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 Post subject: Weighty subject
PostPosted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 4:24 pm 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2006 3:47 pm
Posts: 5
Location: Clearwater Fl
Greeting Y'all....new member and first post. Rented a kayak last year for a birthday celebration with several friends... and immediatly fell in love with the sport. So for a full year, I have been driving myself near crazy trying to find "the one' I will purchase. And then saw the Outback at a local dealers and fell in love!!! OK....so I want one! Now for my problem...After reading I think all of the posts here, I have failed to see any address my particular issue.... Several post related to how much body weight the Outback can handle, but none on light fellows like my self. I weigh in at a whopping 140 Lbs....work out a lot and am in near excellent shape. But the local dealer advises me that I am too light for the Outback, and is trying to veer me towards the Sport. He says I could not keep the Outback "down", whatever that means....I get to rent either one for a day and if I buy it, the rental will be deducted from the price, so I am not opposed to rent both and try them out... but I am hesitant to lay out that much money based on only one day on the water. So I guess I am asking....is it really possible to be too light for an Outback? Any other little scrappy fellows like me out there that have a problem handeling the Outback?....Birthday is on 8/20 and I plan on cebelerating it on a Hobie Fishing machine....Can you guys help decide which one it will be??... Thanks..... :?:

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 4:59 pm 
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Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2006 4:53 pm
Posts: 64
Art1,

Yes, your dealer is telling you right. It takes a certain amount of weight to press the Outback far enough in the water to get both "sponsoons" to touch the water. In English, this means the Outback will either lean to the left or right as you travel along. This tipping bothers some people, while others don't mind it. It takes roughly 200lbs to keep the Outback happy. If you are like me, and take a lot of gear along with you, it is not hard to meet the Outback weight minimum. I have the Sport, and am 180lbs, 32" inseam, and it is perfect for me... unless I am carrying all my gear, and then it can get downright sluggish as I approach it's weight limit. Believe me, with rods, tackle, cooler, fishfinder, battery, first aid kit, safety gear, anchor, sail kit, etc., it adds up fast.

So long story short, you can get either the Sport or Outback, depending upon the amount (weight) of gear you plan on taking along.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 5:48 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:46 pm
Posts: 3017
Location: Escondido
There's no substitute for first hand experience. Try them both. You'll know right away. 8)


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 10:34 pm 
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Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 9:11 pm
Posts: 87
Location: GA
I have a "scrapy" framed friend that has been in the Outback without any fishing gear... it is a little tippy. But add a cooler with ice, tackle, etc. you will get the Outback down on its sponson. Take the extra gear in both and determine which you want... Are you going to be loading the boat alone? Trailer? Pick them up and see if loading is going to be an issue. Apalache would be a good resource for a comparison, search on his name and find the post of his comparisons.


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 Post subject: Could be 'tippy'
PostPosted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 6:30 am 
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Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 7:14 am
Posts: 19
Location: Sebago Lake, Maine
My 120 lb. wife does not feel comfortable in my Outback. I try to assure her it will not tip over but she does not like the how 'tippy' it feels.

I am 170 lbs. and carry a minimum amount of gear, about 25 lbs. and I don't feel 'tippy' but I do get alot of slap on the hull, even with just a little chop on the water, because of the hull shape, waves slap the hull. The slap is noisy but a small trade off for the all around capabilities of the Outback.

I have read the Apalach's posts, he is an experienced and respected Outback owner (guru), he purchased a Sport for his wife and now uses the Sport more than his Outback because of the Sport's ease of tranport and maneuverability.http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=2428&highlight=apalach


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 9:02 am 
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Joined: Fri Nov 19, 2004 6:56 am
Posts: 822
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Hey Art,
A hearty Florida welcome to you--great site here. Yep--your dealer was right on. Without about 40 lbs of additional gear, the OB will feel "tippy." My 135 lb brother-in-law was wobbling all over the place in the OB. Even I, at 175 lbs, have felt the same in the OB on occasion with no gear aboard. Of course, you would probably get used to it over time and not notice it all that much, but I think the Sport would be perfect for you, depending on your inseam length. I am 5'11 with a 30 inch inseam, and the "throw" of the Mirage drive adjustment has to be set as far forward as possible for me. But in the OB, I can set it about in the middle and am comfortable.

But, as mattyak and others point out you need a fair amount of weight to set the OB down on its haunches (or sponsons = hull bulges). I was out with my buddy last weekend--I in the Sport and he in the OB. Now he is about 6'2", but tips the scales at a hefty 285 lbs, and I have to say, he really put my OB right down in the water with that weight. Yet he was perfectly comfortable, even though he had never been in a yak before, and was hesitant initially even to try because of his weight. However, the OB is "advertised" by Hobie to handle up to 450 lbs! That may be pushing it a bit, but 300 lbs or so is no problem for the OB.

As matt also points out, I have come around to using my wife's Sport more than my OB now. I had knee surgery last year, and although the knee is fine for normal walking, I do notice it when I have to lug around a heavy load. I weighed my OB with all the extra RAM balls, SS hardware and screws, rudder, etc. and it came in at 77 lbs on the bathroom scale. I have to say that I sure notice it with my knee and back, as compared with manhandling the much lighter Sport around on the ground.

It is interesting to me that JonS, who is one of the owners of KayakFishingStuff.com, and who can choose any yak made, has mentioned that the Sport has become his favorite yak for its maneuverabiity and handling, especially in freshwater. But, if you are traveling long distances on the open sea, or in bays and inlets, the Sport will probably be way too slow for you, and you will definitely have trouble (as in impossible!) keeping up with someone in a Kaskazi Dorado, Hobie Adventure, or a Tarpon 160. Speaking of which, you might want to look at a BigA (my name for the Adventure), since it has a much different hull design than the OB and does not have that tippy feeling for smaller folks.

Good luck with your choice, but you can't beat Greg Ketterman's Mirage Drive for all around use, and especially that hands-free maneuverability when fighting a fish, trolling, rigging a line, photography, etc.
Best,
Dick

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Aug 05, 2006 3:48 pm 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2006 6:21 pm
Posts: 8
Art - Just one more voice to say your dealer is shootin' you straight. I bought an Outback in March, and I'm still struggling to get used to flopping back and forth from one side to the other. I'm about 165# and carry a reasonable amount of gear, but I have never come close to feeling like the boat was floating steady. I'm convinced the secondary stability is there, but it gets to be annoying, particularly if the fish aren't biting. :wink: Since buying, I've ridden a Sport. It sacrifices some room, but for me it would have been a better choice. If you can do it, spend the bucks and test 'em both. It may save you a good bit of expensive grief later.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Aug 05, 2006 10:50 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2005 3:15 pm
Posts: 122
Location: Sandy Eggo
It's well known that the Outback is most stable when loaded down due to the hull design but here's a thought. The Sidekick amas/outriggers kit is now available and although it is offered as an aid to sailing it also should serve as an excellent initial stability enhancer. With the Sidekick floats adjusted to the "Low" position and held down into constant contact with the water the lightest pedaler should feel completely stable. In fact I suspect it will allow an Outbacker to stand up to strech the legs if desired.

I just took delivery of the Sidekick amas kit this week and will be putting it to the test tomorrow on Roadrunner's favorite lake, Lake Hodges in Escondido. Maybe I'll see him there again, towing disabled power boats around! :shock:


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 Post subject: sidekick
PostPosted: Sun Aug 06, 2006 6:08 am 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2005 6:42 am
Posts: 7
Location: New Hampshire, USA
I picked up my sidekick yesterday and test-fitted for location - I'd be interested to hear your thoughts about my post under Kayak Sailing -> "Any Word On".

Thanks!
Ken Shuman
Durham, New Hampshire


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Aug 06, 2006 10:20 pm 
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Hobie Approved Guru

Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:46 pm
Posts: 3017
Location: Escondido
Noalias wrote:
I just took delivery of the Sidekick amas kit this week and will be putting it to the test tomorrow on Roadrunner's favorite lake, Lake Hodges in Escondido.:shock:

Sorry to have missed you, Noalias! The wife and I were there yesterday with the Tandem. I brought the Adventure this morning for some exercise. There were lots of kayaks, and especially lots of new Hobies (notably, Sports). They must be flying out the door!

Went back this afternoon for a fantastic sail -- was hoping to see you with your sidekick and sail kit! How did it work out?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 2:34 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2005 3:15 pm
Posts: 122
Location: Sandy Eggo
Well... no report on the Sidekick performance yet. I installed the Sidekick on Saturday with the intention of trying it out on Lake Hodges on Sunday. When I installed the cross bar on the Outback I discovered that the 3 holes (each 90 degrees apart) drilled in one end did not line up with the 3 holes drilled in the other end. They were rotationally offset by about 30 degrees. I called my dealer, Fast Lane this morning and drove over there to exchange the defective cross bar. The others they had on hand were also defective in the same manner but not to the same extent. I settled for the best one I could find and will try to get out for sea trials next week end. To their credit the bars were all cut to the same length...


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