on the fence stuck inbetween pa14 or slayer propel

one things im concerned about is what is the average speed on the water.2 i want to go long distances with eas.3 worried about the fins hear they break.ive tested both hobie pa14 using the drive ok turns nice.was kinda akward though.i tested the slayer peddals fine can stand up easy. but loose some of the storage options.need advice i want to be abile to if need couple miles plus

I'm sure the "other" brand with the Propel system is a fine boat, but as this is a Hobie forum, I suspect you'll get more pro-Hobie answers here.

I've only owned one kayak - my Pro Angler 14. While I do occasionally miss the ability to back up, it's not a major issue unless my hands are too busy to pick up the paddle.

As to pedaling ease, I routinely troll for hours at a stretch. The effort expended versus the speed I get is almost exactly the same as walking. At an easy strolling pace, I run 2.5 mph (GPS measured). If I up the effort just a bit, I hold 3 mph.

_________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult
Pro Angler-14 owner

The dealer I purchased my PA14s from also sells the Propels. Both have unique features and it boils down to what works for you. I looked at the Propel when visiting the dealer and tried to look at it in an unbiased evaluation. There are a lot of things I liked about the design, but the PA for me was more suited to my needs. I believe the PA gives you more floor area. I prefer the stepper motion of the PA versus the bicycle pedaling motion of the Propel. It seems like your feet and legs are higher in the air with the Propel.

As mentioned above...this is a Hobie forum, so most of the folks might be more inclined to recommend the PA over the Propel. Since I've never been in a Propel, I can't elaborate on the speed. I can get the PA to 5mph, but that's not a speed that can be maintained. I agree with RockRaab's assessment and get similar numbers. When I freshwater troll, I've found that it's very easy to maintain 1.5 - 2.0 mph (ideal trolling speed for me) with very little effort.

They have made a lot of improvements with the Propels since they were originally introduced. The rudders are not spring loaded, so there is that breakage issue that could be a concern. You can't feather peddle the Propel unit if you get in skinny water and that unit does have a fixed distance it protrudes below the hull when locked down.

Good luck with your decision.

_________________
Steve Stubbs
USAF (retired)

SeaDek Fishing Team
Unfair Lures Pro Staff
Ziptailz Ambassador

2015 Pro Angler 14 - Papaya
2018 Compass - Sea Grass

im going to rent a pa 14 saturday load my gear on it .then find place that has the other do the same i guess that where im at hopefully ill finally figure what going to be for me

I'm highly biased. I fish out of a PA12 and couldn't imagine fishing out of anything else.Go with the Mirage drive on the Hobie. Much more flexible for skinny water. Most of the guys I know with propel drive have experienced lots of breakage in the past.

That's a misnomer about the Hobie not being able to go backwards, you simply pop the drive out and spin it around. This feature is great on the TI ( which has two mirage drives) you set one forward and one reverse and it great for docking in busy marinas.
If your looking to cover greater distances and more speed, or offshore in big water you might want to look into the AI or better yet the TI, it's the ultimate fishing platform for offshore. No need to be concerned about learning to sail, it takes literally two minutes of instruction ( always provided by the dealer).
I'm just sayin.
Bob

I have owned several PA 14s, and outback with seat mod, a slayer Propel and now a PA 12.

With significant fishing time in the PA14 and Slayer Propel, I feel the Slayer propel is as good as, if not superior too the PA14 in freshwater and inshore fishing. Reverse really is killer to keep from being pulled into the mangroves by a big snook or red. Being able to keep your distance from the bank/mangroves as you work your way down is great. However the bow of the Slayer Propel makes it a VERY wet ride in choppy water and it is just plain BAD for any significant surf launch. Yeah the Pro Anglers aren't the best for surf launches, either, but it is light years ahead of the Slayer Propel.

If I only fished flat water I would definitely have stayed with the Slayer, but I do enough offshore that I switched back to the PA. I went with the 12 instead of the 14 this time, because i felt the 14 was too big for my needs. I do not have enough seat time in the 12 to know if that was the correct decision yet.