Need advise

Once

Hobie mirage kayaks come with a well plug and a paddle. Just insert plug into the drive well grab your paddle keep rudder up until out of the kelp. One out insert drive and wave goodbye.

Anthony

+1  You don't even need the plug.  I paddled the Outback through kelp beds with the mirrage drive pulled out and no plug many times without problem.

The PA is good, but it is heavy to lift and slow. Gonna need a trailer or clone yourself.   When we go out fishing the other yaks,  hobies and the other guys are catching fish while the PA is still heading out to the fishing grounds. 

The revo is a good yak.   I have yet to roll it in the ocean. 

Like the others, I would demo the ones I am interested in.  CCk in Jack London Square has a good program so you can take different yaks out before you buy.  They also have good sales and demos for sale.Good Luck.

If you want to paddle I would try a Jackson. The seat looks soooo cumphy and from what I've heard tracks well. Rockroach........

Anthony

The PA is an awesome machine, but I would defiantly say demo one first. Try putting the cart under it, wheeling it around, loading it, then get on the water. I would also look at a Jackson cuda. Personally I like Jackson's and mailbu's a lot better than any Ocean Kayak I've ever paddled. I know others will disagree. In closing, demo, demo, demo!

Thanks for all the input, the pa14 does look big and heavy.

I'm just really torn mostly between paddle and peddle, I'm sure that's a common one.

Which is more suited to big water? I would like to use it in the delta (rio vista) and the bay (Berkeley-oyster point). Sometimes it's yet windy and choppy.

Not being a smart ass but Hobie's have pedals.  Peddle is to sell something.

You might want to consider the Hobie Adventure. Big water is exactly what it is designed for. It is a touring kayak. Low wind resistance. Cuts through the water and fast as hell. Trolls like a dream. Probably one of the best kayaks in following seas as well. That 16 foot length is an asset when things get nasty out there.

The one negative is surf launches/returns. I haven't done it but it might not be pretty (at least in theory).

Maybe other Adventure owners can weigh in with a different opinion on beach launches etc.

You might be better suited for the paddle. Only You can answer that. Try them both. The other guys are right, might be best to have both types of kayaks.

Here is a video showing the Adventure in bad conditions. I wouldn't want to be way out there in building big waves in ANY kayak. The conditions may get so bad that you can't expose your broadside unless you time the turn perfectly. And the following seas could get so big that you end up torpedoing down the hills of the waves. With that being said, I still like how the Adventure handles the wind and rougher/choppier water.   








 

Dude that vid was sick.if I had the money and was doing salt fishing that vid wouldve sold me.

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My only kayak has been the PA 14'. It's arguably not even a kayak, at least to many purists, and I respect that notion. Whatever you want to call it, its a killer fishing platform. You can stand up and fish (though I wouldn't try it in ocean swells unless I wanted to take a quick dip and cool off) and can rig to your hearts content. I dont think they're slow at all....of course I have never been in another kayak. I can cruise at 2mph all day which is the perfect trolling speed. Why do you need to go faster then that? My max speed according to my Lowrance GPS is 6mph and I can keep this speed for 1-2 minutes tops (think beach launch and getting out between waves as fast as you can). I can go 4mph for about an hour (If I'm fresh), anything less is pretty sustainable all day long with a few breaks in between...2mph is like walking and can be maintained constantly all day (I've spent a few 10 hour days with no problem...this isnt an exaggeration)

I could be wrong, but I think there is a conservation of energy in a hobie mirage drive kayak over a conventional kayak. If you watch a paddled kayak in the water (although the effect is reduced with a rudder) you get lateral slip to the left and right with each stroke opposite your paddle...this might not seem like allot, but it adds up over a day. your zig-zagging every stroke (at least a little). This isn't the case with a mirage drive. You need to stay on the rudder, but while on the rudder your straight as an arrow forward and nothing is wasted in your forward effort. Thats a huge savings in energy over 10 hours. You can turn on a dime too, although going backwards is an issue...

Not that I'm throwing down the gauntlet, but I'm sure I can outlast any paddled kayak as far as time on the water...well at least I could against myself. This might actually be an advantage to those looking for an awesome core workout in a paddled kayak...this has to be great for torso strength, ab strength, and killer upper body strength for sure. I'll be hitting the lake a few times this summer without the mirage drive to build some upper body strength and dexterity with a paddle...a good skill to have, but one I currently lack.

The PA14 hull is one fat bitch bulldozing through the water though, not a stream-lined race kayak. The PA 14' is 38" at beam. No where near the efficient slim design of many other yaks, but with that beam comes stability (the 150lb weight doesnt hurt either). This thing has 6" gunwales which means a lot dryer ride and less splash getting to you. 38" provides plenty of room and storage galore. The vantage seating is a dream with adjustable lumbar (and this matters for my old ass back) and can be set at two different heights. The back is adjustable forward and back to recline and the seat is adjustable for tilt...its bad ass and probably the biggest reason I can stay on the water for so long.

I love the PA14 and thank my wife every time I come home from fishing. I think I saved lots of money in the long run by not going cheaper and upgrading from one kayak to another over time as I know this is the kayak/boat I would have ending up with in the end (although I do want another kayak or two (a Jackson and an AI would fit into my barn nicely right next to my PA!!!). I held off and saved pennies...took me a year until I pulled the trigger. But if it would have taken longer, I for sure would have jumped into a cheaper and different kayak...its important to get out and start living instead of day dreaming about it all the time.

That said, I agree with previous posts and think you should jump into as many different kayaks as you can (demo, demo, demo) before you make your decision. GS7 would be the place to go...200 kayaks in one place at one time...wow! And your totally welcome to try out my PA14 if you show up.

-Murf

that video was great. I got caught out of Leffingwell landing once and was almost as bad. But I had the wind at my back and didn't take so much over the bow Prowler 15.

Prowler 15.

 

Paddle a Trident 13 or 15 before you buy. A proven salt craft that wont have you taking slop over the deck and in your lap. The rod pod feature is very nice to have. If you want to pedal. Cant help you. Good Luck!!

The original Prowler. It was made as a 15 foot kayak. IMO is the perfect paddling/fishing kayak.
The Hobie Revolution is an all around fishing machine. Fast enough, stable enough, maneuverable enough.
I've had over a dozen different kayaks including the P15 and P13.
Currently down to just the Revo and Adventure. Both have their merits, but for me, the all around kayak is the Revo.

 

Not that I'm throwing down the gauntlet, but I'm sure I can outlast any paddled kayak as far as time on the water...

That is a bet you better not make around here. If you do want to place a bet, I'm in.  Anywhere you want. I could use a little extra cash.