind of fishing you plan on doing...

If you like to troll, get a 13 to 16 foot kayak - it will track better than the shorter ones.
If you plan to fish the rivers or smaller lakes = 9 to 12 foot yaks would do better. Shorter yaks will maneuver better.
IF you want to do a little of every thing - look for a 12 / 13 foot yak.

As far as stability, go with what you're comfortable with - you "comfort" will dictate your time on the water...with that being said, consider investing in a comfortable seat.

If you want to peddle, get a bike. If you want to kayak get an Ocean Kayak. I have a scupper proTW and its a fast boat at just under 15ft.

I can go faster...

Z

faster than me?

 Hobie rider here (OB) currently my only fishing has been freshwater.  This will change shortly though.  I can cruise my outback at an easy peddle pace at 3.5mph all day long.  So, as mentioned before, determin what kind of fishing your most likely to do, and how far you might plan to travel during those fishing trips.  Welcome to the forum!

So to me fastest and easiest are the same

Makes sense.

Anyone who has paddled a lot knows that there is more to speed in a yak than strictly waterline. Conditions will exaggerate speed differences though. The 15 may be about a 1/4 mph faster then the 13 on flatwater but I would expect the difference to be more dramatic in the rough.

I'm really in a pickle. I love the throw_it_in_the_truck_bedibility of a shorter boat, but some days out on the water I know I need a bigger boat. I'm thinkin safety on the water is probably a priority.

Just a note to retailers out there sitting on boats they want to move : Wait till Feb, run and ad in the SLO Tribune saying that you are coming to town with a trailer full of yak for sale. You will have ZERO competition in this county till March... at which point rockfish opens below Pt. Conception!

Kayaks are like women/men some like them long and skinny some like them short and stout, I like both I've never peddled a Hobie So that's Greek to me 

Im gettin' worried Mike.

If you want to peddle, get a bike. If you want to kayak get an Ocean Kayak. I have a scupper proTW and its a fast boat at just under 15ft.

I can go faster...

Z

faster than me?

   This I would like to see. Terry is damn fast. I only seen him playing around and it was like watching water flowing. Real, real smooth and fast. Now can we go bassin'?

WOW!!!  I didn't know i would get this much response. I decided a 09 hobie outback. I like the wider room and 12feet is long enough for me.  Beginner like me i will be starting out in  Petaluma River first then work my confidence until i go out to the BIG BLUE. Thanks everyone for the input.

Yakman,
You know you can always count on NCKA to give the most indepth response possable 

Is a wider kayak better then a narrow one and is shorter better then longer? So what would be the advantage?  I'm looking at a Hobie Outback and Revolution? Is there any members that have those models and how do they like it?

I've owned an Hobie Outback and a Revolution.  Here are the pros and cons of both:

Outback Pros:
- very comfortable, like LazyBoy Recliner
- convenient side tackle trays
- big boy boat

Outback Cons:
- heavy, bulky, hard to car top
- harder to paddle, does not track well
- slower

Revo Pros:
- faster, longer distance boat
- more ocean worthy
- lighter, much easier to car top
- more volume and storage capacity under the hatches
- drive can be stored under the front hatch

Revo Cons:
- hmm... are there any?

For me, the Revo is a better all-around fishing boat and is Hobie's best seller.

Personally, I still prefer the longer, faster, narrower Adventure.  I like to get were I want to go fast (with or without the peddle drive) and it's easier to stradle which I often like to do when I'm fishing.

Yakman, where do you live? Petaluma? Dude, I live in Petaluma. Go to Claveys and sign up for Sean Whites steelhead seminar in February

Dale nailed it. A fast yak means that it's an efficient hull ie. takes less energy to paddle. If it takes less energy to paddle it's more comfortable in the end. I can put out very little effort and cruise at 4 mph.

faster than me?

This I would like to see. Terry is damn fast. I only seen him playing around and it was like watching water flowing. Real, real smooth and fast. Now can we go bassin'?

I would love to race the spiderman!! For real though, the old school double hatch tarpons are the dragsters of the paddling world. For the adventure my average speed runs about 5 mph and in full sprint I can get up to 7. BTW it's Turbo Fin enhanced.

Dunno how ChuckE feels about it but he rides the same hull, w/ turbo fins, and is even an old school mountain biker. I'm sure he could throw down some wake faster than I could.

Z

100 yard splash?

Is a wider kayak better then a narrow one and is shorter better then longer? So what would be the advantage?  I'm looking at a Hobie Outback and Revolution? Is there any members that have those models and how do they like it?

I've owned an Hobie Outback and a Revolution.  Here are the pros and cons of both:

Outback Pros:
- very comfortable, like LazyBoy Recliner
- convenient side tackle trays
- big boy boat

Outback Cons:
- heavy, bulky, hard to car top
- harder to paddle, does not track well
- slower

Revo Pros:
- faster, longer distance boat
- more ocean worthy
- lighter, much easier to car top
- more volume and storage capacity under the hatches
- drive can be stored under the front hatch

Revo Cons:
- hmm... are there any?

For me, the Revo is a better all-around fishing boat and is Hobie's best seller.

Personally, I still prefer the longer, faster, narrower Adventure.  I like to get were I want to go fast (with or without the peddle drive) and it's easier to stradle which I often like to do when I'm fishing.

Thanks for expertise ChuckE I haven't bought the outback yet.  You just made me change my mine again. I just need to paddle both  kayaks before i buy. Or pedddle both.

Ravensblack i live in Santa Rosa and do all my fishing out of a Striper. Hopefully i can decide on my yak before the steelhead season is over. How do i get the info on the steelhead class? Where is Claveys?