My wife and I love our Oasis for touring, exercise and seeing the critters at our local lake, ?.
However, the Oasis is too much of a yak re length, width, WEIGHT, and not really balanced for an old (all most 72 year old Fly Fisher).
I need a lighter Yak, one that will fit in the bed of my Ridgeline and can be easily brought to a launch area, removed from truck bed and thrown into the water and launced and with an easy reversal to get the Yak back on my Ridgeline to go home and then store the Yak.
Also, I needed a smaller and more adaptable yak for most of my fishing.
So I thought about a Sport. The weight limit would be a constant hassle due to me weighing 210, leaving 35# for gear and whatever.
The biggest problem with the Sport was finding a dealer,
who would sell me a Sport without the Mirage unit, paddle, seat and other standard gear. I have all of that with our Oasis, and I don't want to waste our funds for gear that I have that would be at home if I had a Sport with all of the gear that is redundant with what I own with the Oasis.
Hobie is missing a lot of business with this hard nose policy during an incredible recession. Hobie should allow legitimate Mirage Owners and other Hobie gear to waive the Mirages and other redundant gear at a price that would benefit Hobie and the customers.
Stability and ability to cast standing up with a flyrod was also critical
The Sport even with my Oasis AMA's might be a little tricky.
The Freedom Hawk 12 with the 3 position outrigger stabilizers will be very stable in most of my waters. I can stand and do my two handed Spey/Switch Rod casts basically in a 360 rotation with the Hawk anchored or stabilized with a stake going through the scuppers and into the water and into the river/lake bed.
The Freedom Hawk 12 has two down sides:
1. No mirage unit, a very addictive piece of engineering for an old guy with bad rotator cuffs and a torn bicep head. So I will have to limit where I go with the FH12.
2. FH12 is apparently not that stable in the rougher waters and lower Napa river with wind and tidal impacts. So I will be avoiding those waters.
I would probably add a Revolution to the mix if I can buy one without the Mirage Unit, paddle, seat, dry bag and other standard so called Freebies, all of which we got when we bought our Oasis a few months ago.