2015 Hobie Revolution 13 Unveiling & Recovery Test

[ozfactory]

Hi All,

Picked up my new 2015 Hobie Revo 13 hot of the truck from RodBendings World yesterday. After putting it together toke it down Anderson inlet to test out the new seat.

I was very keen to see how stable the kayak is on the highest set setting and do some recovery tests with the new yak.

Overall the kayak is reasonably stable on the highest setting but i probably would not leave it quite that high just to be safe. With the sailing rudder, wind and strong current i tried some sharp turns to try and tip the yak. It handled pretty well but you need to be aware of the enviroment your in as if you were hit from a side wave and not ready for it you may tip.

I must admit i do love the seat and played around in many different seating positions over a couple of hours on the water. I might be trying out the outback on Thursday to and i am looking forward to that.

Have put a little video together of me doing some recovery drills.

Big thanks to Dave and the boys for getting my Yak together so quickly.

[moirae]

Interesting. Thanks for posting.

[laneends]

How does lowest position compare to old seat?

[Haynsie]

How does lowest position compare to old seat?

I'm interested to know this also. Pretty keen to upgrade to the new seat just to keep my bum dry.

The Revo's secondary stability has always been excellent. I've never tipped mine and I've had it out in some rough water. Has much changed in your opinion?

Cheers

Tim

[ozfactory]

In the low position i can't really tell the difference between the old and the new in terms of stability.

In the low position you will also avoid a wet arse as well. I did move it around a bit and its pretty easy to move up and down on the water. You just push you weight into the back of the seat and its pretty easy to move. I can really see a huge advantage for those long days on the water by mixing up the positions of the seat.

One thing that i did not know until i got the Revo 13 is there is no paddle holder on the left hand side of the boat now. I assume this would be the same on the revo 11 as well (no issue on wider kayaks). Because of the seat redesign the handle now sticks out if you have the rudder on full left lock which is where the paddle would be.

So if you liked to take out a stake out pole as well you may need to find a different way to rig it.

[l2andom]

Thanks for sharing this. . I think the wet butt thing is the biggest factor for me.

[bjspinner]

How does lowest position compare to old seat?

I'm interested to know this also. Pretty keen to upgrade to the new seat just to keep my bum dry.

The Revo's secondary stability has always been excellent. I've never tipped mine and I've had it out in some rough water. Has much changed in your opinion?

Cheers

Tim

I don't think the new seat will go in the old hull as there has been a fair re-design in the seat area.

I am interested in the new drive system, how did it feel compared to the old non bearing drive?
Was the upgrade to bearings noticeable?

[ozfactory]

New drive is differently smoother. The bearings make a big difference. You notice it as soon as you pick the drive up. Its really smooth and pushes through the water pretty easily. Im used the the longer turbo fins. Now that the come standard with ST fins you may not need to upgrade to the longer turbos.

[chomper]

I took one out for a test today and the turbo felt alot faster than the st fins there was a little chop but very stable and being able to lean the seat back really helped when riding the waves back in but still ended up with a wet bum just not siting in water and the comfort was soooo good the only problem I had was when trying to raise the seat to the highest position at the back I struggled to get it up cuz U have to lean forward and lift it whilst pulling the toggle but I am sure you would figure out how use to use it now I just need to decide if I want a revo 13 or a outback to fish from

[vikodin]

I am interested in the new drive system, how did it feel compared to the old non bearing drive?
Was the upgrade to bearings noticeable?

The new drive is awesome and I reckon a lot of people will run the bearing kit through the old mirage drive system (the kits are coming)
BTW if you want to feel the new drive and you are around someone with one, ask to borrow it for a test, you will love it.
The new and old drives fit the same so the new drive will slot straight in your yak.