Advice on which kayak to buy... - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

SteveHman · 03-10-2006, 10:36 AM

Dan,
I'm 6'4" 225 and have the Hobie. So far I'm very happy with it although it has a few shortcomings. First off, it doesn't track for shit with the rudder up and you're paddling. But Steve, why paddle when you have peddles? Well I'll tell you, the kelp plays hell with your drive system and rudder. If you are in the kelp (and you will be at sometime) you will need to pull your drive up and paddle through. Also the drive and rudder make surf entry and exit a bit more challenging. You can't really use the drive until you're through the surf.

The peddle drive works great and requires much less effort than paddling, but it's a bit slow--don't expect to be cruising past paddlers on sleeker hulls with nice paddles. My GPS has me averaging 3.5 knots most trips and I can maintain that speed comfortably for several hours (up to 17 miles on one Sunday).

The rear deck area is not conducive to mounting a milk crate, I’ve done it but it could be better. I will be checking the Kayatank booth at the Fred Hall show to see if they have a setup for the new Hobies yet. Then I will ditch my milk crate.

Rod storage is not feasible in the hull. The new models have a larger hatch up front, but you really can’t put your rods in there (maybe a 6’ light action?). But even if you could, you won’t be able to get them out while on the water—if you were smaller and lighter maybe, or if you have better balance than me, otherwise if you try to get up front to remove a rod from the front hatch be ready to go swimming.

And my last complaint is the seat, after a few hours you might as well be sitting on the plastic deck. I’m sure that is true of most factory seats. I’ll be buying an air seat at the Fred Hall Show.

Other than that I am happy and would buy another. My only decision would be Outback or Adventure. The outback is wide. Wide=stable. I have gone through some nasty surf and never cam close to going over. I have taken 4-5 foot waves broadside and stayed upright (wet but upright). The Adventure is supposed to be fast, I can’t wait to test drive one. That may be my next purchase and I can “give” the Outback to the wife :lol: .

I would test out as many as you can to see which fits your style. Go to the Fred Hall Show to get an idea of how you can rig it once you buy it. Good luck with your purchase.

Steve

03-10-2006, 10:36 AM	#2
SteveHman Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Diego Posts: 12	Dan, I'm 6'4" 225 and have the Hobie. So far I'm very happy with it although it has a few shortcomings. First off, it doesn't track for shit with the rudder up and you're paddling. But Steve, why paddle when you have peddles? Well I'll tell you, the kelp plays hell with your drive system and rudder. If you are in the kelp (and you will be at sometime) you will need to pull your drive up and paddle through. Also the drive and rudder make surf entry and exit a bit more challenging. You can't really use the drive until you're through the surf. The peddle drive works great and requires much less effort than paddling, but it's a bit slow--don't expect to be cruising past paddlers on sleeker hulls with nice paddles. My GPS has me averaging 3.5 knots most trips and I can maintain that speed comfortably for several hours (up to 17 miles on one Sunday). The rear deck area is not conducive to mounting a milk crate, I’ve done it but it could be better. I will be checking the Kayatank booth at the Fred Hall show to see if they have a setup for the new Hobies yet. Then I will ditch my milk crate. Rod storage is not feasible in the hull. The new models have a larger hatch up front, but you really can’t put your rods in there (maybe a 6’ light action?). But even if you could, you won’t be able to get them out while on the water—if you were smaller and lighter maybe, or if you have better balance than me, otherwise if you try to get up front to remove a rod from the front hatch be ready to go swimming. And my last complaint is the seat, after a few hours you might as well be sitting on the plastic deck. I’m sure that is true of most factory seats. I’ll be buying an air seat at the Fred Hall Show. Other than that I am happy and would buy another. My only decision would be Outback or Adventure. The outback is wide. Wide=stable. I have gone through some nasty surf and never cam close to going over. I have taken 4-5 foot waves broadside and stayed upright (wet but upright). The Adventure is supposed to be fast, I can’t wait to test drive one. That may be my next purchase and I can “give” the Outback to the wife :lol: . I would test out as many as you can to see which fits your style. Go to the Fred Hall Show to get an idea of how you can rig it once you buy it. Good luck with your purchase. Steve