Outfitter: Want feedback, critques, how to's on Solo use

My wife and I have an 2009 Oasis which is great for the two of us re touring, exercising and seeing the wildlife.

Even with two sturdy seniors, loading and unloading our Oasis from our Malone trailer to launch and recovery is really a two person task. We have gotten good at it. I would probably hurt myself if I tried it by myself. So our Oasis is too much for this old man to handle solo re loading and unloading.

This Oasis model is basically worthless for fishing without a lot of technical creativity/abilities to make add ons or even to attach them. It doesn't have any rod holders.

I have a Freedom Hawk 12 which is good on calm days in protected waters, and not a wise choice in winds, tidal impacts and long distances to and from the launch site. The Freedom Hawk 12 is very close to the Outfitter in length and weight. With minimal problems/effort, I can get my Freedom Hawk 12 into the bed of my Ridgeline with the load extender by myself. I will be taking the Outfitter to and from the launch areas in my Ridgeline Pickup using the load extender which is easier to use and faster than our Malone Sport Trailer used for our Oasis.


The best fishing sites in my area would involve at least a 1.5 mile trip to and back from the launch area in a tidal river. We have daily tidal impacts and wind on most days. This eliminates the Freedom Hawk. I had thought about a Scout, but Hobie cut the load limit to 200 lbs which will not work. Then, I thought about an Outback which will work. However, for a few more inches and pounds, I can have an Outfitter with a lot more on deck storage areas and fishing/handling capabilities versus the Outback.

This week, it was suggested to me to do some research on the use of the Outfitter for solo fishing use and with my Grandson age 10 now, in a couple of years. It appears that the Outfitter, used solo with correct ballast up front, is probably more stable than the Outback, wider and a better fishing platform with about the same speed and more room to haul gear around when going Solo.

There are a few good replies re use of the Outfitter solo.

I'm looking for more feedback and pictures re rigging.

If you own or have owned and Outfitter and have used it to Solo fish, please give me your pros and cons please post any pictures you might have or links to them.

Thanks

Dave

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2009 Oasis
2012 Freedom Hawk Pathfinder

I have an Outfitter - my mate has an Oasis - I wish I had got one of those instead becuase for my weight and height the Oasis would be a better bet. As it is, the Outfitter feels like it only just has enough buoyancy with me in the back & my better 3/4 in the front (and we are not particularly overweight - I am ~200lbs but I do not have clearance to receive the same info regarding t'wife) - when we both go out in it the back of the boat is well down in the water; when flying solo (rear seat) the stern is well down and the bow is well up.

One particular problem for me is that the rear drivewell in the Outfitter, where your heels travel as you pedal, is quite high compared with all the other Hobies we have been in. What this means is that for my foot size (UK 10-11) & leg length (I am 1.95m), my heels tend to bump the deck on pedalling when my feet are in a comfortable position on the pedals. Because of this I have to move my feet up the pedals to prevent the bumping but, of course, this makes the pedalling less comfortable and, since I am the main propulsion unit in the boat and frequently the only propulsion unit, it is not a terribly desirable feature of the boat for me.

The front passenger in the Outfitter tends to get very wet in any kind of waves/wind due to the bow shape splashing water outwards and upwards - which then gets blown back onto the front seat passenger. I can't comment on whether this is typical of the Oasis too, but it is very noticeable when comparing travel in the Outfitter over travel in an Outback or Adventure.

The latest Oasis has 2 tillers and some (not sure exactly how many but I think at least 2) rod holders.

Thanks your your feedback.

If I converted your metric height correctly, your height in feet is 6.40 feet.

I'm 5'9" on a good day and about 5'8", so our fit would be different.

We own a 2009 Oasis which is a grea Yak for sight seeing, critter watching, and dual fun on the water. It is fast on the water with the two of us and with the AMAs very sturdy. Since I used the Internet to find out how to adjust the rudder, it handles great. We can basically do a 180 or 360 with the front Mirage acting as a pivot point.

My two problems with the Oasis for single use and fishing are:

1. Its length and weight empty are too much for me to handle by myself. I have no problem getting my 12'3" Freedom Hawk out of its storage spot in our carport shed and up on the bed of my Ridgeline pickup with my load extender.
Then taking it off the truck and getting it back into the shed is no problem. I can't do that with the Oasis.

2. Hobie with the older Oasis models, pre 2011 didn't make them very useful for fishing out of the box. They are great for what I noted above.

Last November for my birthday, I got a two hour trip up our local river with a guide. She had her Ouback and I had my Freedom 12. I could load and unload her Outback on and off her trailer easier than my Freedom 12, which was no problem. So I should be able to load and unload a Outfitter.

I appreciate your comments about the front passenger getting wet and the load limits re the Outfitter. That was one of the reasons we went with the Oasis for our dual needs. Even with fairly high waves, my wife seldom gets water on her while in the front of our Oasis.

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2009 Oasis
2012 Freedom Hawk Pathfinder

Erratum: I am about 6'2"

I have a bad back & load all my kayaks in 2 stages:
1. lift one end of the kayak up onto the back of the car (its a station wagon. I protect the rear roof with a thick rug) leave the kayak there resting on the car. If loading from concrete/asphalt I put a bit of bubble wrap unded the other end of the kayak to avoid it getting scuffed on the floor during this manoeuvre.
2. go to the other end, lift this end up and slide the yak forwards into the kayak cradles. (I use Thule or similar rubber cradles - I cover the rear set with the other end of the rug so that the kayak will slide forward easily rather than being gripped by the rubber)

...then all you have to do is remove the rug & strap the kayak down.

This works for Outfitter, Adventure & AI - and usually I am loading at least one boat that is much heavier being full of kayak kit such as clothing, fishing rods, PFDs etc etc. No reason why it shouldn't work for an Oasis.

Grampa,

I bought one Outfitter, then a year later when I was looking for another boat to increase my fleet size, I considered an Oasis but bought another Outfitter.

Why...?

The first summer I owned it, I logged over 250 miles in my original Outfitter. The above criticisms regarding water spray, lower top-end speed and bow-up profile when only carrying one person etc are quite correct. However, I felt that these cons were outweighed by the pros...

Length: Because of its relatively short length, I can load an Outfitter onto my tow-car and it will not hit the back of my RV in a tight turn. I can load in into the bed of my pickup and have less of the boat hanging out of the bed than what is inside. I store both boats, one on top of each other, in the garage without taking up too much floor space.

Speed and a high bow: By storing equipment (excess water, food, tent, chair, folding beach chair, emergency supplies and tools) in the front, the bow will sink to a much lower level and a reasonably good top speed can be achieved. I can, and have, maintained a steady 4mph over currentless flatwater for many hours at a time without strain. I do have turbo fins, though. Also note, I have enough deck space to be able strap a full size Coleman cooler in the front seat. The cooler is where alot of my loose gear goes that I can't afford to get wet, like my binoculars, wallet, and any books I might bring. I crisscross two bungees through the handles and across the lid and attach them to the padeyes to keep to completely secured to the boat.

Spray: I love the water. Spray doesn't bother me.

I've still toyed with the idea of selling off my older Outfitter and purchasing an Oasis, but I am in no particular hurry to do so.

Keith