Have always liked the Hobie brand since my days on a Hobie 16 Cat. Just purchased a new Quest 13 after cutting my teeth on a Wilderness Ride 13.5. Some immediate observations after several hours out on a variety of water. Two most important are... I have a dry seat ! and the yak can be placed on top of my Rav4 alone. I am over 6' and 230 lbs. I quickly learned to plug the scuppers closest to my seat to ensure a dry ride. The handles on the bow and stern are flimsy and could be designed to be more sturdy. The hatches are great and DRY !. I traded out the original seat for a rather high fishing model and glad I did... real comfort on long trips.
The Quest 13 tracks reasonably well but does require concentration to stay online. I intentionally did not get the rudder (At the suggestion of the dealer) to learn the proper handling and paddling skills first. Good Choice !
Finally, I really purchased the Quest at a good price and after selling my Wilderness on Craig's
I would tell my friends to buy a Quest. I did water test both the 11 & 13 and both were great. My size dictated the 13 made more sense. I remain a loyal Hobie fan !!! Good design, good price, great dealers...
