Coming soon - Hobie Revo 16.

[laneends]

I guess in Vic there is more Bay fishing than off shore so there is less demand for 16' yaks, probably same reason Stealths aren't as common. PAs and Outbacks seem to be the staple yaks here. Utility is the prime factor so it seems

[shane]

I guess in Vic there is more Bay fishing than off shore so there is less demand for 16' yaks, probably same reason Stealths aren't as common. PAs and Outbacks seem to be the staple yaks here. Utility is the prime factor so it seems

Stealths aren't as common as the vast majority of launch sites here don't involve surf. Offshore fishing isn't as common as most people are satisfied with what they can do in the bays etc or don't appreciate the potential and ease of getting offshore in Victoria.

[Yakass]

Agreed. Though I'd still rather be in an Adventure than any other current model (not including AI). There's better snapper to found out wide in these bays, and there's also good off shore fishing to be had. Just seems like most Vic yak fishoes just aren't into it. 'Tis a lot colder down here, so I get it.

Shane is spot on

[shane]

It would have been nice if Hobie had designed the 16 with some decent rocker and a bottom profile to allow it to handle surf better. The glass guys wouldn't have anything to boast about if a hobie could bust out through the surf, outfish them using the mirage drive and then ride a wave past them on the way in.

[l2andom]

Agreed. Though I'd still rather be in an Adventure than any other current model (not including AI). There's better snapper to found out wide in these bays, and there's also good off shore fishing to be had. Just seems like most Vic yak fishoes just aren't into it. 'Tis a lot colder down here, so I get it.

Shane is spot on

Still learning to navigate my way around here, but life's been busy . Would definitely love to get out further and wider, and off shore with the yak eventually. Got an addition to the family on the way and my wife freaks out about everything so time is just going to get harder to find .

Let's see if my wife still wants her own AI after the baby, may be a year or two down the road but fingers crossed

[Yakass]

The glass guys wouldn't have anything to boast about if a hobie could bust out through the surf, outfish them using the mirage drive and then ride a wave past them on the way in.

What makes you think a Hobie can't bust out through surf? I've done it many times in the Revo 13 and Adventure (and AI) and so to have many of my mates up north. To say they can't do it is a myth. Admittedly I wouldn't want to try it in a PA or Outback though. And also, for sure, this is where the Stealths excell. This is one of the reasons they are so popular in Sth Africa.

And yeah, it can be a bit more challenging to come in on surf in Hobies but it can be done. Done it many times, only capsized once (20kg of tuna in the front hatch did not help).

[Yakass]

Still learning to navigate my way around here, but life's been busy . Would definitely love to get out further and wider, and off shore with the yak eventually. Got an addition to the family on the way and my wife freaks out about everything so time is just going to get harder to find .

Let's see if my wife still wants her own AI after the baby, may be a year or two down the road but fingers crossed

Michael, Mish and I are taking our AIs off at Inverloch this Sunday. Welcome to join us if you have a radio. Give us a call at the shop if interested.

[l2andom]

Michael, Mish and I are taking our AIs off at Inverloch this Sunday. Welcome to join us if you have a radio. Give us a call at the shop if interested.

Sounds good, I may be down that way as we're heading down to the farm this weekend.

[shane]

What makes you think a Hobie can't bust out through surf? I've done it many times in the Revo 13 and Adventure (and AI) and so to have many of my mates up north. To say they can't do it is a myth. Admittedly I wouldn't want to try it in a PA or Outback though. And also, for sure, this is where the Stealths excell. This is one of the reasons they are so popular in Sth Africa.

And yeah, it can be a bit more challenging to come in on surf in Hobies but it can be done. Done it many times, only capsized once (20kg of tuna in the front hatch did not help).

Josh,
I fully agree that hobies are great for busting out through surf. The mirage drive provides near constant power delivery and torque for busting through waves whereas paddling can lack power u less the technique is very good. Even the PA busts through surf well, possibly the extra weight adding inertia.
I was really referring to coming back in where the lack of rocker at the nose allows them to be turned quickly on waves. The AI is probably best at it where the extra speed helps to get in between sets and then it hhas the stability to stay upright over reasonable waves. But the others seem to get turned too quickly, with the PA possibly the worst. But then you can get in without needing to surf, it's just not as pretty.

[Yakass]

But the others seem to get turned too quickly, with the PA possibly the worst.

Agreed. And that is also one of the reasons why I'm not a big fan of the PA in off shore waters (as we are debating in another thread). Its not terribly hard to wander unknowingly into a bommie range (have done it several times) and if you're in something like a PA and get caught by it, you're going over.

In any case, not all Hobies are equal due to their different shapes. So making comments like 'a Hobie cannot do...' is really just generalizing. You need to talk about specific models.

Personally I'm not a fan of kayaks with excessive rocker. Might make them better in the surf (the Outfitter surfs great due to rocker in it's sponsons) but its a bitch in choppy water. Rocker in your typical 'californian hull' kayak means providing a surface for choppy waves to slam into.