why you chose Hobie

asking owners  of all brands the same question : why you chose the kayak you did.... I demo`d  a Revo 13 (pedal)  and a paddle Quest(?) cant remember the model,,anyway both were comfortable and moved well..but i want to know from you ... i`m demoing other makes and models as well    Thanks

It happened at GS-6, Shelter Cove.  There was a very fast drift and it was difficult to stay on top of pinnacles in my Ocean Kayak.  But the guys in Hobies were able to hold position over the pinnacles with occasional kicks of their Mirage Drives, and they were clobbering the fish.  That was the day I was convinced the next kayak I'd buy would be a Hobie.

It's been a little over a year since I bought my Hobie Revo 13, and I've been very happy with it.  You can do things with a Hobie that you can't do with a traditional paddle kayak: not only hold some kind of position in the wind/current while fishing, but also employ 'ripping' when trolling, and tying rigs while traveling to the fishing grounds.  The boat has its drawbacks of course: it's heavy, doesn't track well when paddling, and is ill-suited for really shallow waters and kelp forests.  But in those situations, I use my Ocean Kayak  .

...You can do things with a Hobie that you can't do with a traditional paddle kayak: not only hold some kind of position in the wind/current while fishing, but also employ 'ripping' when trolling, and tying rigs while traveling to the fishing grounds.  The boat has its drawbacks of course: it's heavy, doesn't track well when paddling, and is ill-suited for really shallow waters and kelp forests.  But in those situations, I use my Ocean Kayak  .

The Hobie is perfect for trolling or long commutes to the fishing grounds but like Claymen said, is heavy and expensive.  Hobies also have less room for gear as the Mirage Drive occupies the majority of the frontal space. The T-13 is perfectly suited for surf launches and landings.  It will handle rough water better than the Adventure and features the rod pod for stashing gear if a crash is likely. Also the Transducer mount is a fantastic feature not found on Hobies.. 

 Ideally you need both.  I have an Adventure and a T13. I started with the T13 because it is more versatile and less expensive.  After two seasons I saved enough for an Adventure.  Now Im saving for the Island kit.

Ninety eight percent of the time I use a kayak it is to fish rock fish and salmon in the ocean. I brought the Adventure for the long narrow hull. It is fast, easy to pedal and if need be paddles decently. It does exceptionally well going into wind and wave chop offshore. It can feel twitchy with waves coming from behind the stern but has good secondary stability. Surf landings get the heartbeat up as a straight up the beach landing in a surge is difficult to do. Best bet is a paddle brace and ride the final surge sideways. As previously mentioned the rudder and flippers are not fond of kelp but I like deeper water for fishing so the paddle suffices for getting through thick summer kelp that abound in a few of the cove launches around Ft Ross.

Wind factor. Also, it's great when bass fishing when chucking lures over and over. Your hands are free most of the time. When I used to paddle, I could barely cartop my T13 at the end of the day from bass fishing and paddling. With my Hobie, plenty of strength left.

I primarily bass fish with a big concentration on tournament fishing.  I grew up boat fishing tournaments so when I transitioned to kayaks I chose a Hobie Pro Angler to give me some of the same advantages that my old bass boats did.  I have tons of gear storage in the front hatch, center hatch, and can put just about anything on the back deck.  I have horizontal rod storage for six rods with verticle rod holders for two more (although I never put rods in these).  Not to mention the stability that the Pro Angler offers me for standing while pitching jigs or flipping heavy grass.  Then there is the Mirage Drive.  Hands free fishing is just hard to beat and the range I get for traveling is unbelievable.  I often log around 10 miles during a full day of fishing and there's no fatigue!

I have had the revo and AI. I have also had the T13 and a scrambler....

Why Hobie:
-I am a slow paddler. I have done a 13+ mile day in the revo. Unthinkable in a paddle yak for me.
-Hands free - that's a two part answer.
 1. Free hands means you can fish/cast/troll more (or its simpler)
 2. I found I was able to eat and drink more....Seems dumb but when you paddle your hands are occupied. You get the the spot you want to fish and you say...."I will eat or drink later" (which never happens). With you hands free you can stay fueled and hydrated as you move to you new spot

Why Not?
- Cost (for some)
- Heavy overall the boat has a thicker hull, etc that ads some pounds. Really only an issue when loading on high racks.
- Beach landings (no real rod storage and the drive mean you have one more thing to deal with as you come in).
- No quick "reverse" takes a bit of planning for bass fishing when you get to your spot

I chose my Hobie Outback because it was supposed to be a stable platform. Well after my first two episodes of falling it the drink, that was a dumb reason to buy one. I eventually got better at balance and now love it. I have plenty of room and am very comfortable toodling around in it.
The hands free feature is great, but it is one heavy kayak.

I have a Revo-13 and an OK, actually purchased the Hobie first, but on those occasions when fishing smaller lakes, rivers found I was spending too much time figuring out how I was going to reverse or avoid catching pedals on tree limbs, stumps etc. 

On open water, in currents, fast tides, wind, swell always the Hobie, easier to stay in one spot for hands free fishing.

OK might have not been the right choice for smaller lakes etc. but I also occasionally brought along a guest to fish the Chesapeake Bay which is where I started plus I got a really good deal on it.

I haven't been on the water in a very long time just to "kayak" all about the fishing for me.

I am now looking at a Jackson, depends on if my wife complains about three kayaks in the garage.

I chose my Pro Angler because of the sheer amenities it has. More than enough rod storage, unbelievably comfortable seat, I enjoy being able to load this thing down with up to another 400lbs of gear on top of my weight of 195lbs for camping around a lake for a week, I love that I can buy new attachment boards for different rigging setups as well, The ability to stand with ease is a big time feature I enjoy a lot. I looked at the Pro Angler kind of as the 2002 toyota tacoma of the kayak world...It is great overall, even though it may have a fault here or there, but the aftermarket for them will be around FOREVER... This kayak will last me a looooooong time as long as I take care of it with general stuff.

WHAT I SHOULD HAVE CHECKED INTO BEFORE I GOT IT-
 Weight
Transportation
 
Both of those issues are on their way to being fixed. They kind of feed off of each other. The weight doesn't bother me so much before I fish, It is usually the loading and unloading after a fishing trip that makes me choose my trips more wisely. I have a trailer I am working on refinishing and I will make a thread on that so others can see how to deal with it all.

I chose Hobie because it was the best to fit my fishing style. 

You should always pick the kayak you want after paddling them and considering the type of fishing that you do.  I never say that Hobies are the absolute best kayaks (except to annoy Craig) for all purposes. 

Thing is that you should try to test ride them and feel comfortable in them.  Demo, Demo, Demo is what everyone says, and its true.  One thing that's true is what splashdown said - you can always learn stability but you can't learn a better kayak.

I had no clue starting out. I just wanted to get to fishing spots I couldn't reach from shore.

Stumbled onto Hobie (the sail boat people) and instantly fell in love with the mirage drive kayaks. It was a miracle for trolling applications and boat control. I knew I had to have it.

Saw the Adventure/Adventure Island. Saw how skinny it was. Saw how fast it was too. Read advice about NOT buying a kayak just for stability. Excellent advice. I learned on the Adventure and within a couple of hours I was so glad I went with the fast boat.

The Adventure Island platform had it all for me. Speed. Distance. Big water potential. Stability. Several boat variations depending on water and species targeted. The sailing is another added bonus indeed. Lots of fun and adrenaline rush at the same time. I probably run 80-90% of the time with just the kayak. It works great for my crappie/smallmouth focus and the needed ability to get to distant spots.

Very happy with my purchase.   

 

It happened at GS-6, Shelter Cove.  There was a very fast drift and it was difficult to stay on top of pinnacles in my Ocean Kayak.  But the guys in Hobies were able to hold position over the pinnacles with occasional kicks of their Mirage Drives, and they were clobbering the fish.  That was the day I was convinced the next kayak I'd buy would be a Hobie.

It's been a little over a year since I bought my Hobie Revo 13, and I've been very happy with it.  You can do things with a Hobie that you can't do with a traditional paddle kayak: not only hold some kind of position in the wind/current while fishing, but also employ 'ripping' when trolling, and tying rigs while traveling to the fishing grounds.  The boat has its drawbacks of course: it's heavy, doesn't track well when paddling, and is ill-suited for really shallow waters and kelp forests.  But in those situations, I use my Ocean Kayak  .

By this time, if your a paddler you should be thinking about coming in.  But I agree with Clayman.

The ability to hover.

After paddling for years, and owning like 10 kayaks, I decided it was time to try a Hobie.
My epiphany came while I struggled hard to get back to MBK from the Seaside area...it was super windy, blowing right in my face, and the swell was coming across from the side...I was exhausted and hella-thirsty, but I knew that if I stopped to drink some water, I'd lose precious ground. Stopped paddling to chug some water when I saw Al casually pedal right past me as I drifted backwards...and not only was he still trolling but he was eating a goddamned sandwich!

Now I own a Hobie and a few paddle yaks. So I use whichever one is going to be best for that particular day. But if you told me 6yrs ago that I'd own both a Hobie AND a paddle yak, I woulda laughed my ass off...because it just seemed unrealistic or unnecessary...but that's how the Madness works! ...you find ways to justify your wants...and turn them into needs hahaha!