Profile

I have owned this model Hobie for a couple of years now. Like all Hobie products it has some good points and a lot of bad. The Mirage drive is wonderful, especially the older less complicated drive without kick-up fins or 360 option. The kayak is fairly stable. The hand-controlled rudder works well. That's all I can think of for good points. However, it also expensive and extremely heavy. For a 13 foot kayak to weigh almost 90 pounds (fitted weight) is ridiculous. The hatches are very leaky. It steers horribly without the rudder, so landing and launching, particularly in any kind of surf, is a problem. It paddles very slowly. The plastic of the hull is very soft making it much more prone to scratching and damage than other rotomold kayaks. And the 2-year warranty is about the shortest in the industry. Especially for a hull that is prone to cracking. The 3-star rating is generous. I have shoulder problems that prevent me from paddling long distances. That's the ONLY reason I own a Hobie.

One thing I forgot to mention is the hatches. They leak - BADLY. There is no excuse for this. I have owned many other kayaks with hatches and they all leak a little, but nothing like the Hobies. These hatches are absolutely awful. For the prices they charge the hatches should be way better. They should quit trying to design their own hatches and install tried and true designs from other makers.

Update: In my 3rd year with this kayak, the hull cracked. Through an informal poll of 80 other Hobie users I learned that Hobie pedal drive kayaks have more than a 10% failure rate for these cracks. And they don't seem to be repairable. The Hobie warranty on their kayaks only lasts 2 years, This kinda sucks since most kayak makers warranty their hulls for 5 years to lifetime. Hobie will sell you a discounted replacement hull but it doesn't come with any warranty at all. I finally had to file a complaint with the state of California to get a one year warranty on the new hull. Too bad, because I love the Mirage drive. Be warned.

The hood is very comfortable and durable. Keeps my head warm in 37-degree water. But... The neck is too long and curls up used with my latex-gasket drysuit. I needed to trim it. The trimming was easy enough although NRS told me I voided the warranty. Oh well.

I purchased an OK Mysto to use in the surf. I was not at all happy with it. This kayak tends to perl very easily on any kind of moderate to large wave. I quickly got rid of it. I now use a Cobra Strike, but even the old OK Frenzy was better than the Mysto. At least, that was my experience.

The Desperado is not generally thought of as a surf paddle, but it was recommended to me for this use. Great suggestion! I really love this paddle in the waves. It has enough blade face to dig quickly when needed, and for braces or other maneuvers. But it is not so large that it beats up your shoulders. And it is super tough! I cannot break this paddle, despite tons of abuse. Even though I purchased mine in a two-piece configuration, it has endured years in the surf with no problems. The only thing I wish is that it wasn't all black. This can make it harder to find if you lose it in the surf. Other than that, I love it.

I use the Stohlquist Asea for kayak fishing. I wanted a vest that had buckles rather than a zipper, and this was one of only a few made. The adjustability is a plus. Pockets are more than adequate, without being so big that they hinder a self-rescue. Durability is good, but not great. These vests last me about 4-5 years before the color becomes extremely faded, and the reflective patches starts to unravel.

Weight:

The listed weight is 55 pounds. That isn't horrible as standard USA plastic yaks go, but I guess I am just getting spoiled by much lighter kayaks. In my opinion anything over 60 pounds is not fun to use.

Handling:

Adjusting and installing the drive is easy. The rudder is excellent in the way it stows for launch and landing. I do have some problems deploying the rudder because it catches on the rudder bungee retaining clip.

Without the rudder the kayak is almost impossible to handle. Hobie should have done a much better job with this aspect of hull design. Yes, you normally operate with the rudder. However, if it breaks you are in deep trouble. There are also situations like surf launches and landings where the rudder should be stowed.

With the rudder up, tracking is nonexistent. You will fight to keep this kayak on course. I have heard that this is just a problem created by poor user paddle technique. I assure you, it isn’t. I have been paddling all kinds of kayaks for many years, and I know how to paddle using corrective strokes and lean-steering. This kayak flat-out sucks without the rudder.

I miss the fact that the Hobie won't back up or turn on a dime with the drive. It does circle quite tightly, even with the standard rudder. Stability seems good, both primary and secondary. Not as good as some of my other kayaks, but adequate. It is at its worst with following seas.

Speed:

For a short, rather wide kayak, the Revo 11 has good speed. I measured an average cruising speed of 3.3-3.5 mph with the Mirage drive and Turbo fins. A fast pace that I could hold with the Mirage drive for a couple hundred yards or so was 4.0. The max I could get was 5.0. That seemed slow, but it is what it is. A well-conditioned pedaler might up these by 10% or so.

“Hands free” operation:

This is really a bogus claim. In reality there is a frequent need to adjust the rudder and that takes one hand. So, it is really HAND free operation. Also, when fighting a fish if you want to turn, you must take one hand off your reel. With a paddle kayak you operate the rudder with your feet. The mirage drive does let you advance the boat to pick up line or use the drive to fight a fish away from obstructions. Good and bad.

Durability:

My mirage drive has developed problems 4 times in the 2 years I’ve had it. Most were easy fixes. It did require me to replace the idler pulley. You need to check the drive often and even then it is not trouble free. In addition, the plastic hull material seems softer than most. It scratches easily and will develop divots and dents if not stored properly.

I would give it a ten except that I believe there no perfect boats. It is very close, at least if you want what this canoe offers.