Tried one out at the Kayak festival yesterday and bought one today.
Took it to the Riverside Terrace landing at aroudn 4:30 and tried it out, fantastic kayak. I went toward the Stono for a bit, and then turned and realized tide does book through the Wapoo cut in those narrow parts, luckily the Revolution let me power back up.
Great kayak, took it all the way up to the Wapoo landing at the bridge and then back down for about 1.5 hours total, mostly pedal power.
Now just to get some fishing gear and my afternoons are gone. Let me know if anyone wants to tag along sometime or needs a partner. I carry a handheld vhf with me for just in cases.
Plus now that im loving the kayak life, im more than happy to play shepard sometime with my 22’ powerboat as a safety tagalong.
Welcome to the world of kayak pedaling. :smiley: I've been fishing a Hobie Outback for about 2 years and love it. You just can't beat "hands free" for fishing. Have fun!
~OC~
I totally forgot about the Kayak Festival:angry: I was going to go because I am thinking of getting a yak again and wanted to try the revolution, adventure and the Ride 135 all at once. DANG IT!
Anyway, I am glad you were able to try it out and get something that you like. I live the Hobies. I think there craftmanship is superior,besides a few issues they were having with their hull. THat was due to the new mirager system but I believe they have fixed all of those issues. Now just get yourself some turbo fins and you will fly!
“Plan like you will live forever but live like you will die tomorrow.”
I have a Hobie Outback the Hank Parker model. I love it as well!! I have 4 molded in rod holders on mine! Its wider so I lose some speed but I gain stability. Hands free kayaking is great!
Was out on the creek at he James Island County Park just testing out fishing using a cheap shakespear tiger rod, 12lb test, and a gulp shrimp on a jig head. Small little thing, but was great to do!
Ya know hands free paddlin is for sissy’s… a real paddle fisher uses that paddle and leaves the peddling for bicycles I have heard a lot of bad stuff about those hobie’s… Atre y’alls boats new or used and if they are used hwo are they holding up? I like getting into the real skinny water and the flats so the mirage drive is out for me… keeps you in too deep a water
Mine is new, doing well so far, think im going to upgrade to the ST Turbo fins which are longer but let you go faster when you need to (for fighting that ■■■■ tidal current in the Wapoo cut or Elliots cut).
As far as shallow water, we can do that too, just either whip out the paddle and paddle or you can also do shallow flutter strokes that work very well. When you push one peddle all the way forward, the fins fold up against the side of the boat, so just do short strokes with the peddles and you can still move with them in shallow water, or again, paddle.
Ya know hands free paddlin is for sissy’s… a real paddle fisher uses that paddle and leaves the peddling for bicycles I have heard a lot of bad stuff about those hobie’s… Atre y’alls boats new or used and if they are used hwo are they holding up? I like getting into the real skinny water and the flats so the mirage drive is out for me… keeps you in too deep a water
Paddle faster boys… I hear banjo music!
Nikonjedi,
I've done a couple of trips in the Hobie Mirage Classic since I picked it up 2 weeks ago. There are compromises in any boat, but I WOULD NOT try to use the mirage at Bushy at low tide. No Way, No shape, No how.....just wouldn't do it.
Now for the positive... Sunday before last, going against an incoming tide, 20 mpg wind dead in my face. I was gently pedaling along, fishing the whole time. That was fun. If I picked a point where I wanted to hold steady I would switch to pedal, wait, two, three, four. pedal. wait, two, three, four
If I wanted to stay longer, then I'd drop anchor.
The mirage drive is built pretty robust. Someone would have to try hard to break it.
I still say you can take a Revolution in anywhere you can take a regular SOT kayak. It paddles really well, much better than the Outback which is wider and has a higher freeboard.
You can take the hobie kayaks anywhere other kayaks can go. It takes less than 30 seconds to take out the drive system and put in the hole cover. When your back in deeper water it goes right back in and i will already have my beer back at the landing while your still paddling.
You can take the hobie kayaks anywhere other kayaks can go. It takes less than 30 seconds to take out the drive system and put in the hole cover. When your back in deeper water it goes right back in and i will already have my beer back at the landing while your still paddling.
Don’t even bother with the plug, just pull the drive and start paddling.
I mentioned Bushy at low tide intentionally. There is a huge pluff mud flat with about 4"-6" of water. You’d need to pull the mirage drive before you come around the corner out of the Cooper. Otherwise you’ll bottom out real quick.
Why pull it, just push one pedal full stop and that puts the fins against the side of the boat. Hook the lanyard over it in that position and your now shallow. If it still is too much you can pull the rudder too and do some shallow water paddling
Why pull it, just push one pedal full stop and that puts the fins against the side of the boat. Hook the lanyard over it in that position and your now shallow. If it still is too much you can pull the rudder too and do some shallow water paddling
Take a look at your revo with the mirage drive installed. The drive system extends about 3 inches beneath the bottom with the fins flat against the bottom of my Mirage Classic.
Add me and my fishing gear and I'm at about 8 inches total draft. That has me beached on the mud at Bushy Park.
Don’t get me wrong. I like the mirage drive, but you give up the skinniest water with the drive in place.
“i will already have my beer back at the landing while your still paddling” – lost at sea
What makes you think I won;t have a ber while fishin I am glad to hear y’all like those boats… In my opinion all yaks are kick ass and the only way to fish I was just curious about the ruggedness of them…
I have been thinking about a new Yak and been considering a Hobie. Thinking about the Rev but might consider the OutB, has anyone tried both and if so what do you think?
What is chiefly needed is skill rather than machinery.
Tried out sailing my Revo yesterday. Been a long time so I put on too much sail at one point and forgot about leaning due to the kayak and got to try out deep water reentry skills, heh.
S1t,
Tried both this weekend. The outback is 1/2 foot shorter but about 5 inches wider than the Revo. It is more stable, but a little slower to turn. It is more the fishing platform for sure, but if you plan to do distance go with the Revo which is a hybrid between the Outback and the Adventure.
Also bear in mind that when using peddle and rudder you’re not going to turn tight circles. If you need to turn really tight, whip out the paddle and use some paddlin’ skills.
Tried out sailing my Revo yesterday. Been a long time so I put on too much sail at one point and forgot about leaning due to the kayak and got to try out deep water reentry skills, heh.
How well does the Hobie sail? I think the fins would make a decent centerboard. Can you run to windward, or is it primarily downwind sailing?
It sails well enough. It is a kayak at heart, but it is also a Hobie.
I need to get the ST Turbo fins to act as more centerboard (they are a litte longer than the standard fins) and the sailing rudder.
I was getting some lateral drift in strong winds upwind but rudder countered for it. Plus, if needed, you can always kick in with peddles as well. Makes it a true breeze to get our of irons <grin> nothing like cheating.
So it sails, and its fun, but without a boom it safer but a little trickier, plus you have to remember that its still a kayak and shift your body weight when going upwind especially.
I got the sail cause one of the dealers at the festival gave me a deal of 300 for it and the pneumatic tire cart (normally would be 420 total).
The true sailor of the bobie kayak family is the adventure island package. its the adventure mirage kayak (16 foot, fast but not as good in tight spaces) with two outriggers. The thing will get up to 19-20 knots and needs a good 12 foot wave to flip it. Of course it runs like 3500 vice 1649 for the Revo/outback.
I have heard a lot of bad stuff about those hobie’s… Atre y’alls boats new or used and if they are used hwo are they holding up? I like getting into the real skinny water and the flats so the mirage drive is out for me… keeps you in too deep a water 