Buying a Hobie soon........need your input.

In a couple of months I'm going to take the next step (for me) and purchase a Hobie Mirage-drive kayak. I do a lot of bass fishing as well as saltwater flats and inshore fishing.

That being said, I'm having a problem on what to choose, whether to buy the PA14 or the Outback. I'm sure both have their advantages and disadvantages.

I guess I'm looking for input from owners of both the PA's and Outbacks to share their experiences on which model they chose any why for the types of fishing I do.

Thanks in advance.

dave...my suggestion is to demo both kayaks and then choose.
If you choose a new Outback, upgrade to turbo fins and the sailing rudder before you leave the dealer.

Regardless of which kayak you choose, as a minimum, count on adding a fish finder/gps, Hobie FF battery kit, safety flag with light, anchor, PFD/life vest, tow line, 2 rod holders, maybe the anchor trolly and a carrying cart for the Outback......I launch straight off my trailer.

For me, I went from a 2010 Outback to a 2013 PA-14 because it has more interior room and the seat is more comfortable if you fish for more than 4 hours at one sitting.
Additionally, I am over 70 and the ease to turn around in the PA-14 is much easier for me.....even accessing something out of the front hatch is easier.
Stability wise, either kayak was a no-issue......the PA-14 is heavier, but I already owned a Hobie Trailex trailer.....unless you have a truck, car-topping the PA-14 can be done, but takes an investment in loading equipment to ease the task......a gook Yakima carrier setup and loader is almost the same cost as the Trailex trailer...and car-topping on a windy day can be dangerous to your health!

I fish both local lakes and the Columbia River and love my PA-14!

_________________
Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

The Doc above about covered it.. I own all three Mirage drive yaks - Revo, Outback and PA14. You are NOT gonna get the perfect kayak for every situation. I love my Revo for speed, Outback is a little slower more comfortable than the Revo but no comparison to the PA. Pa is expensive and heavy (for me) difficult to handle out of the water. I have a dedicated trailer (former wave-runner trailer) that allows me to load and unload like I would a reg boat. I fish primarily salt water, so those Hobie trailers aren't a good idea... don't think they're made to be dipped and they are expensive. Got about $200 in this trailer and it's galvanized. I don't put any of my boats on the roof... 60 years old with back and knee issues. I use my cargo trailer with J racks on the sides to haul my Revo and Outback. Usually have someone along to help me lift them on and off, but I do fish alone a lot... so need to make it as easy as possible. Best bet is to take the ones out you're interested in and give them a run. Too bad you're not close to me, happy for you to try mine.

Just to clarify, the Hobie Trailex trailer is all aluminum.....except for the axle and rims....add bearing buddies and you can salt or fresh water launch all you want.
I have found no need to submerge my trailer for either launch or recovery.

The Trailex trailer was fond of Sunfish sailors years ago.....it's only 150 pounds and can be towed by a old VW or motorcycle if so desired.

_________________
Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

Thanks guys. I'm still saving so it will be a few months before I get mine. My local Hobie dealer charges $50.00 for a water test of their kayaks and if you buy one from them that money will be put towards the purchase of the kayak. What do you guys think?

Reds, where are you located?

When was the last time you test drove a car and were charged?

_________________
Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

I'm in agreement with the good Doctor; $50 seems unusual. However...if you are certain you will purchase either the Outback or the PA, then you will have paid nothing for the test drive. Still I would raise an objection to the charge. And...make sure it's not $50 per kayak. You can't go wrong with either kayak. Love my Outback!

That 50 dollar thing rubs me the wrong way. Is this a rental fee where you might be able to take a local tour in a river or lake for a couple hours? Maybe an hour in the outback and an hour in the PA14. (Try a Revo too ) If the conditions were right I could rationalize that. Maybe ask them to give you a store credit if they're gonna be that tight. You might throw in that a lot of ears on this forum are curious of the outcome.

Beaufort, SC

Down here in Houston, they will rent you a kayak and the rental fee goes toward the purchase price. Even better is when they hold a Demo Days event. The last one I went to had 90 kayaks from multiple manufacturers and all were free to test.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk 2

Thanks guys.

hi. I just want to share my limited experience with both. I wanted an outback for over 5 years. I have 2 friends that own them and let me use them once in awhile. I wanted one so bad but it wasn't practical at the time. So I waited and saved, and when I finally had the money for an outback plus all the extras, I went to the hobie dealer. And right away I looked at that vantage seat on the PA and said "thats for me." I can ride in that thing for 8 hours and mostly all that hurt are my legs from all that pedaling. I am a little out of shape (spare tire,) and after 3 hours on the outback I was hurting all over. The PA is kind of heavy, but I load it on my Tahoe alone, not too hard. The outback is still awesome, but I'm kind of big (6'1" 250+) and i fish in deep salt water so I feel more comfortable in the bigger boat. I know bigger guys than me use much smaller stuff but I'm happy with what I got.

if $$ is the issue i understand, luckily when I was ready, I had enough for either.

I have some crazy advice. I realize that it's more expensive, and that money doesn't grow on trees. But I would suggest the adventure Island or the TI. The TI is an amazing boat.

Bingo. Without knowing exactly what you're going to do with this boat, I'll toss out one more suggestion that you might want to look at.

I own 5 Hobie Mirage Drive kayaks. Enjoy all of them but almost never bother to use my Revolution, Outback or ProAngler any more. The Island Series tops them all badly. But then, it depends on what you're going to be doing.

The Island boats have smaller cockpits like the Revo (AI) and Outback (TI) than the Pro Angler. But in some ways they fish even better due to the vastly greater speed and range they offer. If you plan on trailering your boat, then these two bear strong consideration. If you plan on car topping your boat, I'd take a pass on either of them.

Shallow rivers with rocks and shoals, no. Larger bodies of water, sounds, bays, oceans, then ideal.

I have taken out owners of Outbacks and Pro Anglers in the TI and every single one of them has either made the switch to the Island or plans to do so very soon.