I'm planning to buy a Hobie for the upcoming season, and could use some input. I will, of course, go to see them but my dealer doesn't have the 2021 models in yet and I'm not sure which ones I should focus on.
I'm a large woman, 5'7" 270lbs. The weight limit on the 10.5' Passport is 275, but I'm thinking I may have problems with it sitting too low in the water and having too much drag being that close to the limit; am I correct in this? Speed isn't terribly important, nor is storage capacity since I won't be touring or fishing, but no one wants to slog through a lot of drag. I used to row crew, so I'm not worried about it being tippy as I have no fear of being tipped in the water (had to give up rowing due to a spine issue, and didn't think I could kayak until I learned about pedal kayaking!) Transport isn't a big issue, as it will mostly be kept at the lake.
Seat width is important to me, as I have bursitis in my hips and can't stand chairs that poke into my hips, as many folding chairs do. I understand the Compass chair isn't very good, but perhaps they have fixed that in recent years? If not, can it be swapped out for a different chair? The seat capacity on most models is 275lb -- I'm not sure how a 400 lb total capacity helps me if the seat capacity is only 275! The Angler Pro has a wider seat, but is a lot more $$ for someone who doesn't need all the fishing features, and is also a lot heavier. I'll have this for many years, though, so I'm willing to spend to get the right one.
I rented an Ocean brand pedal kayak last summer, and had two problems: 1) I have long legs and short arms. With the distance from the pedal set correctly, I couldn't easily reach the rudder control. Does anyone have experience with the Hobies to share in this regard? From the photos, it looks like the Revolution has the rudder control near the front of the seat, while the others have it next to the seat. Or this might just be a function of where the seat is positioned in the photo. 2) The rudder wouldn't stay straight unless I applied force to keep the knob straight. This combination meant I had to pedal in a twisted position trying to lean forward to hold onto the control. I understand with some models the rudder can be locked into position? If not, can this be upgraded to do so? I will be kayaking on a large open finger lake, so maneuverability is less important than stability (the lake can get windy and choppy at times).
I appreciate any suggestions!
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