2014 Hobie Quest 13 Review

Got an review on your kayak? Post it here!
User avatar
Jay
Square eyes
Posts: 619
Joined: 15 Feb 2013, 03:40
kayak: 2014 Hobie Quest 13, 2015 Hobie Outback
Real Name: Jay
Location: Melbourne

2014 Hobie Quest 13 Review

Post by Jay »

Please note: This is a long review. I will endeavour to be as thorough as possible


Specs:
Length: 13' / 3.96 m
Width: 28.5" / .72 m
Capacity: 350 lbs / 159 kg
Fitted Hull Weight: 66 lbs / 29.94 kg *
Fully Rigged Weight: 71.2 lbs / 32.30 kg
*** Mine was ordered with rudder however not yet installed - will do a before and after comparison once installed and update this thread ***


Note: I am 5'6" and around 80kg

Today was my first day out on the new yak. I have been looking forward to this since I bought the yak about 4 days ago. I did not take any fishing gear with me as it was strictly a test paddle day.

Reasons for choice:
My last yak was a sub 3 meter yak. I was after something to cover more distance and speed. The Mini X served me well however if I was to get a bit more serious in the sport I needed to look elsewhere.

I arrived at about 6:30am this morning at Millers Rd, Altona and was greeted by a hazy cloud with the sun poking it's head behind the smokey haze. The water was calm apart from some swell which I didn't mind. This was to set the scene the for the rest of the morning:

Image

Not exactly ideal conditions to see what this beast is capable of, but it gave me a chance to practice capsize and re-entry... more on this later.


Size, Off-Water Handling :

My last yak was 9'3"and weighed around 25kg (claimed). I found this ok to manhandle and never really needed or used a trolley. This yak weighs approx. 30kg. I was a bit nervous of the weight and length given my height. First thing I noticed when I picked it up is that the handles are very much even in the middle and therefore lifting and carrying this yak is not really that hard. I lifted it over my head to move short distances quite easily. Although, once rigged with a esky/milk crate and all of your gear a trolley is much more simple !

On the Water:


So I headed off from Altona near the pier for my first paddle. All excited I dug the Hobie paddle in and set off. Light swell was moving about but nothing to cause any mischief. It did give me a good look into what offshore could be like. The yak bobbed up and down seemingly as if glued to the surface. It did tuck it's nose into one swell as there were 2 consecutive larger swells coming through. But the sharp front sliced it with ease.

One of my biggest Thumbs Up :thumbsup: Is the dry bum. This thing gave me a dry bum no problems. It comes with 2 screw type scupper plugs for the seat and I was loving a dry bum most of the morning, until re-entry practice that is (again, more on that later)

For water handling I give it 8/10

Stability:


As soon as I was out in deeper water I started swaying my hips side to side to rock the yak and get a feel for the stability and see where the tipping point is and what it feels like. More on this part later in the capsize and re-entry section.
Stability is rock solid. Swaying side to side made the kayak rock along with the hip motion but it reached a point and did not pass that point. This was a big question mark for me coming from the rock solid stability of the Mini X, I needed the same. I shimmied forward to the front hatch and accessed the inside of the hull with ease. Sat side saddle to imitate going through the milk crate and did try and stand. I didn't get to fully stand but felt the rocking start and did not go through with it. This yak is not made for standing however I don't really feel a need to anyhow.

Sitting side on to the swell, the yak seems to love it. It just bobs over waves or swell thanks to it's low profile and just keeps on going.

For stability I give it a 7.5-8/10

Tracking/Turning:


Without the rudder, the yak seemed to track fine. I did have to make a few corrective strokes, more so when the swell was side on. As I'd exit the swell it would push the nose slightly one side or the other. For a 4m yak with no rudder it did fine. As expected, tracked better than the aforementioned Mini X. Turning was a bit slow, but was to be expected at 4m. Still bearable and quick enough with the right technique

Without rudder I give tracking a 7/10


Speed/paddling:

Now, although I didn't technically measure this with a GPS timer, It was more a seat of pants test. First thing I noticed is glide. I have never had a yak with any real glide, this was a first to me. I was loving it. Not having to constantly paddle to gain momentum and maintain it. It was taking me around at a decent pace, and I reckon I with some practice (currently severely unfit !) I could keep up with the mirage drive boys ! I was quite pleased with the speed of this yak !

Acceleration isn't the best, but ok. But it does hold top speed easier and longer thanks to hull shape and

For speed, I give it an 8/10

Deck Layout:


The deck layout is well thought out and practical. I was able to shimmy forward and accessed the front hatch not a problem. The pedals felt firm and comfortable and gave me good control of the yak. :thumbsup: The only downfall is not enough flat area forward of the pedals on the gunnels. It starts to taper in thus limiting what you could mount there. Not really an issue as much as it is probably just a hurdle which you can overcome however need to get creative. Cockpit felt snug and conformed to my body so I felt like I was a part of the yak and gave me better control this way.

For layout I give it about an 8/10


Allround "Fishability" :


It may not be 1m beam like the Pro Angler, but this thing is definitely capable of holding it's own on the water. The centre console lends itself to mount various items such as rod holders, sounders, etc. Stability is great and speed is very good also. Sitting side saddle and casting would be a breeze too. Hatches provide plenty of room to store gear and the Hobie Gear tray that comes in the centre hatch is great to store things like soft plastics, lures, jigheads, hooks, sinkers, line, etc. so everything is within easy reach, even for a short bloke like me :lol:

Overall fishability gets a 7.5-8/10

Comfort:


The Mini X had a deluxe seat so I can give a good comparison there. It's one of those seak deluxe high back ones. The Hobie seat is by far the most comfortable seat I've sat in. The sides wrap around nicely to hug your lower back giving you good posture and therefore allowing more power in your stroke to get you moving. I could paddle this for hours and not be sore, absolutely love it !

Give this a 9/10

Conclusion:


Hobie are not the cheapest, and there are cheaper paddle yaks out there, however my reason for choosing a Hobie over the others was that it was built fairly well, plenty of options from Hobie, hull design and the fact that Hobie sell their yaks with the seat, paddle and little bits and bobs so you're pretty much set to go from day one. When you start to factor these in on the other yaks their prices go up too. Also, they hold their value quite well, so when I do decide to upgrade down the road (won't be for some time though), I'll get a better return on my investment !

If you're after a yak that is stable, fast and plenty of storage, this is a great choice. Although not a mirage drive yak, I found this to be of no issue. Although, I must admit I haven't had a mirage drive yak so I don't know what I'm actually missing :lol: For the price, it's a decent yak. And I consider this money well spent.

For a short bloke like me, at around 80kg no water came up the scuppers in the feet and it was quite comfortable. A lot of people fishing prefer the wider hulls with more primary stability but once you get used to the narrower hulls (it took me half a morning and I'm no expert), you won't go back to a wide hull !! Long nose ability to slice water is fantastic !

And also, even at my height don't be afraid of the 4m length (and others that are beyond). Once on the water they look tiny and seem to shrink :lol:

Overall I give the yak an 8/10


Capsize and re-entry:

This is a part I was looking forward to :evilgrin: :evilgrin: When I finished testing the yak, I paddled in a bit closer to land where there were some swimmers. I hooked the paddle to the paddle keeper and started rocking the boat aggressively side to side. It went almost 90 degrees before it tipped, a sign of great secondary stability !

Re-entry was not that hard, I was able to mount the yak fairly easily. It does take some practice.

One thing I noticed though, after a couple of capsize and re-entry practice runs, the hull had a fair amount of water, probably about 2litres worth. It seemed excessive for me. Most, if not all, came from the front hatch. I know this because as I was driving home, every time I'd hit the brakes water would gush out of the front hatch. I'll be adding some rubber around the edges to seal it off and make it watertight in future.

I'm very glad I did this exercise as I really wanted to get a feel for the yaks limits, and strong and weak points. The weather was calm so as I said, didn't really give me a chance to put it through it's paces but I was still able to test some real world scenarios on the water today.

Was a beautiful morning in Altona today and I thoroughly enjoyed the workout and just being on the water. This morning has cemented in me that I made the right decision with the yak :yahoo: after tormenting myself night in night out with online reviews

Now I hope this review may help someone else in future.

Best of luck to all - tight lines !

- Jay
User avatar
Somewhere 'Offshore'
Survivor
Posts: 1383
Joined: 22 Nov 2012, 13:46
kayak: 2015 Adventure Island
Real Name: Jay
Location: The Marsh

Re: 2014 Hobie Quest 13 Review

Post by Somewhere 'Offshore' »

Sound like a nice yak youv got yourself mate.
Nice review.
Ow, and nice name.
The tug is the drug~

Somewhere 'Offshore' - the only place I don't hear the voices
User avatar
Jay
Square eyes
Posts: 619
Joined: 15 Feb 2013, 03:40
kayak: 2014 Hobie Quest 13, 2015 Hobie Outback
Real Name: Jay
Location: Melbourne

Re: 2014 Hobie Quest 13 Review

Post by Jay »

Somewhere Offshore wrote:Sound like a nice yak youv got yourself mate.
Nice review.
Ow, and nice name.

Thanks JAY ! :lol:

Ditto on the name ! :thumbsup:

It suits me mate, which is what this sport is about. There is no right or wrong yak, good or bad yak. It's about finding one that suits you, your purposes and of course budget !

Cheers on the review.


I've found a lot of reviews on this site and others that have helped me a lot in the past. It's the really thorough reviews that really helped me in making my decision on quite a few occasions so it's only fair and time I passed on some myself !
User avatar
laneends
Vyak Addict
Posts: 6641
Joined: 25 Jan 2013, 15:59
kayak: Quests 11 13 Adventure 16 Revo 16 ORSki epic k1
Real Name: Keith
Location: Melbourne, Bundoora

Re: 2014 Hobie Quest 13 Review

Post by laneends »

Great to see you got a good impression first up.

Now you can get into the wild stuff and start having real fun.

Being low and flat with a low seat position it does take a surprising amount to tip them. Add the weight of your gear and it is even harder.

Dont forget to add an edit once you have the rudder up and running, and after you been in some rougher conditions.

You are right there are not many detailed reviews on the Quests they tend to get overlooked.

I think someone posted somewhere there is a rubber profile you can get from Clarks rubber to make a tighter fit on the Hobie hatch rims. Make sure you know how to close it if it flips right open as you can't reach it.
User avatar
Jay
Square eyes
Posts: 619
Joined: 15 Feb 2013, 03:40
kayak: 2014 Hobie Quest 13, 2015 Hobie Outback
Real Name: Jay
Location: Melbourne

Re: 2014 Hobie Quest 13 Review

Post by Jay »

Hey Keith,

Yes mate. So excited I'm going out again tomorrow morning hopefully!

I just made my first mod, a cut down hatch liner for the front hatch sourced from Bunnings.

One issue I faced today during re entry practice was that all my gear went everywhere. Even just paddling my food ended up in the back and could not access on the water.

The tub is huge I've got heaps of gear inside!
User avatar
laneends
Vyak Addict
Posts: 6641
Joined: 25 Jan 2013, 15:59
kayak: Quests 11 13 Adventure 16 Revo 16 ORSki epic k1
Real Name: Keith
Location: Melbourne, Bundoora

Re: 2014 Hobie Quest 13 Review

Post by laneends »

Did you put drain holes in the tub? When you open center hatch any water on top runs in.Not a lot but it can accumulate
User avatar
Jay
Square eyes
Posts: 619
Joined: 15 Feb 2013, 03:40
kayak: 2014 Hobie Quest 13, 2015 Hobie Outback
Real Name: Jay
Location: Melbourne

Re: 2014 Hobie Quest 13 Review

Post by Jay »

laneends wrote:Did you put drain holes in the tub? When you open center hatch any water on top runs in.Not a lot but it can accumulate
I thought about it but didn't. Will give it a run tomorrow and see how we go. Water wasn't an issue until I flipped it. I might drill a few holes in the base to drain out excess water. Have you got a tub in yours?
User avatar
Somewhere 'Offshore'
Survivor
Posts: 1383
Joined: 22 Nov 2012, 13:46
kayak: 2015 Adventure Island
Real Name: Jay
Location: The Marsh

Re: 2014 Hobie Quest 13 Review

Post by Somewhere 'Offshore' »

Sea To Summit Bilge Pump
Sea To Summit Bilge Pump
Grab on of these, if there's enough change left over from the Hobie :roll:
(don't mind me, just jealous maybe :shifty:)

I've definitely got a few more years left in my scout before I will upgrade.
But that is not to say my eyes don't wander!
The 'Hobie' & the 'ocean-kayak' range have my attention. I often find myself looking at their Web pages and reading up on reviews. I would like to think that my next yak, is my forever yak. (a bit like the misses, only minus the biching!...not that she dose... Much ;))
It's going to be a hard decision when the time comes!
The tug is the drug~

Somewhere 'Offshore' - the only place I don't hear the voices
User avatar
Jay
Square eyes
Posts: 619
Joined: 15 Feb 2013, 03:40
kayak: 2014 Hobie Quest 13, 2015 Hobie Outback
Real Name: Jay
Location: Melbourne

Re: 2014 Hobie Quest 13 Review

Post by Jay »

Thanks for that mate. I have a similar one. Manual Bilge pump. Pumps out 36 litres per minute... so really with a situation like yesterday I should only need a couple of pumps to clear most of the water out.

Went out today, no capsize training and remained dry ! :up:
User avatar
laneends
Vyak Addict
Posts: 6641
Joined: 25 Jan 2013, 15:59
kayak: Quests 11 13 Adventure 16 Revo 16 ORSki epic k1
Real Name: Keith
Location: Melbourne, Bundoora

Re: 2014 Hobie Quest 13 Review

Post by laneends »

Fish4Fun wrote:
laneends wrote:Did you put drain holes in the tub? When you open center hatch any water on top runs in.Not a lot but it can accumulate
I thought about it but didn't. Will give it a run tomorrow and see how we go. Water wasn't an issue until I flipped it. I might drill a few holes in the base to drain out excess water. Have you got a tub in yours?

Mine is open to the hull, but I have sectioned off the section between the seat scuppers and mid scuppers by sixaflexing close cell foam (pool noodle type foam), then just lay down one of those antislip mats you can put under table runners. That way I can access the whole mid section, and the foam stops stuff sliding out of reach.

I was out in some serious chop today, the cockpit was getting very wet, with waves filling it up to hatch level at times. I was out for a long time, so there was a bit of water in the hull at the end of the day. Not a concerning amount, but if it was all ponding in a bucket it would have been a pain.

I was quite comfortable at anchor in that chop, legs over the side, while the nearby stinkers were rocking every which way looking very uncomfortable. i was just getting wet. Felt like a surfer straddling a board just outside surfzone.

I know I will S#!^ myself way before the Quest is ouftside its capabilities.

I have the same pump as that. Not so much to pump out the hull, but so I can plug the scuppers when its not too choppy, and just periodically empty the footwells out with that and a sponge while I'm sitting there watching the bait rods (or snoozing)
Post Reply