2015 Hobie Outback

[Romo]

I can't wait to see which kayak you pick John I've seen you go back and forth with 5 or 6 different boats just this week it seems! I can tell you I've done light surf launches in my revo and it is just like any other kayak. Paddle until you clear the breakers or until you have enough time to drop in your mirage and then you're set. Glad to hear the tooth worked out

[JohnE]

Good to know. I just remembered reading that some people had issues with the surf launches in Hobies, but seems like it should be fine to me. My dentist was able repair my tooth for a couple hundred bucks and said I should be good without a crown for a while, so with only a slight hit on my kayak funds I must now decide on waiting for the new outback or go out and get a new kayak this week.

[HokieDJ]

Joe and Tufnik both have outbacks and use them regularly at the CBBT. When launching, you keep the mirage drive on the boat and paddle out a little bit until you have the depth to put the mirage drive in. When coming in, just remember pull out the drive before coming in on the sand.

I've been out there with Tufnik in 3-4 ft waves and it handled it out fine.

[Yak Fish]

I'm an antenna troop in the USAF...well, until today. I will be getting a "USAF Retired" pin on my lapel today.

Congrats bud! Thanks for your work.

[Cowpokey]

I'm an antenna troop in the USAF...well, until today. I will be getting a "USAF Retired" pin on my lapel today.

[Yak Fish]

Delrin is really strong stuff, considering it's essentially plastic. It is used in my line of work all the time in the construction of antennas.

I haven't done a real surf launch yet with my Outback, the closest thing to it would be launching off the beach in the bay with waves around a foot. That wasn't an issue, but still not "surf". As soon as you get more than a foot of depth you can drop the mirage drive in and pedal away...up until that point, it paddles like a regular kayak, just a little bit wider than desirable for much distance.

Folks on the west coast launch through the surf with Outbacks, so it's definitely doable.

What do you do Cowpokey? We use it all the time too....and I also build antennas. I wonder if we both work at NGC and not know it. I'm a mechanical engineer there.
Delrin is kind of akin to teflon. Generally white or black and a self lubricating plastic. Acetal is truly the real name for this plastic. Delrin is Dupont's trade name for it. We use it all the time in military grade products.

[JohnE]

I was just wondering. I guess they are designed in California so I figured they must do ok in the surf. The waves on the beach were not really that big that time, but there were some breakers. Most times I have done real surf launches, like in Outer Banks, I have more problems coming back in then heading out. The ride is actually pretty decent for light surf since you can slide the seat way back.

[Cowpokey]

Delrin is really strong stuff, considering it's essentially plastic. It is used in my line of work all the time in the construction of antennas.

I haven't done a real surf launch yet with my Outback, the closest thing to it would be launching off the beach in the bay with waves around a foot. That wasn't an issue, but still not "surf". As soon as you get more than a foot of depth you can drop the mirage drive in and pedal away...up until that point, it paddles like a regular kayak, just a little bit wider than desirable for much distance.

Folks on the west coast launch through the surf with Outbacks, so it's definitely doable.

[Pinch]

Man, I was about to pull the trigger on a cuda 14 but this new report has me thinking that I should sell a motorcycle or two to cover the crown I need to fix this tooth I broke last weekend and go ahead with the order on a new outback. I did not think plastic bearings sounded good and I was pretty sure they would use something really high tech like this 'delrin', but I don't know enough about that type of stuff to know anything about those materials.

However, one thing I am worried about is surf launches in a mirage drive kayak. I am wondering how an outback would perform in those types of situations. For example, I fished cbbt last weekend in 3' plus conditions last weekend and found myself wondering how an outback would have handled it. Is it just as simple as pulling the mirage drive and paddling like a regular kayak or is this one of the tradeoffs for owning a pedal driven kayak?

Outback will handle it just as well as any other kayak.

[JohnE]

Man, I was about to pull the trigger on a cuda 14 but this new report has me thinking that I should sell a motorcycle or two to cover the crown I need to fix this tooth I broke last weekend and go ahead with the order on a new outback. I did not think plastic bearings sounded good and I was pretty sure they would use something really high tech like this 'delrin', but I don't know enough about that type of stuff to know anything about those materials.

However, one thing I am worried about is surf launches in a mirage drive kayak. I am wondering how an outback would perform in those types of situations. For example, I fished cbbt last weekend in 3' plus conditions last weekend and found myself wondering how an outback would have handled it. Is it just as simple as pulling the mirage drive and paddling like a regular kayak or is this one of the tradeoffs for owning a pedal driven kayak?

[CAGE RATTLER]

Wow...what a tease..lol
Good to hear about the bearings.

[RavensDfense]

I don't think so. The dealer rep was at my sponsoring dealer over my lunch break. It was his display model which he uses to familarize the dealers with.

[Cowpokey]

Where did you do see it? Can the rest of us "common folk" go someplace to see it too?

[RavensDfense]

I just sat in a 2015 Outback. Wow. The two things that stuck out to me the most were the new drive system and the versatility/comfort of the seat. The drive system is effortless (out of the water). I know what your thinking....of course its effortless, its out of the water, but this thing required little more than a slight breeze to move it. They were reported to be the same in the water. Also the bearings are not plastic, they are Delrin; an extremely strong, wear resistant material used to replace metal parts.

The seat is very comfortable and extremely versatile. It has three height positions (low, med, and high) which are controlled by pulling a small strap. The back is adjustable as well. It can be adjusted a number of different ways to fit your personal preference. Taking the seat in and out was a breeze. It locks into place. Like the PA seat, it can be removed and used as a beach chair.

A few other things.....the deck is also extremely flat and standing was easy. There are mesh pockets (like the Revo has) on both sides. A stiffer paddle upgrade is also standard.

Hopefully the new shipment will arrive mid/late september. If your are thinking about an upgrade, the changes are pretty significant and IMO make the OB an exciting option. Hobie is scheduled to update their website on 9/1, so more detailed information should be provided available at that time.

I just wanted to share some basics because I know this thread generated a lot of interest and questions.

[Ganto]

M bad!

Sorry about my previous post and the columns being out of alignment. I'm still learning things about this Board.