hobie lynx or revolution 11

I am trying to decide between the lynx and the revolution 11. I "test-drove" both at a demo yesterday. My husband loved the Lynx because of its stability. I preferred the Revolution 11 because I think it would be better for paddling.

We are looking for a kayak that is lightweight, fast, stable, quiet and comfortable that is also good for paddling in addition to pedaling. Also would like to be able to use the sail option as well.

My concerns of the Lynx are as follows: 1. Is it as conducive to paddling as the Revolution? 2. It is noisier going over the water, especially when in intercoastal where the water is choppy. (When I was trying it out in calm waters, i could hear a banging like a garbage can top being hit.) 3. I read on Hobie forum that it cannot use the sail kit without modifications. 4. Several people have written that the hull is more fragile and gets damaged more easily because of the material it is made from.

The advantages of the Lynx compared to the Revolution: 1. My husband prefers the Lynx and if we are kayaking for more than 3 hours, he can stand up on the Lynx and stretch his legs. 2. it is lighter so we can transport it easier (However, we do have a floating dock and most of the time we kayak from our house).

Is the Lynx as fast as the Revolution?

The reason I decided to buy a pedal kayak is because I would like to travel longer distances. When we use our paddle kayaks, it can be tough sometimes to get home depending on the current and wind of the intercoastal. We live in east Hollywood, Florida, right off the intercoastal.

Thank you for your consideration and advice! We can only afford to buy one kayak now so which one should we get?!

Michele

for what its worth . I have neither of these, but based on much research during waiting and rainy days since (and originally wanting a revo). I would go with the Revolution

Stability: Lynx will win, Revolution designed more to cut thru wake versus ride over it

Paddling: Guess the Revo will win, just based on sit-in versus more sit on design, and revo will cut through water quicker

Sail kit: Lynx? the modifications refer to furling (whether you want to just hold line or have some mechanical assistance). They are relatively easy/cheap mods and I think you will have to do on both models. The reason I say Lynx is due to its inherent stability - guessing you will need to buy the Amas if you want to sail on the skinny revolution

Durability: revolution, no doubt unless you are on super sandy soil. don't know if you have oyster beds that south on ICW but the revolution will cope with much better than the lynx. Revo will also hold up much better to rock or old coral scrapes. I personally would only go with lynx if I was on a lake or super sandy waters

Speed: revolution, haven't seen a head to head or comments on this, but revolution is made for speed - just look at design of hull - made for cutting through water versus bobbing on top of.

Weight: Lynx easy, but the floating dock may make revolution a contender? lowering a yak from a floating dock is probably a 2 person job no matter what the weight

Consider the COMPASS, Passport or even Outback(heavy). the compass is only a few pounds more than the revo and will be much more stable/easy to stand on. If you went with the passport y'all could maybe both afford to get one and have no problems standing. I went with a passport12 in the ICW and I think it was a great choice. I can whip around for hours and I am always surprised I have been out so long. Yes, the lynx is sexy and the weight is very attractive, but if you want stability and comfort of being "in" the kayak with much more storage, I am thinking one of these might suit you better. That being said the revolution is super cool and due to the weight I would have gone for except for the price. Be aware the revo has an exposed twist and store rudder that could make transport a little trickier.

Thank you for taking the time to respond!