Why buy a hobie

Hands free speed.  What first made me want one was crabbing.  For me, crabbing is all business.  I get out there, set my traps, go back to shore and hang, go back out pull them, then go home.  Crabbing out of HMB is a trek, when you launch next to a guy on a Hobie and hes back with his crabs before you've got to your first trap, it makes ya think.  Hands free trolling is huge as well.  Covering more ground= hitting more spots.  Hitting more spots= increased chances at catching fish.  That's how I feel.  I'm a fan.

The revo paddles great. Get the drive well plug and you would never know the diffence. 

I'm convinced!

A side note. My mom and dad just went down to pick up and load of HObies, and they were treated to a full factory tour. They said it was the cleanest, most well ran facility they had ever seen. Almost everything Hobie sells they make right here in California. They do a lot of things really well.

One shoulder surgery on the right shoulder, two on the left.
If I didn't need a Hobie I never would have made the purchase.
Now that I have both the Revo and the Adv I can honestly say I love 'em. No regrets whatsoever.

All you have to do is test drive one.

I demo'ed a Sport while up at Lake Tahoe a few years ago, and right away I knew I would buy a Mirage driven kayak at some point.

Finally about a year later I added a Revo to the existing fleet of a OK Scupper TW, WS Manteo and OK Scrambler(since sold).

I'm now wishing for the OK T-13, that Rod-Pod feature is an angler's dream!

All are good boats, and each have unique advantages.

The revo paddles great. Get the drive well plug and you would never know the diffence.

Thanks for the feedback,

For me it was all about boat control. I can hover over a spot and give full effort to the task at hand. The trolling aspect alone was enough to convince me about Hobie. I generally troll with one rod. I like to hold the rod for feel/depth adjust and a great hook set. And when I troll I can wiggle the rod back and forth to avoid bits of weed etc. floating on the surface. I know my lure/bait is running clean because I'm watching it. I can take the exact trolling line on fast breaking shore to get the optimum depth. It allows pinpoint presentation. 

I have the Adventure and I can't say enough good things about it. It does what I need to catch fish. It's a little too big for the type of fishing I'm doing now (small water/weedy/enclosed areas) but it still works in these limiting areas. Sure, I wish the mirage drive had reverse. I pull out the paddle on occasion to back out of a tight spot/get the bow pointed in the right direction or thrash through heavy cover. I also realize I'm fishing water that is almost never touched (a general but HUGE kayak advantage). There is simply no way a regular boat could get into the stuff I'm fishing now.

When I round a main lake corner and face into the open water wind/waves I can feel confident trolling along. Even when I'm trolling with my broadside exposed, this kayak handles it well because of its very low wind profile and extra fins in the water to limit roll. It doesn't bounce or slap in the waves. It softly rises and falls with the water. I'm not fighting the boat - I'm fine tuning the rudder. It holds a line quite well with only minor side drift. The Adventure works great for what I want from a fishing platform. From open water trout to jungle bass fishing. Oh and the shear speed, well it cuts through open/rough water like a battleship when things get nasty. Speed makes me feel safer when the weather is changing for the worse. Just slide down deep in the seat and throw more coal into the boilers! 

No buyers remorse here. To the contrary, this rig was worth what I paid for it and then some. 
 

       

Thanks everyone for the input.  It is how I thought, those who have them love them and those who don't have a mirage drive want one.  Sound like I need to test drive one.  Also anyone know where the best deals are one the Hobie revo 13?

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=37770.0

Check the Classified section.

I call BS on the added weight.  My Revo 13 is WAAAAY lighter than my Tarpon 160 was.
But they are heavier than a scupper pro   

I have both the T13 and the Revo 13. Both have their purpose on the water. The Revo gets to go out more than the T13. Comes the not so friendly launch and landing though, the T13 is the kayak of choice. I know a few guys here also have both kayaks as well.

Jedmo

The Hobie is a superior fishing platform in most situations. Technical surf launches, river rapids, long portages and dense kelp reduce the Hobie advantages. As far as which model, it depends on what you are fishing for. The Revo is probably the best all around but doesn't really excel at anything. If you fish mainly salt, get the adventure. Mainly fresh get the Revo or Outback. Eventually you will end up with multiple yaks for different species so get something suited to the main species you currently fish.

I've been considering getting a used Adventure, are there big differences in the model years? What are the critical areas to inspect on a used Hobie? I'm not to familiar with Mirage Drive and where the stresses are distributed, TIA.

Buy a Hobie for the Pee Well