2015 Hobie Outback

[JohnE]

It's about the same really. But if you are fishing the CBBT, the hobies have an advantage because you can hold the current better vs paddling. When it's roaring, then forget it but during slow current, you can peddle and hold against the pilings and fish still.

I use a piling hugger to fish pilings in current, hands free would be nice at times though. One handed paddling gets a little annoying after a while when there the current is not right for piling hugger.

My knee is bad also and had surgery on it not that long ago. But I think peddling would be easier on me since I also have chronic back pain and a reconstucted shoulder. Plus peddling will help me get my legs in shape for snowboarding season, since I cant seem to get out on my bicycles when I spend the majority of my free time/weekends paddling.

[Frogsauce]

Does slowly walking up stairs bother your knees? If it doesn't, peddling a Hobie won't bother them either.

Your right, but I have to go up and down stairs... I don't have to pedal my kayak.

[Cowpokey]

I average 4 mph in my Tarpon 120 at an easy paddling pace. I can break 5 mph in bursts, but rarely have a need to. I don't want to pedal because I tore my knees up in the Marines and don't want to put anymore stress on them than necessary!

Does slowly walking up stairs bother your knees? If it doesn't, peddling a Hobie won't bother them either.

[Cowpokey]

You guys with the oubacks already...any of you know about how fast you average peddling one, top speed you have seen and stuff like that. I was looking around a little bit and I'm seeing that they may not really much faster than what I have now. I can average 3 mph paddling my ride 135 pretty hard and up close to 4 in bursts of full out paddling. My tarpon 140 is substantially faster. I don't think the outback will really be much faster than my tarpon, but more stable and less fatiguing. Just curious to see what other are experiencing in order to keep it on my list before I preorder one of these new kayaks coming out.

It's pretty easy for me to peddle at 3 knots, which is way too fast for trolling IMHO. If I want to sprint, 4 knots isn't too much of a push on the bay...I've gotten to a little over 5 knots on flat non tidal water. Pushing hard in the end is kind of pointless, when you get to where you're going; you're just going to be tired upon arrival. I'd rather troll from launch to landing, then I'm fishing the whole time.

If FY-15 budget allows, we will be adding another Outback to the Cowfleet next spring. There will be a Change of Command for the current flagship, and Cowkid2 will take over the bridge.

[HokieDJ]

You guys with the oubacks already...any of you know about how fast you average peddling one, top speed you have seen and stuff like that. I was looking around a little bit and I'm seeing that they may not really much faster than what I have now. I can average 3 mph paddling my ride 135 pretty hard and up close to 4 in bursts of full out paddling. My tarpon 140 is substantially faster. I don't think the outback will really be much faster than my tarpon, but more stable and less fatiguing. Just curious to see what other are experiencing in order to keep it on my list before I preorder one of these new kayaks coming out.

It's about the same really. But if you are fishing the CBBT, the hobies have an advantage because you can hold the current better vs paddling. When it's roaring, then forget it but during slow current, you can peddle and hold against the pilings and fish still.

[Frogsauce]

I average 4 mph in my Tarpon 120 at an easy paddling pace. I can break 5 mph in bursts, but rarely have a need to. I don't want to pedal because I tore my knees up in the Marines and don't want to put anymore stress on them than necessary!

[Romo]

^^^ what he said. It doesn't matter if you have the fastest paddle yak in the world you're not going to catch as many fish as you would from a hobie simply based on the time you spend fishing vs. paddling. Unless you troll a lot. And no, the revo is not significantly faster than the outback. Its all propaganda and the difference is negligible.

[Mark]

My experience in fishing side-by-side with those who paddle and those who pedal is that speed is not the issue.

Most do 3 to 4 MPH as a natural pace regardless of their particular kayak.

However pedaling may offer an advantage to some in terms of stamina and some may find the act of fishing easier when their hands are free of paddling.

[RavensDfense]

is the outback really faster then a PA??? i have a PA12 n do 4 mph consistently with minimal effort

I've owned both an OB and a PA 14 and have fished just about everywhere in the bay with them. I think the OB is a hair faster. I can't say how it compares to the PA 12.

[BassMoore]

is the outback really faster then a PA??? i have a PA12 n do 4 mph consistently with minimal effort

[JohnE]

You guys with the oubacks already...any of you know about how fast you average peddling one, top speed you have seen and stuff like that. I was looking around a little bit and I'm seeing that they may not really much faster than what I have now. I can average 3 mph paddling my ride 135 pretty hard and up close to 4 in bursts of full out paddling. My tarpon 140 is substantially faster. I don't think the outback will really be much faster than my tarpon, but more stable and less fatiguing. Just curious to see what other are experiencing in order to keep it on my list before I preorder one of these new kayaks coming out.

[Romo]

Maybe this is a silly question but can you just buy the new hulls and seats with no drive? I'm perfectly happy with my drive (which I just rebuilt) and if it would save me $700-800 I could keep my beat up revo 13 hull, get a new outback hull and just switch the drive as needed? Crazy? Maybe, but I'm thinking its gonna cost me around $1k to upgrade so if I can just spend $1k on the outback hull I'll have a drive and 2 hulls instead of one drive and one hull....

[RavensDfense]

I see the PA 12 being phased out by the Outback. Cheaper, car tops easier, tracks better, comfy new seat, upgrade to a square hatch, and you can stand.

[jet]

I really wonder if I would like the new chair on a revo

[HokieDJ]

If I can stand on it, it may shift the need from PA12 to Outback. hmmmm.