Hobie Cat Forums

I had the older Hobie Outback and learned to handle the "instability". I loved it and used it for years, but I traded it in and now have a new 2012 Outback and it has some good things and some bad things about it. I live and fish in Florida (I am the head honcho of the Kayak Fishing Club of the Palm Beaches) and the older (like your 2005 model) turns in a much tighter radius than the new one (big difference so a plus for the 2005). If you get into weeds (and we do here in Florida) or go over grass flats, your 2005 model rudder just comes up to clear the grass or weeds and just goes back down, but the newer 'twist and stow' rudder sometimes gets so much weed on it that you need to call someone over to help you get unstuck. When you can pull it (the rudder) up, the kayak turns left and comes to a screeching halt and makes a lot of noise (really really good when sneaking up on Reds - yeah, right) both coming up and going down. You need the larger rudder for your Outback to be able to move about hands free in the new one and then it still requires a lot of 'tweaking' while moving. Your older one will go straighter much longer and is so much more able to be "hands-free". My son weighs almost 275 pounds and the older Outback was extremely stable for him, but I could not turn my body around to see behind me and had to turn the kayak for that (yes, I am an old guy and my arthritis will not allow me to turn my head very far and I weigh about 175). My new one is so stable that I can move around, turn sideways, even put both feet in the water on one side with no problems, and stand up in it to get my lure back from the trees when I seem to be fishing for squirrels. When people talk about their Hobie Outbacks, it is important for everyone in the discussion to know about these and other differences in the model years before giving "advice". And I wish I could change back to the older style simple up and down rudder. Learn to use your 2005 model and you will enjoy it for a long time (be sure to check for cracks near the Mirage drive fittings inside the hull though).

Thanks all for the replys!

I am just going to keep at it like most people were saying and hopefully get used to it. I guess i am just used to being on a boat where this is not comparable, il make sure to let you know if i make a few splashes or conquer the kayak !

Hi Travis,

I also recently purchased a used 2005 outback SUV. I took it out on the lake for the first time last weekend, and I have the same question you originally asked. After reading some reviews, I expected to feel much more steady than I did. I'm not disputing the consensus that the kayak is unusually stable - and that it may take a bit to appreciate its stability. That being said, I also wondered whether adding some extra weight might be helpful for those of us who weigh considerably less than 200 lbs. (I got the idea after reading some threads where people suggested that a heavier person might sit a little lower in the outback and find it to be more stable.) I'm curious to know if you ever tried adding some weight (and what did you use), and/or now that you've likely spent some time on the water, what do you think about that idea?

Thanks!

Adding weight is an option and I may do that now in the back (stern) of my 2012 outback to get the front (bow) out of the water. It is the flat vertical area at the bow that creates the steering problems. For your 2005 model, I would recommend making some simple floating device (outrigger if you will) to give the Outback more initial stability. I was working on some ideas for that when I got my new Outback so do not need that now (the 2012 has other problems to overcome).

Hmmmmm... when you get out and it tips to the side...it must have a lot of water in it or sometin'

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