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Thoughts and Impressions of the 07 Hobie Outback Mirage
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Author:  Robert [ Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Thoughts and Impressions of the 07 Hobie Outback Mirage

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Drew and I went down to Fastlane Sailing Center this morning. We wanted to try out the brand new 07 Hobie Outback Mirage. Neither of us have tried the Hobies with the Mirage Drive before.

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When we got there we checked out the Outback that they had on display. It was beautiful! Without a doubt it is the most well made rotomolded kayak that I have ever seen!

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The finish and quality of construction are second to none! We takled to Ron Lane, the owner. He told us about the improvements that were made on the 07 vs the 06. The hull is a little flatter. This gives the kayak better stability for people under 200 lbs. The tankwell layout is a little different on the 07.

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The front hatch is good size, and getting rods in there on the water shouldn't be a problem.


We were all set to try the outback out on the water at Dana Landing. They only had one Outback for demos, so they put a new Revolution in the water for us to try out also.

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The Revolution is a much sleeker kayak than the Outback. 28.5 inches wide vs the Outback's 33 inches. 13.5 ft long vs 12.1 for the Outback.
I got in the Outback first. The kid that works for Ron adjusted the peddles
and let me know a few things about the Outback. Then I was off. The kayak is as stable as a rock! The rudder is very responsive on the Outback. It turns on a dime. The kid told me that taking full strokes with the peddles was unnecessary. That I just needed to take short fast strokes and the kayak would move out. He was right! That sucker took off like a rocket! Out of the hole this kayak really gets with the program! Carving turns with the hand controlled rudder is a blast! We decided to drag race the Outback and the Revolution. Surprisingly the race was pretty close. The revolution pulled the Outback by about a boat length, but that was about it. We went back to the dock and switched kayaks. The Revolution is fast! Of course it is not as stable as the Outback, but it has pretty good glide after you stop peddling. The Outback doesn't have much glide, but this doesn't seem to hinder the performance much. The Mirage drive more than makes up for it. The rudder wasn't nearly as responsive on the Revolution as the Outback's. This isn't a big deal once you get out in open water though. The Revolution was a great kayak. Fast and fun, but not as stable as I would like for a fishing kayak. The Outback was a fantastic kayak! It has everything I would want in a fishing kayak. Stability, storage, a great deck layout, and good speed to get out to the fishing grounds! Afterwards we checked out the 07 outback some more in the showroom and talked to Ron about the kayak. He really is a nice guy! Thanks Ron for letting us pick your brain and thanks for the demo! There is no doubt in my mind that my next kayak will be a 07 Hobie Outback Mirage from Fastlane Sailing Center. That Outback is fantastic!

Robert

Author:  Apalach [ Sat Sep 16, 2006 6:02 am ]
Post subject: 

Hey Robert
That was a great report, pics, and comparison of the two yaks that I have been most interested in: the Revo and the new OB. I was especially interested in the changes to the OB hull that eliminated/reduced that tippy feeling that a lot of us have commented on re the older OB.

I was also very interested in the speed comparison between the two. How long was your test course? I would have expected the Revo to be faster, and it was. Although a single hull length difference may not seem like much over a short distance, over a 2-3 mile stretch it could add up to a big difference in getting to your destination and not being left in the "dust". My local dealer, the Wilderness Way, does not expect to have any of the new boats in until about the middle of October so I will have to wait until then to check them out in person. Thanks again for the report.
Dick

Author:  Robert [ Sat Sep 16, 2006 7:24 am ]
Post subject:  Outback

Dick,
We got to demo each boat for about 15 minutes each. Over a long distance the Revolution would beat the Outback by a considerable amount. But for me, and the kind of fishing that I do in the places that I fish, the Outback was the winner. I'm a big guy at 6' 1" 250 lbs. I really appreciated the extra stability of the Outback. The Outback has 2 extra rodholders in front of the seat for trolling. It also has a bigger tankwell and more capacity. I will trade a little speed for all of these things that I am looking for in a fishing kayak any day.

Robert

Author:  huntboykins [ Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:15 am ]
Post subject:  paddling comparison on revo vs. ou

Robert- I have never owned a kayak, rented a adventurer for the weekend to fish the flats of the Gulf of Mexico. I am Undecided on which to purchase 07 revo or ob, previous year models of the ob have had some unfavorable reviews in regards to the ease of paddling due to it's width in relation to the stock paddle that comes with the ob. Did you get a chance to paddle both? If so what if any difference? Was there any noticeable difference between the turn radius of the two? Has anyone tested the Revo in the surf?

Author:  Robert [ Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Outback

Hunt,
I don't think the Outback is very suited paddling anything more than short distances, in my opinion. It really was designed to peddle, and it does that extremely well! I didn't paddle the Revolution, but if I were to choose between the two, as far as paddling goes, it would be the Revolution. I'm curious as to why you are concerned about paddling a boat that has the Mirage drive. The Mirage drive will work in pretty shallow water. I think about the only times I would use a paddle on a Outback or a Revolution would be launching, landing, and getting over some thick kelp. Other than that I would keep the paddle in the holder. As far as turning goes, the Outback that I tried out would turn circles around the Revolution that I also tested. It wasn't even close.

Robert

Author:  TraderRick [ Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Comparisons of stability

Robert, great report! I keep flip flopping between OB and Revo. I demo'd an 06 Outback, and even at 6' 2" and 220 lbs, it had more initial tippiness than I expected. So, after hearing about the superior stability of the new Revolution, I was holding out to demo one of them. Now, from your report, the '07 Outback is more stable than '07 Revolution. Is that your conclusion?

Author:  Robert [ Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Outback

Rick,
Absolutely the 07 Outback is more stable than the Revolution. It is 33" wide vs 28.5" for the Revolution. That is not a knock on the Revolution. It is a great kayak. If I were a smaller guy and was going longer distances I would take a serious look at it, but I'm 6'1 250 lbs and I like to haul more gear than the average guy. That's what makes the 07 Outback more appealing to me. It was as stable as a rock. I felt really comfortable in it from the second that I sat in it on the water.

Robert

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