Hobie kayaks...say what!? - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

buttchaser · 03-31-2014, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by f'nsabiki

That was the best post ever!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYqcHE4WVSs#t=143
"Landings can be exciting too, im sure all of you have seen frank wiredantzs video of me eating it in the surf possibly the greatest video of all time. I honestly dont see why its funny but other people seem to think so. That happened because i had lost my paddle earlier in the day bad timing and i got caught in the kill zone with no way to back up or turn around. Since then i havent had any crashes that i can remember....i like to come in sideways and brace into the oncoming waves all the way in, it seems to work."

l.

Haha.. oh Gawd just what i needed to start the week off right....

lowprofile · 03-31-2014, 06:15 AM

Man, I love Hobies. I miss my PA something fierce! (*hobie, if your listening, please send me a PA for Christmas!*)

surf launches?
yeah, it was tough at first. the PA is a big boat (for a single person, kinda small for two though). I had to get used to plowing through waves rather than going over them like in my X-factor. the way to do it is with the drive installed. many people advise against it but if you can time the sets right to where your launching in knee deep water, throw that drive in, hop in and peddle like hell!

Landing. its not the easiest. using my PA to run shark baits off the beach gave me A LOT of launching and landing practice in not so ideal conditions. A lot of night runs too. your not going to surf the PA like a Malibu or OK kayak, the best way I found in big surf is to come in backwards. you'll need your peddles AND paddle for this one.
when you make it just outside the break, turn so your rear is facing the beach and paddle backwards. when your inside the break and a wave is coming at you, stop paddling and peddle forward to keep in one spot, just before the wave hits peddle into it and push through the wave. Once on top or through the wave start paddling backwards again. once you make it closer to shore and your in about 4ft of water, pull the peddles and rudder. face into the oncoming waves and just keep straight as they push you towards shore.

The PA needs more storage. Like said before, you cant fit a 40lb fish in the hull. the storage box heats up and ice never stays frozen. the old seat was too low and my legs fell asleep, the vantage seat is difficult to jump in and out of. the paddle clip should be on the outside of the yak, not next to the seat, taking up more room.

not much wrong with them in my eyes, but they aren't perfect. the stability, weight capacity and ability to handle rough water makes up for most, if not all its faults.

I'm not here to persuade anyone into a Hobie. try different yaks, find what you like and have fun. that's what its all about. I had a lot of fun in my Malibu and Hobie. I caught a lot more fish in the Hobie because I took it out more often. Although that was probably due to the hobie being easier to load up and get on the water with.

Heres some pics of me and some friends having fun in our Hobies.

kauaiboy04 · 03-31-2014, 08:08 AM

thanks for the honest writeup. many people push others to choose certain kayaks over others, but i strongly believe in trying EVERYTHING out for yourself. some people like to paddle, some people like to peddle. to each his own.

wiredantz · 03-31-2014, 10:32 AM

Pro Anglers, are good skiffs. I strongly believe they should offer a limited life time warranty on the kayak itself for a price tag of 3k.

Even if they do take care of you, unless its on paper, I am not shelling out 3k for it.

That a hefty price tag for me at least.

tsugg · 05-31-2015, 07:56 PM

Great post! I've been lurking in the private message arena for a while asking all the questions I was afraid to post out in front because I own a pa14 and didn't want to apear to be a Hobie douter. I think that in hindsight I would go fishing a lot more if it was easier to get the yak to and from the water. I really hate the wondering steering on the pa. I really like some of the Malibu models- light and high capacity. And I almost forgot CHEAP!!!

taggermike · 06-01-2015, 08:20 AM

Great post. I agree that hobies have a loyal following and critism is rare. I've seen the complete evolution of the Hobie and the attitudes toward them. I saw a mirage drive before there was a boat to put it in. I recall thinking it was a weird piece of excersize equipment. Like a 'thigh master'. When Hobies started showing up at the LJ launch the paddling majority thought they were a flashy trend and i remember debates as to whether they were ever kayaks. Things have come full circle, and several times I have been the only paddler on beach full of peddlers. I have never been on a PA, but have fished from an out back and an adventure. They were great and the mirage drive is an amazing piece of equipment. Its been said many times here and else where that every kayak is a trade off; stability vs speed, primary vs secondary stability. And now paddle vs peddle. I've been fishing my 15 year old original OK prowler 15. Again a trade off. I sit in a puddle, my ass is level with my feet. But its fast a shit, cuts right thru wind waves kelp n chop, I can carry or drag it about any where. Pretty much any where I can get to the water is a launch. Try before you by, or if you got the scratch, get both. Mike

tsugg · 06-01-2015, 08:33 AM

Now that most of us hobie owners/haters are out of the kayak closet lets get a group buy on some MALIBU X-FACTORS !!!! lol,
then me and tony and a few others will have six packs by the time beach season is here and we can sit around on the beach and drink beverages with our shirts off !! and sheet talk the peddelers.rof

PapaDave · 06-01-2015, 08:40 AM

Hobie bashers you are... Jealous you may be...

Sorry, I'll stick to my PA14. Oh yeah, and my PA17 as well. The grandkids love it.

And I'm positive that Tony has landed his kayak upright many more times than he has tipped.

tunaseeker · 06-04-2015, 04:48 AM

Any comments on a sail for the PA14?

Shimano Penn · 06-06-2015, 07:47 AM

Just read the entire thread and agree with pretty much every pro/ con mentioned. I started with an old OK Scupper Pro I bought off CL for $300 just to see if I'd like kayaking. Light, sleek, fast; a blast to paddle around in but zero stability for fishing. I'm maybe not the most athletic guy here and pushing 200 lbs. I rolled that thing every time I went out even in mill-pond conditions and that was on lakes, I never dared to try the ocean in it. I saw PA's on the beach, got curious and went shopping. Are you f'ing kidding me???? $$$$$$$ !!!!!! So I ended up buying a Current Designs Tailfin with stabilizing pontoons on outriggers. I felt secure enough and started fishing La Jolla but still envied those peddle boats passing by. Jumped on a killer CL deal for a PA14, I believe it is Wades old boat ? I think that's what I was told anyway. So now I have the same love/ hate relationship that some have shared here. All the things that make it great (size, weight, stability, mirage drive) are the same things that make it suck. (try loading one on top of my Astro van

) In my view it's just a mistake to even call the PA a kayak. It's a peddle boat.

I bought a trailer

Gr8fuldude · 06-06-2015, 09:53 AM

Since I've benefited from this thread, I may as well contribute to it. I'm new to serious kayak fishing, and I was ready to pull the trigger on a PA 12, but I've changed my mind for the following reasons:

1) I live several hours from the coast (4 hrs from LJ), and with a toddler at home, I don't get to fish the salt as often as I'd like (I'm jealous of those that live near SD or OC). Also, I love fishing Baja, which is even further and takes more effort to get to (five hrs to calexico). So when I do get to go, I need to count on my kayak to work, and it seems like the moving parts on a Hobie reduce reliability and increase the risk of trip-ruining malfunctions. I understand I can take tools and bring Hobie spare parts yadda yadda, but that's starting to feel like more headache than its worth to me. Hearing about Tony's and other's Hobie woes in BdG also made me think twice. I feel like my chances to fish are too few and too precious to risk mechanical failure.

2) I'm hoping to buddy up and carpool for Baja trips, and cartopping two kayaks if one or both are PA's seems more problematic for transport. Lighter weight paddle kayaks appear easier to double up for cartopping.

Some other more minor things factored in (PA not permitted for mothershipping (?), Hobie surf launch challenges, Hobie cartopping a little harder even without the add'l kayak, etc.) but the top two were the main ones.

So, after researching this topic ad nauseum, I finally put an order in with Andy for a WS Thresher 140 for my first serious fishing kayak. Perhaps I'll get a PA down the road, but those were my thoughts that convinced me against the PA for now.

03-31-2014, 06:15 AM	#2
lowprofile #1 on fishstick's hitlist Join Date: May 2011 Location: Sea level Posts: 1,477	Man, I love Hobies. I miss my PA something fierce! (hobie, if your listening, please send me a PA for Christmas!) surf launches? yeah, it was tough at first. the PA is a big boat (for a single person, kinda small for two though). I had to get used to plowing through waves rather than going over them like in my X-factor. the way to do it is with the drive installed. many people advise against it but if you can time the sets right to where your launching in knee deep water, throw that drive in, hop in and peddle like hell! Landing. its not the easiest. using my PA to run shark baits off the beach gave me A LOT of launching and landing practice in not so ideal conditions. A lot of night runs too. your not going to surf the PA like a Malibu or OK kayak, the best way I found in big surf is to come in backwards. you'll need your peddles AND paddle for this one. when you make it just outside the break, turn so your rear is facing the beach and paddle backwards. when your inside the break and a wave is coming at you, stop paddling and peddle forward to keep in one spot, just before the wave hits peddle into it and push through the wave. Once on top or through the wave start paddling backwards again. once you make it closer to shore and your in about 4ft of water, pull the peddles and rudder. face into the oncoming waves and just keep straight as they push you towards shore. The PA needs more storage. Like said before, you cant fit a 40lb fish in the hull. the storage box heats up and ice never stays frozen. the old seat was too low and my legs fell asleep, the vantage seat is difficult to jump in and out of. the paddle clip should be on the outside of the yak, not next to the seat, taking up more room. not much wrong with them in my eyes, but they aren't perfect. the stability, weight capacity and ability to handle rough water makes up for most, if not all its faults. I'm not here to persuade anyone into a Hobie. try different yaks, find what you like and have fun. that's what its all about. I had a lot of fun in my Malibu and Hobie. I caught a lot more fish in the Hobie because I took it out more often. Although that was probably due to the hobie being easier to load up and get on the water with. Heres some pics of me and some friends having fun in our Hobies. __________________ MLPA- My Largest Poaching Area

03-31-2014, 08:08 AM	#3
kauaiboy04 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Sandy Eggo Posts: 215	thanks for the honest writeup. many people push others to choose certain kayaks over others, but i strongly believe in trying EVERYTHING out for yourself. some people like to paddle, some people like to peddle. to each his own. __________________ http://socalkayak.blogspot.com

03-31-2014, 10:32 AM	#4
wiredantz Currently @ MLO Territory Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Under the Shadow Posts: 2,290	Pro Anglers, are good skiffs. I strongly believe they should offer a limited life time warranty on the kayak itself for a price tag of 3k. Even if they do take care of you, unless its on paper, I am not shelling out 3k for it. That a hefty price tag for me at least. __________________ Team: Disbanded You only have one chance in this life...make the right decision(s)...so you don't regret it

05-31-2015, 07:56 PM	#5
tsugg LOWSPARK Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: CARLSBAD Posts: 251	Tony tony Great post! I've been lurking in the private message arena for a while asking all the questions I was afraid to post out in front because I own a pa14 and didn't want to apear to be a Hobie douter. I think that in hindsight I would go fishing a lot more if it was easier to get the yak to and from the water. I really hate the wondering steering on the pa. I really like some of the Malibu models- light and high capacity. And I almost forgot CHEAP!!!

06-01-2015, 08:33 AM	#7
tsugg LOWSPARK Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: CARLSBAD Posts: 251	group buy !! Now that most of us hobie owners/haters are out of the kayak closet lets get a group buy on some MALIBU X-FACTORS !!!! lol, then me and tony and a few others will have six packs by the time beach season is here and we can sit around on the beach and drink beverages with our shirts off !! and sheet talk the peddelers.rof

06-01-2015, 08:20 AM	#6
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	Great post. I agree that hobies have a loyal following and critism is rare. I've seen the complete evolution of the Hobie and the attitudes toward them. I saw a mirage drive before there was a boat to put it in. I recall thinking it was a weird piece of excersize equipment. Like a 'thigh master'. When Hobies started showing up at the LJ launch the paddling majority thought they were a flashy trend and i remember debates as to whether they were ever kayaks. Things have come full circle, and several times I have been the only paddler on beach full of peddlers. I have never been on a PA, but have fished from an out back and an adventure. They were great and the mirage drive is an amazing piece of equipment. Its been said many times here and else where that every kayak is a trade off; stability vs speed, primary vs secondary stability. And now paddle vs peddle. I've been fishing my 15 year old original OK prowler 15. Again a trade off. I sit in a puddle, my ass is level with my feet. But its fast a shit, cuts right thru wind waves kelp n chop, I can carry or drag it about any where. Pretty much any where I can get to the water is a launch. Try before you by, or if you got the scratch, get both. Mike

06-01-2015, 08:40 AM	#8
PapaDave Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Menifee, CA Posts: 1,462	Hobie bashers you are... Jealous you may be... Sorry, I'll stick to my PA14. Oh yeah, and my PA17 as well. The grandkids love it. And I'm positive that Tony has landed his kayak upright many more times than he has tipped. __________________ So long and thanks for all the fish...

06-04-2015, 04:48 AM	#9
tunaseeker TB Metal Art Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 651	Any comments on a sail for the PA14?

06-06-2015, 07:47 AM	#10
Shimano Penn Junior Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 22	Just read the entire thread and agree with pretty much every pro/ con mentioned. I started with an old OK Scupper Pro I bought off CL for $300 just to see if I'd like kayaking. Light, sleek, fast; a blast to paddle around in but zero stability for fishing. I'm maybe not the most athletic guy here and pushing 200 lbs. I rolled that thing every time I went out even in mill-pond conditions and that was on lakes, I never dared to try the ocean in it. I saw PA's on the beach, got curious and went shopping. Are you f'ing kidding me???? $$$$$$$ !!!!!! So I ended up buying a Current Designs Tailfin with stabilizing pontoons on outriggers. I felt secure enough and started fishing La Jolla but still envied those peddle boats passing by. Jumped on a killer CL deal for a PA14, I believe it is Wades old boat ? I think that's what I was told anyway. So now I have the same love/ hate relationship that some have shared here. All the things that make it great (size, weight, stability, mirage drive) are the same things that make it suck. (try loading one on top of my Astro van ) In my view it's just a mistake to even call the PA a kayak. It's a peddle boat. I bought a trailer Last edited by Shimano Penn; 06-06-2015 at 08:21 AM.

06-06-2015, 09:53 AM	#11
Gr8fuldude Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Tehachapi, CA Posts: 166	Since I've benefited from this thread, I may as well contribute to it. I'm new to serious kayak fishing, and I was ready to pull the trigger on a PA 12, but I've changed my mind for the following reasons: 1) I live several hours from the coast (4 hrs from LJ), and with a toddler at home, I don't get to fish the salt as often as I'd like (I'm jealous of those that live near SD or OC). Also, I love fishing Baja, which is even further and takes more effort to get to (five hrs to calexico). So when I do get to go, I need to count on my kayak to work, and it seems like the moving parts on a Hobie reduce reliability and increase the risk of trip-ruining malfunctions. I understand I can take tools and bring Hobie spare parts yadda yadda, but that's starting to feel like more headache than its worth to me. Hearing about Tony's and other's Hobie woes in BdG also made me think twice. I feel like my chances to fish are too few and too precious to risk mechanical failure. 2) I'm hoping to buddy up and carpool for Baja trips, and cartopping two kayaks if one or both are PA's seems more problematic for transport. Lighter weight paddle kayaks appear easier to double up for cartopping. Some other more minor things factored in (PA not permitted for mothershipping (?), Hobie surf launch challenges, Hobie cartopping a little harder even without the add'l kayak, etc.) but the top two were the main ones. So, after researching this topic ad nauseum, I finally put an order in with Andy for a WS Thresher 140 for my first serious fishing kayak. Perhaps I'll get a PA down the road, but those were my thoughts that convinced me against the PA for now.