Outback or revolution?

If you are a fisherman, definitely get the Outback.

You'll hear this advice a lot and it's terrible advice. And it usually comes from people who haven't tried fishing from both. I suggest you only listen to people who have, because according to every Hobie owner, their model is the best.

Not everyone is looking for the same thing when it comes to fishing. if you want a rock-steady platform with lots of storage, lots of rod holders, and don't care if it's slower, don't care if it paddles poorly, don't care if it handles rough water badly, and don't care that its harder to push along (on land and water) then yes, look at an outback.

But the Revo is a highly capable kayak for fishing. I have owned both. if I had to choose again I wouldn't dream of getting an Outback. Why? because it handles the kind of water i fish a lot better. And it's an excellent fishing platform in its own right.

Look guys, you can modify just about any hobie kayak for fishing. But what you cannot modify much is the ride. You NEED to buy a kayak that is well suited for your usage scenario and that includes water conditions. In fact, thats the most important thing.

Asking questions like 'which is better' will only get you a deluge of conflicting responses. Go and try them out. Spend some time in them. Think about how they suit your needs and make your own decision.

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Kayak Fishing Specialist: SLH
https://slhobie.com.au

Superb advice from an excellent source!

That is sound advice from someone who has skills to pay the bills. I am renting a revolution in may to chase around the sea bass. I am sure now after great advice and a lot of research that the revo is for me.. I am sure it will fit all my needs.. thanks all of you for your input. See you on the water. special thanks to yakass. Love your videos you got me fired up for fishing on kayaks buddy!

I should have qualified myself better. I do not fish salt water, only freshwater. Also the Outback has rod holders and handy side trays for lures, tools etc. To each their own. Hobie makes a great product despite your needs.

Very Sound advice Yakass,

Try it before you buy it and you may find yourself saving alot to time and money from an early swap or upgrade and wishing I should have gotten that one. Another thing I learned is if it is a cost thing then wait a little longer if you need to and buy what you want not want you can afford .. again you will only regret the decision and have a kayak you need to sell in order to get the one you wanted. But most important of all get one for what YOU want to use it for and the conditions YOU will be facing.

Revo

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I would rather be kayaking and think about work than to be at work thinking about kayaking.
A Thrill Ride is being dragged around in your kayak for 40 minutes by an extremely large fish.

I totally agree Revo. However you need to have all of the options available before you make this important decision. My point: The New to be released Evolve motor next month. I, like most am an devoted fan of Hobie. I owned the Mirage Sport before realizing it was not large enough for me. Still a great kayak, but when I upgraded to the Outback (paid for and not even delivered yet), I chose to purchase the Evolve motor. I would have been very unhappy finding out a few weeks later, that a new improved model is available shortly. So, yes wait and get what you WANT.

Keving, by your own qualification, the Outback probably is the best choice for you. But to be going around making statements like 'if you're a fishermen, get an Outback' you really are dishing out horrible advice. Its advice like that that gets people confused and very often influences them to buy the wrong yak for their needs. Just because it works for you, doesn't mean it'll work for the next. There is no one 'perfect fishing kayak' in Hobie's range or anyone elses.

As for those handy trays you mention, when I upgraded from an Outback to Revo long ago (a very common upgrade by the way, but rarely the other way around) it took me all of 3 seconds to stop missing them. Actually the mesh covered pockets hold more and are more secure. The Revo is also faster, smoother, paddles better, handles more water conditions better and is a truly capable fishing kayak in it's own right - no more or less 'fishable' (for lack of a better word) than an Outback. It's all about horses for courses.

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Kayak Fishing Specialist: SLH
https://slhobie.com.au

Great advice and nice fish..I can't wait till I get my revo in may.

Great advise. Last year I put a deposit down for an Outback (didn't have the color I wanted). So the Hobie dealer graciously let me demo another Outback until mine came in. Two weeks went by and I ended up taking home a red Revo. What I thought would be THE kayak for me ended up being what I did NOT want. One of the most noticable differences was the hull slap. The Outback is extremely loud IMHO. The Revo, on the other hand, is virtually silent. I fish fresh waters mainly but recently took it to FL for a week long fishing vacation and I must say I love it even more than I thought I would.

By the way, I demo-ed the Outback several times before I "took it home for 2 weeks" and it was only then that I realized it wasn't for me.

Just like everyone else says, demo as much as possible (in various conditions)before you drop down close to $2k for a yak. A good friend of mine has an Outback and they are wishing they bought the Revo now.

I'm sure my local Hobie dealer is like the others, very helpful and willing to go the extra mile to make sure you get the yak YOU want.

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2014 Tandem Island

Great advise. Last year I put a deposit down for an Outback (didn't have the color I wanted). So the Hobie dealer graciously let me demo another Outback until mine came in. Two weeks went by and I ended up taking home a red Revo. What I thought would be THE kayak for me ended up being what I did NOT want. One of the most noticable differences was the hull slap. The Outback is extremely loud IMHO. The Revo, on the other hand, is virtually silent. I fish fresh waters mainly but recently took it to FL for a week long fishing vacation and I must say I love it even more than I thought I would.

By the way, I demo-ed the Outback several times before I "took it home for 2 weeks" and it was only then that I realized it wasn't for me.

Just like everyone else says, demo as much as possible (in various conditions)before you drop down close to $2k for a yak. A good friend of mine has an Outback and they are wishing they bought the Revo now.

I'm sure my local Hobie dealer is like the others, very helpful and willing to go the extra mile to make sure you get the yak YOU want.

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2014 Tandem Island

Correctomondo. When I do demos for customers interested in both, when they are on one yak, I ride the other right next to them, so they can see and hear the difference. Sometimes thats all it takes for many to realize they are better with one over the other.

Understanding that many beginners imagine that the Outback is going to be stable and thus assume the Revo is not, before I even let them get on the Revo, I pedal is out a few metres out from the bank and start rocking it violently, so much so that water overlaps each side. I do this to show them how stable the Revo really is

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Kayak Fishing Specialist: SLH
https://slhobie.com.au

I just found a great cheap gps app for the iphone called flytomaps. For $5 you get the app and the Florida Map. It has good resolution, nav aids and water depth contours. Works perfect. One really neat feature is you can start a tract and snap pictures al along the way. When you're done the tract you can easily email the track to yourself. It shows up as an .eml file that can be opened with Google Earth. You can see the entire track with icons that show the pics and where the pics were taken. Pretty neat for $5.
One I did notice is if you use continous navigation on the iphone it really chews up the battery. I use a plug in battery pack I got from cellphoneshop.net for $20. It gives about the same amount of time as the built in battery.

Johnny

revo. hands down best fishing kayak......

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John

Good point Yakass. I was just trying to inject a response to a question based on my own experience.