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rumor mill
http://www.hobie.com/au/en/forums/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=41996		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Thrashie [ Fri Apr 06, 2012 8:32 am ]
Post subject:  rumor mill
I hear rumors of a smaller pro angler is possibly in the works, supposedly in testing/awaiting feedback of reception.

any sort of confirmation?

new catalog is lookin sweet too.
Author:  Grampa Spey [ Sat Apr 07, 2012 8:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: There would be a market for a shorter/lighter Pro Angler
A shorter/lighter PA would have an instant market for users not into weight lifting, hernias, back injuries, other self inflicted sadistic endeavors lifting and toting their PAs, and getting a PA to and from the water.

Keep the H bar as an add on, have a place to store a Marine battery up front with built in wiring to power any electric stern motor and fish finders , we own or can buy locally. BassYaks could come up with a simple to add on motor mount for those of us with a BassYak electric motor. Have a 360 degree revolving fishing seat which can be folded down for travel or stand up fishing.

My next suggestion will be shot down, :roll: but allow the new PA to be ordered without a Mirage unit for those of us who own one or more Mirage units. If the Hobie people can't figure out the simple logistics for this endeavor, we can find a MBA candidate at Pepperdine to spend a hour to show them how this can be done efficiently and cost wise.

If Hobie is thinking about such a critter, I would be glad to test and compare one to my new Freedom Hawk/BassYak Pathfinder. :mrgreen:


Thrashie wrote:
I hear rumors of a smaller pro angler is possibly in the works, supposedly in testing/awaiting feedback of reception.

any sort of confirmation?

new catalog is lookin sweet too.
Author:  Tom Kirkman [ Sat Apr 07, 2012 8:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: rumor mill
You can make a smaller PA, but probably only at the expense of some of the very things that make the current model so desirable.
Author:  imd1 [ Sat Apr 07, 2012 11:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: rumor mill
I just saw a countertop brochure at my local dealer. It has a seat like the native watercraft seats only it has arm rests. It has a built in through hull transducer mount with cabling for a lowrance unit. And the tackle storage is now a flush mounted square twist and seal hatch with retractable tackle box slots. Looks like anawesome boat. I can only hope the new seat fits the full version.
Author:  sifisto [ Sat Apr 07, 2012 12:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: rumor mill
I totally agree with Tom.
Author:  Tom Kirkman [ Sat Apr 07, 2012 3:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: rumor mill
I do believe that as we move into the future most fishermen will gladly move towards craft that are more correctly termed "personal fishing craft" and away from what has traditionally been considered a "kayak." Let's face it - the traditional kayak is not necessarily the ideal fishing vehicle. The flexibility Hobie has with the Mirage Drive system will allow it to do things few other paddle-only boat makers can.
Author:  Grampa Spey [ Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: imd1 A question re your reply
Re your comments below:

Is what you saw a new Hobie and a future PA?

Thanks

imd1 wrote:
I just saw a countertop brochure at my local dealer. It has a seat like the native watercraft seats only it has arm rests. It has a built in through hull transducer mount with cabling for a lowrance unit. And the tackle storage is now a flush mounted square twist and seal hatch with retractable tackle box slots. Looks like anawesome boat. I can only hope the new seat fits the full version.
Author:  Shimanoman [ Wed Apr 11, 2012 9:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: rumor mill
I concur with sifisto and Tom. If that were the case, IMO, it would be a "rob Peter to pay Paul" situation with some of the benefits now enjoyed, lost.

Regards....
Author:  charlief [ Wed Apr 11, 2012 1:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: rumor mill
I think we can get a little blinded by the merits of a single model e.g. the Pro Angler. I have an Outback and think its just about perfect for what I do except for its poor manners into wind and waves. The Adventure owners seem to want something bigger. I am sure the Revo could do with a little tweaking to make a little more fish friendly - which is my reason for using Hobies fishing. So a slightly less bulky PA certainly has its attractions. I am in the market for a new Hobie at some stage in the next 12 months but if there is a sniff of something new in the air I am happy to wait.

Quote:
I do believe that as we move into the future most fishermen will gladly move towards craft that are more correctly termed "personal fishing craft" and away from what has traditionally been considered a "kayak." Let's face it - the traditional kayak is not necessarily the ideal fishing vehicle.


I agree 100% Tom and something that bridges the gap between the fishability of the Outback PA with good rough water handling and not too hard to launch away from ramps appeals to me - not asking for much am I :)

Being a member of this Forum certainly reminds us what a diverse bunch we are; from the Southern Flats fisher folk, the fresh water bass and trout brigade, Northern Calfornia open coast anglers, Hawai pelagic chasers and us down here in the Southern Ocean and everyone in between. We also have diverse needs in our craft - Hobie sure have their work cut out keeping us happy - they seem to do a pretty good job!
Author:  battousai [ Thu Apr 12, 2012 5:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: rumor mill
Man, I've been on the fence on ordering a PA for awhile now and glad I waited for more options. Its supposed to be announced on April 15th so lets see what the outcome will be for the smaller 12ft PA.
Author:  Grampa Spey [ Sat Apr 14, 2012 9:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: To others: Relax Hobie will not discontinue its current
If Hobie comes out with a smaller/lighter and easier to get on and off our vehicles and in and out of the water PA, Hobie will not dc its current PA.

Hobie will just be satisfying a demand for a smaller, shorter and lighter PA.

Years ago, a member of our church went into a wheelchair before it became the law to have wheelchair ramps. She died and left money earmarked only for a wheel chair ramp at our church. So we put in a ramp with a lot of detractors before law went in.

Now we have several members in wheelchairs using that ramp, including :shock: some who didn't want a ramp nor needed one when we put the ramp in.

There is probably a good market for a smaller PA. There is probably a market for a bigger and maybe tandem PA. If Hobie satisfies both demands, that doesn't make them a bad, dumb or evil company. It just means, it is listening to customers and potential customers.

charlief has an excellent message, and hopefully Hobie has been listening to users like him:

charlief wrote:
I think we can get a little blinded by the merits of a single model e.g. the Pro Angler. I have an Outback and think its just about perfect for what I do except for its poor manners into wind and waves. The Adventure owners seem to want something bigger. I am sure the Revo could do with a little tweaking to make a little more fish friendly - which is my reason for using Hobies fishing. So a slightly less bulky PA certainly has its attractions. I am in the market for a new Hobie at some stage in the next 12 months but if there is a sniff of something new in the air I am happy to wait.

Quote:
I do believe that as we move into the future most fishermen will gladly move towards craft that are more correctly termed "personal fishing craft" and away from what has traditionally been considered a "kayak." Let's face it - the traditional kayak is not necessarily the ideal fishing vehicle.


I agree 100% Tom and something that bridges the gap between the fishability of the Outback PA with good rough water handling and not too hard to launch away from ramps appeals to me - not asking for much am I :)

Being a member of this Forum certainly reminds us what a diverse bunch we are; from the Southern Flats fisher folk, the fresh water bass and trout brigade, Northern Calfornia open coast anglers, Hawai pelagic chasers and us down here in the Southern Ocean and everyone in between. We also have diverse needs in our craft - Hobie sure have their work cut out keeping us happy - they seem to do a pretty good job!
Author:  Tom Kirkman [ Sat Apr 14, 2012 3:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: rumor mill
To some extent, the 12 foot PA already exists - it's called an Outback.

But this goes back to my earlier statement about how companies may begin moving away from traditional kayak type craft and more towards lightweight, plastic personal fishing craft. I think such a trend is already developing with vehicles such as the PA and Mariner, where you're not dependent on having something that is easy to paddle.
Author:  Hutch [ Sat Apr 14, 2012 3:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: rumor mill
Here's what I heard today from a reliable source.....he only gave me alittle info, but at least it was some! The new PA will be in the 12ft range, with a max payload of 500lbs., instead of the current 600lbs. It will also be lighter, roughly 35-40 pounds lighter. The unique thing that he told me, was that this new PA will boast a different type of fishing rod storage, different than the current setup on the PA. He said that it will make it quicker, and easier to stow rods on the boat. What ever that means? I think the current setup is pretty easy as it is....the last thing he told me, and I don't know if this is true, is that the new PA will be the same price, as the current years model, and that every Hobie dealer will get 2 new PA's to start off with. He was told his 2 boats will be at the store by June 1st.....
Author:  SkiPro3 [ Sat Apr 14, 2012 6:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: rumor mill
Something tells me our 1st gen PA's are going to hold their value or maybe even increase in light of the 'new' PA. For me, I'd rather have a dedicated fishing platform like the PA and get a lighter kayak for other uses, than to compromise any aspect of the PA in order to get a 'one-kayak-fits-all' kayak.
Author:  Tom Kirkman [ Sat Apr 14, 2012 6:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: rumor mill
Hobie generally does good work with their boats. They do their homework. It'll be interesting to see what they've come up with.
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