Long Beach breakwall Satuday May 23 and 2014 Revo 13 review - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

AirborneYak · 05-24-2015, 11:28 AM

I picked up my revo 13 from Andy @ OEX and I was excited to take it out for my maiden voyage. I was deciding between Huntington harbor or the Long Beach break wall the following day.

I woke up around 0430 still undecided where to go. The weather report looked great and made my way to Claremont Pl in LBC for the launch. Two of LBC's finest was parked at the end of the roadway as I pulled up. I give them a nod as I exit my car and walk to the shore to take a look at the waves coming in. It was low tide, surf small and the water calm in the morning horizon. It looked to be a perfect morning.

As I was unloading the Revo 13, I immediately appreciate the ~10 lbs and the 5" width difference from my Outback. Although the Revo is about a foot longer than the OB, it didn't feel as cumbersome carrying it over head. Having just a 28" width on the R13, I was able to get a good and comfortable grip on each handle. Both hands on the grips and using the top of my head to take some of the load off the weight of the kayak, I was able to lower the R13 with great control to the ground. I have used the same method with my OB, but with it heavier and wider and I looked silly trying to regain my balance without smashing my car.

With my car parked in the parking stalls ( there wasn't any street parking), I make my way to the launch. Having the oversized beach wheels makes such a big difference carrying it through the sand. Hobie has reinforced the scuppers's with looks to be black PVC. I think Hobie started to do this from their 2013 models and up and I am glad they made this improvement.

Surf launching was easy to the lack of height in any of the waves and the R13 knife like like bow. Getting into the R13 was much easier than in my OB because of the width difference. I jumped into my seat and not on the side rail.
Paddling the R13 felt like I was actually paddling a kayak. Having a longer and narrow hull and coupled with a a very stream line bow, the R13 tracked very well. I could see myself paddling if I wanted to. I had no desire to paddle my OB other than to launch and coming back in.

I paddle a good distance and now was ready to see how well she did in open water. It took a little more effort to get my much larger sailing rudder down, but glad for this very inexpensive upgrade. People talk about the hull slapping in the OB. It's kind of like the ticking of a clock. Once you get use to it, it drowns out and becomes part of the ambient noise. However, the ride in the R13 was very quiet. My only complaint is when fully extending the mirage drive, the fins would hit the bottom of the hull.

My 10 mins or so ride from shore to Chaffee Island was fast. I notice immediately she was a different beast from the wider OB. Where the OB felt like I could not tip over if I wanted to, the R13 felt tippy. Coming from a Perception Pescador 12, any movement I made felt like I was going to the drink. The R13 didn't feel as vulnerable and having been in PP12 I acquired and retained and was grateful for learning some balancing on that yak.

Approaching the rocky shores of the Chaffee island, I lean back and grab my pole from the Hobie H-crate ( I can do a review of the H-crate if anyone is interested). My first cast with a Carolina rigged white fluke towards a patch of kelp is rewarded with some nibbles. Second cast into the same area and I get hit like a freight train. The drags starts screaming! Every time I reel, the fish takes off and I lose twice the line. This goes on for about 10 or 15 mins and then makes its way into the kelp and then pop. I reel in my limp line and see the end frayed from the fight. I start to make my way towards the south side of the island with the break wall as the final destination.

The water still calm I could see Nacho's bait barge in the distance. As I get closer to the break wall, I notice more and more boat headed for Nacho. My first wake from a speed-demon-possessed boater almost gave me a heart attack. I take the wake broad side and felt like I was going over. In my OB, I took a wake broad side and went about my business. The OB was a brute and having a ~ 33" width gave it some ridiculous stability. The next wake and every wake after, I made sure to go bow first into it. The R13 sharp bow cut through the wake like a warm knife to butter. The water splashed over and out and not into the cockpit unlike the OB.

Boaters start to line up for their turn at Nachos. I felt like I was crossing a freeway in a tricycle trying to reach the BW. People were saying how bad the boating traffic was going to be and now I was almost regretting my decision to come out. However, my excitement to be on my new yak and finally fish the BW kept me motivated.

I wish I could say it was WFO at the wall, but it was far from it. I spent about and hour and a half with not one bite. I make my way towards Chaffee Island. By this time I have a about couple of hours in the Revo. My butt was soaked bc I forgot to open the drainage plug and was so sore. I was doing hip thrusters to trying to give my butt a break from the seat.

Approaching the Chaffee again, I take a seat and start to throw some more plastic. Trying to get comfortable , I straddle the yak and I felt much better. I tried to do this my with OB once and only my heels would touch the water. Next I side straddle the Revo and was pleasantly surprised how comfortable and stable it felt. I cast into a pile of kelp and give my my fluke time to sink. I pop my rod every so often as I reel and get hit. The line feels heavy and was expecting a calico at the end, but I was surprised to pull in about a 2 foot barracuda. Those things are so cool looking! I let the juvenile go and keep fishing. In the next hour or so, I catch only 3 small calicos and decide to call it a day.

With Chaffee island to my back, I realize I have no idea where I launched from. I could see Belmont pier to my north and the jetties to my south. I looked for any discernible landmark so I could dead rekon it. I ended up using google maps and until I was able to make out the public restrooms on shore.

Surf landing was easy. A small wave coasted me in and I was out of the water in no time. My butt was so happy not to be sitting anymore.

Overview:
-I noticed that the cockpit was noticeably smaller than the OB. Whereas the OB had very spacious side rails, the R13 was designed to be fast and took away unneeded space.
-Having been use to a lot of deck space I sorely missed it.
-Not having forward rod holders, made it challenge tying on lures and such.
-The revo is fast, but not by much than the OB.
-Being ~10 lbs lighter and 5" narrower made it so much easier to load and unload by yourself. This to me is a big plus. I dont have a truck so I have top load this on my WRX.

Overall, fist impression is I like it. The Revo felt like I was actually fishing from a kayak and not a mini barge. To me, the Revo 13 and the Outback are two different fishing platform. I enjoyed the plug and play aspect of the OB, but I am excited to build that balance fishing from a Revo. I would sometime bring too much gear with me when fishing on the OB and with the limited deck and side railing on the R13 I might have take a minimalist approach to my gear. I cant wait to take her out again. Im glad that I didnt get skunk on my first date with her.

Thanks for reading!

Paul

Geno Machino · 05-24-2015, 01:24 PM

Sweet! Thx for the review. I am interested in getting my first kayak and the Revo 13 is the way I am leaning...To bad about your mystery fish. :-(.

Tight Lines,

Geno

AirborneYak · 05-24-2015, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geno Machino

Sweet! Thx for the review. I am interested in getting my first kayak and the Revo 13 is the way I am leaning...To bad about your mystery fish. :-(.

Tight Lines,

Geno

You wont go wrong with either. I have a revo and outback and look forward to switching between the two. You're welcome to try either if it'll make your decision easier. Or hard. Lol

Iceman · 05-24-2015, 01:41 PM

good review Paul, the more time you spend in the Revo 13 the more you will like it

AirborneYak · 05-24-2015, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iceman

good review Paul, the more time you spend in the Revo 13 the more you will like it

Thanks, Andy. I think the more time I spend on the Revo 13, I will prefer it over the outback.

Vikingj · 05-24-2015, 04:18 PM

Very accurate and unbiased review. I own both the revo and the new OB and agree with your comparison. The revo is a lot more stable than it appears at first and you will find the fins slapping the hull will disappear as you get use to the cadence of the pedals. Although I successfully used the revo several years for hooping I got the OB so I had more deck space and width to balance the hoops. Enjoy your new ride!

AirborneYak · 05-24-2015, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vikingj

Very accurate and unbiased review. I own both the revo and the new OB and agree with your comparison. The revo is a lot more stable than it appears at first and you will find the fins slapping the hull will disappear as you get use to the cadence of the pedals. Although I successfully used the revo several years for hooping I got the OB so I had more deck space and width to balance the hoops. Enjoy your new ride!

Thank you. I like the new seats in the 2015 models. I need to find a new seat or something. I might upgrade in a year or two.

JeffB · 05-24-2015, 05:48 PM

Good read

Geno Machino · 05-24-2015, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AirborneYak

You wont go wrong with either. I have a revo and outback and look forward to switching between the two. You're welcome to try either if it'll make your decision easier. Or hard. Lol

I just might take you up on the offer...The Outback's weight and width make it seem like it's more work just to get into the water.

Geno

capntim · 05-24-2015, 10:12 PM

X2 on the review. As I just sold my Hobie Quest I will be in the market soon to jump into the mirage drive market. Cant wait. Was happy with the Quest which is basically the paddle version of the Revo. Leaning towards the Revo as well although my kayak fishing pals are pushing me towards a PA 12. Would be a PIA to load that thing though.

benichi · 05-24-2015, 11:11 PM

yeah man sorry i canceled on you but i just didnt want to go out there in the holiday traffic.. glad you had some fun though.. that fight at the beginning of your day sounded awesome..

deptrai · 05-25-2015, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AirborneYak

Thank you. I like the new seats in the 2015 models. I need to find a new seat or something. I might upgrade in a year or two.

You have the 2014 model?

Dave

AirborneYak · 05-25-2015, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deptrai

You have the 2014 model?

Dave

I have a 2013 outback and a 2014 revo

YakDout · 05-25-2015, 09:32 AM

This is making me think very hard about going back down to a Revo 13 from my PA14, especially with the new 2015 seats.

AirborneYak · 05-25-2015, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YakDout

This is making me think very hard about going back down to a Revo 13 from my PA14, especially with the new 2015 seats.

The 2015 seats really makes want to upgrade too. What were your initial thoughts moving from a revo 13 to the PA14?

YakDout · 05-25-2015, 10:57 AM

Initial thoughts were more room, can stretch out, stand, extremely stable. But the more and more I'm fishing, I'm seeing the negatives with the pro angler. I'd like to be able to get through bigger surf than 3ft with my kayak, like I used to be able to. I'd like to be able to load in on my truck much easier. I'd like to be able to go on motherships, and I'd like to pedal a rocket again.

AirborneYak · 05-25-2015, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YakDout

Initial thoughts were more room, can stretch out, stand, extremely stable. But the more and more I'm fishing, I'm seeing the negatives with the pro angler. I'd like to be able to get through bigger surf than 3ft with my kayak, like I used to be able to. I'd like to be able to load in on my truck much easier. I'd like to be able to go on motherships, and I'd like to pedal a rocket again.

Funny. How you feel about your PA14 is how I felt about my OB. It takes a lot less effort and time to pick up speed in my REVO and surf launching seem to be a lot easier too.

05-24-2015, 11:28 AM	#1
AirborneYak Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Long Beach Posts: 366	Long Beach breakwall Satuday May 23 and 2014 Revo 13 review I picked up my revo 13 from Andy @ OEX and I was excited to take it out for my maiden voyage. I was deciding between Huntington harbor or the Long Beach break wall the following day. I woke up around 0430 still undecided where to go. The weather report looked great and made my way to Claremont Pl in LBC for the launch. Two of LBC's finest was parked at the end of the roadway as I pulled up. I give them a nod as I exit my car and walk to the shore to take a look at the waves coming in. It was low tide, surf small and the water calm in the morning horizon. It looked to be a perfect morning. As I was unloading the Revo 13, I immediately appreciate the ~10 lbs and the 5" width difference from my Outback. Although the Revo is about a foot longer than the OB, it didn't feel as cumbersome carrying it over head. Having just a 28" width on the R13, I was able to get a good and comfortable grip on each handle. Both hands on the grips and using the top of my head to take some of the load off the weight of the kayak, I was able to lower the R13 with great control to the ground. I have used the same method with my OB, but with it heavier and wider and I looked silly trying to regain my balance without smashing my car. With my car parked in the parking stalls ( there wasn't any street parking), I make my way to the launch. Having the oversized beach wheels makes such a big difference carrying it through the sand. Hobie has reinforced the scuppers's with looks to be black PVC. I think Hobie started to do this from their 2013 models and up and I am glad they made this improvement. Surf launching was easy to the lack of height in any of the waves and the R13 knife like like bow. Getting into the R13 was much easier than in my OB because of the width difference. I jumped into my seat and not on the side rail. Paddling the R13 felt like I was actually paddling a kayak. Having a longer and narrow hull and coupled with a a very stream line bow, the R13 tracked very well. I could see myself paddling if I wanted to. I had no desire to paddle my OB other than to launch and coming back in. I paddle a good distance and now was ready to see how well she did in open water. It took a little more effort to get my much larger sailing rudder down, but glad for this very inexpensive upgrade. People talk about the hull slapping in the OB. It's kind of like the ticking of a clock. Once you get use to it, it drowns out and becomes part of the ambient noise. However, the ride in the R13 was very quiet. My only complaint is when fully extending the mirage drive, the fins would hit the bottom of the hull. My 10 mins or so ride from shore to Chaffee Island was fast. I notice immediately she was a different beast from the wider OB. Where the OB felt like I could not tip over if I wanted to, the R13 felt tippy. Coming from a Perception Pescador 12, any movement I made felt like I was going to the drink. The R13 didn't feel as vulnerable and having been in PP12 I acquired and retained and was grateful for learning some balancing on that yak. Approaching the rocky shores of the Chaffee island, I lean back and grab my pole from the Hobie H-crate ( I can do a review of the H-crate if anyone is interested). My first cast with a Carolina rigged white fluke towards a patch of kelp is rewarded with some nibbles. Second cast into the same area and I get hit like a freight train. The drags starts screaming! Every time I reel, the fish takes off and I lose twice the line. This goes on for about 10 or 15 mins and then makes its way into the kelp and then pop. I reel in my limp line and see the end frayed from the fight. I start to make my way towards the south side of the island with the break wall as the final destination. The water still calm I could see Nacho's bait barge in the distance. As I get closer to the break wall, I notice more and more boat headed for Nacho. My first wake from a speed-demon-possessed boater almost gave me a heart attack. I take the wake broad side and felt like I was going over. In my OB, I took a wake broad side and went about my business. The OB was a brute and having a ~ 33" width gave it some ridiculous stability. The next wake and every wake after, I made sure to go bow first into it. The R13 sharp bow cut through the wake like a warm knife to butter. The water splashed over and out and not into the cockpit unlike the OB. Boaters start to line up for their turn at Nachos. I felt like I was crossing a freeway in a tricycle trying to reach the BW. People were saying how bad the boating traffic was going to be and now I was almost regretting my decision to come out. However, my excitement to be on my new yak and finally fish the BW kept me motivated. I wish I could say it was WFO at the wall, but it was far from it. I spent about and hour and a half with not one bite. I make my way towards Chaffee Island. By this time I have a about couple of hours in the Revo. My butt was soaked bc I forgot to open the drainage plug and was so sore. I was doing hip thrusters to trying to give my butt a break from the seat. Approaching the Chaffee again, I take a seat and start to throw some more plastic. Trying to get comfortable , I straddle the yak and I felt much better. I tried to do this my with OB once and only my heels would touch the water. Next I side straddle the Revo and was pleasantly surprised how comfortable and stable it felt. I cast into a pile of kelp and give my my fluke time to sink. I pop my rod every so often as I reel and get hit. The line feels heavy and was expecting a calico at the end, but I was surprised to pull in about a 2 foot barracuda. Those things are so cool looking! I let the juvenile go and keep fishing. In the next hour or so, I catch only 3 small calicos and decide to call it a day. With Chaffee island to my back, I realize I have no idea where I launched from. I could see Belmont pier to my north and the jetties to my south. I looked for any discernible landmark so I could dead rekon it. I ended up using google maps and until I was able to make out the public restrooms on shore. Surf landing was easy. A small wave coasted me in and I was out of the water in no time. My butt was so happy not to be sitting anymore. Overview: -I noticed that the cockpit was noticeably smaller than the OB. Whereas the OB had very spacious side rails, the R13 was designed to be fast and took away unneeded space. -Having been use to a lot of deck space I sorely missed it. -Not having forward rod holders, made it challenge tying on lures and such. -The revo is fast, but not by much than the OB. -Being ~10 lbs lighter and 5" narrower made it so much easier to load and unload by yourself. This to me is a big plus. I dont have a truck so I have top load this on my WRX. Overall, fist impression is I like it. The Revo felt like I was actually fishing from a kayak and not a mini barge. To me, the Revo 13 and the Outback are two different fishing platform. I enjoyed the plug and play aspect of the OB, but I am excited to build that balance fishing from a Revo. I would sometime bring too much gear with me when fishing on the OB and with the limited deck and side railing on the R13 I might have take a minimalist approach to my gear. I cant wait to take her out again. Im glad that I didnt get skunk on my first date with her. Thanks for reading! Paul

05-24-2015, 01:41 PM	#4
Iceman Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 1-2 miles off the point Posts: 6,943	good review Paul, the more time you spend in the Revo 13 the more you will like it __________________

05-24-2015, 05:48 PM	#8
JeffB Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: La Jolla Posts: 1,216	Good read __________________ If you're looking for me I'm

05-24-2015, 11:11 PM	#11
benichi Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Riverside Posts: 102	yeah man sorry i canceled on you but i just didnt want to go out there in the holiday traffic.. glad you had some fun though.. that fight at the beginning of your day sounded awesome.. __________________

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05-24-2015, 01:24 PM	#2
Geno Machino "Relax" Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: O'side Posts: 552	Sweet! Thx for the review. I am interested in getting my first kayak and the Revo 13 is the way I am leaning...To bad about your mystery fish. :-(. Tight Lines, Geno

05-24-2015, 04:18 PM	#6
Vikingj Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Dana Point area Posts: 438	Very accurate and unbiased review. I own both the revo and the new OB and agree with your comparison. The revo is a lot more stable than it appears at first and you will find the fins slapping the hull will disappear as you get use to the cadence of the pedals. Although I successfully used the revo several years for hooping I got the OB so I had more deck space and width to balance the hoops. Enjoy your new ride!

05-24-2015, 10:12 PM	#10
capntim Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Laguna Hills Posts: 115	X2 on the review. As I just sold my Hobie Quest I will be in the market soon to jump into the mirage drive market. Cant wait. Was happy with the Quest which is basically the paddle version of the Revo. Leaning towards the Revo as well although my kayak fishing pals are pushing me towards a PA 12. Would be a PIA to load that thing though.

05-25-2015, 09:32 AM	#14
YakDout Brandon Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,345	This is making me think very hard about going back down to a Revo 13 from my PA14, especially with the new 2015 seats.

05-25-2015, 10:57 AM	#16
YakDout Brandon Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,345	Initial thoughts were more room, can stretch out, stand, extremely stable. But the more and more I'm fishing, I'm seeing the negatives with the pro angler. I'd like to be able to get through bigger surf than 3ft with my kayak, like I used to be able to. I'd like to be able to load in on my truck much easier. I'd like to be able to go on motherships, and I'd like to pedal a rocket again.