Hobie revo or hobie adventure... that is the question.

Hello,
i'm new here, i'm a french fisherman from the west of France ( from "la Bretagne") i fish fish seabass in both atlantic ocean and the chanel sea, with my kayak of course ...
my kayak is getting old and i would like to buy a new and i've discover hobie kayak.
there are 2 models i'm interested in : revo and adventure.
i have a few questions and would like your advise so you're welcome.
1° first, are the hobie revo and adventure really faster than classical SOT ?
2° how do they behave when paddleing (not peddaling)?
3° i've read that the adventure is not very stable for fishing is it true?
4° i'm 1m75 so would i fit the adventure ( i mean would i reach the pedals?)

well i think that's make many question (i've a few more), so i will ask later,
thank you in advance

Either will suit you well. For the open ocean, the Adventure is recommended over the Revo mostly because its just a bit faster (longer range) and argueably handles chop a bit better (but wetter). Can't go wrong with either though. Revo is prob most popular for any kind of fishing situation.

1. Its all relative. They are pretty fast compared to other fishing style SOT kayaks. They aren't going to beat out a fiberglass hull slim 16' all the time but those yaks are built for a different purpose usually. It really all depends on you as a paddler. Personally, I am much faster pedaling an Adventure than paddling it. I don't have all the proper stroke techniques etc (this is my first yak), but if you are an experienced paddler, you may find other yaks slightly faster.

2. Adventure paddles better than Revo due to smaller width and longer length. It tracks better too as the Revo must have the rudder down to avoid going all over the place. I can't intelligently compare them to other yaks but I have both an Adventure and Revo so I know the differences in those two.

3. I only fish 'flat water', ie smallish lakes and streams where chop rarely is higher than 1 ft. To me, the Adventure seems just as stable as the Revo. In rougher water, I do not know. They are both quite stable though. You can hang your feet off of the side and fish. I can do hard hooksets across the bow and never feel unstable at all. As a current kayaker, I do not think you would feel tippy in the Adventure. Its only uneasy for the first few times (as with any new yak) and then you are used to it and totally comfortable.

4. Wrong units pal. No one seems to have much trouble. The pedals have 7 different settings and the seat has two settings. I'm 6'2" and fit fine and even kids can get in and set it up so they can reach the pedals. You should not have a problem in either yak.

thank you for your answer.
i knew this forum was the best place to get information about the hobie
well, now i'm quiet sure that i would prefer the adventure according to your answers.
i find the revo is a bit short comparing to my old kayak wich is 4m70.
some say that the adventure is too heavy to be easyly carried comparing to the revo, do you have to be an Hercule to carry it? i know i can handle more than the adventure weight but may its lenght and profile make it difficult to carry alone.

Bonjour Rico and welcome to the forum. TDRILL gave an excellent assessment and I could add nothing to it.

Regarding handling, the small difference in weight is not really noticeable, but the 7 inch (18 cm) difference in girth is quite apparent. The Adventure is much easier to reach around and flip, and carries just as easily as the Revolution, using the drivewell as a "handle":





I have several friends who enjoy fishing with their Adventures, and am sure you will find it much to your liking.

merci Roadrunner,
is it the adventure you're holding on the picture?
because i didn't imagine it was so large .
bynow i 've a SOT for fishing and my prefered position is to leave one leg on each side of the kayak, i put a piece of foam on the seat to be higher and as i'm higher and my SOT is narrow it's less stable but much more comfortable for fishing, i guess i could do the same with the adventure or fishing with legs on the same side.
i've read that you sit a little bit higher on the adventure than on the revo, is it true?

Yes that is an Adventure he is holding. It is a lot of yak. Stripped down, you can move it around, but it is rather cumbersome. I tend to just bring it down from the roof rack and then use the cart wheels to move it around. No need to stress my back or anything trying to man handle it. Its not light, but its not much heavier than any other yak of similar length and material.

The Adventure actually sits a bit lower in the water than the Revo, but I don't really feel that much difference. I guess I don't really see the benefits of getting up another inch or so with foam. You will be low to the water in a yak no matter what. ~shrugs~

In the second picture the kayak looks larger because it's in the camera's foreground. Personally, I think it's rather sleek. I also put my feet over the sides sometimes to cool them down -- no problem. We're about the same height.

If you have a chance to take one for a demonstration ride that would be best, but I gather though you must have to order one sight unseen. Hopefully, you at least have the dimensions there to compare?

If you like hands-free fishing and/or you like bicycling, you're going to love the Mirage Drive. I don't think you can go wrong with the Adventure. Let us know what happens!

well, i'm not a real fan of bicycle, but i will make an exception for kayaking .
now that i'm quiet conviced that adventure would be the best for me, i just have to choose color.
in term of security, i think i should choose orange but it may be not be the best for fishing (too flashy???) , so i think i will choose ivory dune, is it a good choice.
one last thing, is it really difficult to reach frnt storage place on the adventure?

The front storage area on the revo/adventure isnt too hard to get to. On the adventure you have to be a little more careful since it is a little bit more tippy than the revo.

You can also install the Sidekick ama's and then dance a jig on the thing if you wanted.

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2007 Hobie Revolution

Color really shouldn't frighten any fish, even if you were fishing flats. Get a color that will be seen more easily by other larger boats out there. Yellow and orange are good and bright and the red is pretty good too.

Front hatch on the Adventure is tougher to get to than on the Revo as its a bit farther away / farther forward, but I rarely have to get anything from it while on the water. Either way, you just shimmy forward and get it.

If you are only going to fish open ocean water, it may not matter, but if you are ever going to fish lakes or smaller water, I suggest you order a sailing rudder with your new Adventure. All of the Hobie yaks turn at least twice as hard with the addition of the sailing rudder. For me it was a necessity, but I fish smallish lakes and on the Erie canal (narrow).

Yes, for most of us, access to the front Adventure hatch from the water is difficult or impossible without removing the Drive first. The Revolution (shown here) is quite accessible though:


I don't know if fish can see color or not, especially looking into the sun, or if it matters. I say please yourself then you can blame the color if the fishing is bad!

For accessories, I agree with TDRILL that the sailing rudder is excellent and the best value. I like the Turbofins and could never go back to the Standard fins -- they improve your speed, range and acceleration. Finally, the basic Hobie cart (not Trex) is great -- you can load your boat up with gear, wheel it right into the water in one trip and remove the wheels (which also float) right from the water. You never have to lift the boat except onto your vehicle or trailer.

Removing the wheels once your in the water is key.

You'd be amazed at the speed limit effect the Trax wheels have if you leave them in <grin>

Done it twice now, once first day sailing on a river (was excited) second time on first day my wife took her yak out (I said i was just handicapping myself for her benefit)

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2007 Hobie Revolution

I am prejudiced in this opinion (and am on my third glass of red wine) but buy the Adventure. Why go with a "tweener" (between an Adventure and an Outback)? Get the outback for ponds and lakes, get the Adventure for open water.

Rico,

The sand and other white/grey colors look like breaking waves from distance. Power boaters won't see you until they are on top of you.

Good luck with your decision.

Mike

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"If I'm not at work, I'm Outback"