My 2015 PA12 is the first Hobie I have owned, so it's not fair for me to compare it to older models, but one thing that really shines and I can now say thanks Hobie, is the new H-Rail bars. I didn't really pay them much attention when I chose the PA12. They looked like a nice feature and I ordered 3 universal mounting plates and the Ram ball mount for my Lowrance sonar. I figured I'd mount 2 Scotty baitcast holders and a Zig Zag cleat to the Universal plates. I knew the boat came with 2 rod racks and a drink holder. Obviously the system looked versatile, but I honestly didn't realize just how much I'd take advantage of these bars. I figured I'd put one rod holder on each side and forget about it. I was wrong. I constantly move them around depending on what species I'm fishing for. If I'm not trolling, I like to move them all the way to the rear where I can use them to store 2 more rods pointed backwards in the vertical position. I don't like to have rods stored horizontally while I'm casting.
Making the rear grab bar an H-Rail was a great choice also. I normally keep my Zig Zag cleat on the Universal mount back there. I use it to tow my kids in an inflatable kayak while trolling. I also drilled a hole in the plate so I could clip on my red flag when hauling the PA in the bed of my truck. I can move the cleat anywhere on the H-rail system I need to with ease. I normally keep the rod racks attached inside the boat on each side and use them in conjunction with the rod tubes, but I found there's times when I move them both to one side and attach them on the outside slightly angled down from the horizontal position. This has been great for bass fishing and gives me 7 horizontal places to store rods, plus 2 more if I use the Scotty rod holders as mentioned above. This configuration has worked great for my longer bass rods I sometimes use. I'm thinking that I just may fork out 30 bucks and buy two more rod racks and just keep them out on the side all the time. It's really handy to quickly lay a rod down in the racks on the outside while changing bait or unhooking a fish.
The Ram ball was another great choice and gives mounting the sonar a clean a versatile look. I don't move it much, but having the ability to put it anywhere on the H-Rail made it so I could attach it in the most ideal position for me and my long arms. Last but not least, these bars are well made and feel solid, though I know they're hollow. I use them all the time as grab bars while moving around inside the boat, especially when standing up or sitting down. From what I can see, the addition of the H-Rail has been a giant leap in the evolution of the PA series. I don't think many of the 2015 reviews have given enough credit to how handy this new system is. Nice job to the Hobie engineers who came up with this one.
I do have one overall complaint about my new 2015 PA12... The amount of dust that's collecting on my Nitro bass boat while sitting idle in my garage.
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