Ok, so I have a Ocean Kayak Endeavor. I love the boat. It paddles great,tracks true. It's very stable, but I sit a little low to the water. It might have to do with me being 250lbs.


Well, I picked up a Hobie classic with a mirage drive for my wife the other day.


I never thought I would like the peddle kayak, but I did. A lot!!!
The only problem is I too had a feeling that I was setting low to the water in the Classic.


While I was out fishing today I got to paddle The Return of Ren's Hobie Outback.
I fell in LOVE. Or maybe a strong case of lust.

I hate to have to sell my OK to get a different kayak. But I'm thinking about it strongly right now.


I really liked how I sat up higher in the seat while I was in the outback.


My question is, Is there anything wrong with the outbacks? Where/are they pretty good kayaks for the most part?

The one thing that I don't like about the Outback is that it is 33" wide, So my choice would be the Revolution at 28.5" wide. But the load capacity of the Revolution is 350# and the load capacity of the Outback is 400#. So with as big as you are you probably won't find anything better than the Outback for you.
I peddle, but not a Hobie. I have a Mirage drive in a kayak I built. So here is one piece of advice no matter which Hobie you get, get the ST Turbo fins. More Power!

Welcome to the Hobie family! Glad to have helped you make up your mind on getting one. You won't regret it. I don't have any complaints about mine. It's a little on the heavy side at 62lbs, but that's just me being weak. I'm sure you won't have a problem loading & unloading it. If it does have a "con", the "pros" way out weigh it.

BTW it was really great to finally meet you Shaun

Wish I knew you wanted one I would have let you peddle around at the gtg. I love mine and would recomened it to any of the "bigger" guys and pedaling is so much easier. Welcome to the addicition and Hobie family

outbacks cant be beat in a lake. rivers i dont take it. too many stumps out there for the mirage drive. but lakes where you may travel a bit it is greatness. i weigh about 225 and no problem

I'm really thinking of getting one too. My wife is wanting a kayak now after riding in one. Thinking of getting an outback so I can use it when she isn't .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0ABXuP52Lk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qE88mWr7-A
motor it if lazy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB18vUrhhi8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB18vUrhhi8&feature=related

Ok, If I'm up in a shallow creek or a shallow river all day, and the mirage drive isn't going to be usable.
How will the out back paddle(not peddle) conventionally with the drive removed?

Your welcome

@Shaun I take mine up rivers and streams all the time using my drive fishing in 3ft of water or so at times and have never had a problem with it yet. Plus I fish in stumps and trees with no problem too it took practice but I can navigate it through trees and stumps easy enough. Also the drive will just bounce off of any limps you hit it is pretty darn durable too. A depth finder helps too just to make sure. Its isn't to hard to paddle but I'm not the best paddler in the world either.

I have an outback and love it. The only con that you might find compared to other kayaks is it's bulk (width and weight). Makes it not quite as easy to throw it in the truck and go as maybe smaller kayaks. But it's not any big problem. Also, when you do ram an unseen stump with your fins, the rod that holds the fins will bend, and you might have to remove it and straighten it occasionally. But again, it's not that difficult to do. I was pretty careful with mine when I first got it, but now I just let it rip and it's held up well. I figure worst case, I can replace the rods and fins when they get too beat up, but they seem to work just fine after being beaten up some. I recommend getting the turbo fins too as was already mentioned. My biggest complaint with mine is just not having enough time to take it out as often as I'd really like, but I guess that's my fault and not the outback's!

u guys are right u can replace the steel mast also if it gets bent too much. i think for 10 dollars. the creek i float has way too many stumps though so i just take a regular yak. ev1 needs 2... as far as paddling i wouldnt want to paddle it very far. i have a 2005 though and i think they changed the body style a lil in 2007 so things might be different now.it paddles like a barge but could make it no problem if the mirage drived crapped out on the water. i wouldnt trade it for another yak. getchasome

I had a Revolution, before moving to the wierd side...liked it and had the Turbo ST fins, which I found were a pain on the Coast in the really shallow water. But the STs were super in slightly deeper water and I could pull a wake at "raming speed".

I'd find myself putting back on the shorter, stock fins, to better handle the shallow water. I never damaged either set of fins, but did scrape them a bit on the oyster shells of Light House Lakes and Brown & Root flats (which I almost got stuck once at really low tide...had to pole out and damaged the Hobie paddle, but I did get out).

I could swing my legs around and fish sideways without feeling threatened. It paddled fine, on the rare occasion I actually had to paddle forward (of course, you paddle in reverse).

Not true!!! They didn't make yaks back then!!!

I have had my Hobie Mirage Outback for 7 years and really love it. I use it in lakes, rivers, the surf, whatever, it will perform really well. I am 240 pounds and 5'9" and have no problem whatsoever.