Any of y'all have the propel? Was just curious about what y'all think of them compared to the hobie. I know for sure I'm going with one of them at tax time just not sure which one.

They each have their pros and cons and IMO, it really comes down to personal preference. If you fish a lot of tight spaces, the ability to reverse is significant. For me and my style of fishing, I prefer the layout and storage options of the Hobie.

Mariner sails carries both brands - you should arrange a demo for them back to back to see which fits you best or see if you can do a tag-along with some of the pro-staffers on here.

If you are in Sherman you can demo and buy Hobies at Eisenhower Yacht Club. By no means am I saying Mariner Sails isn't amazing, hands down they have the best customer service around(I bought my PA from them). Just thought I'd let you know about James (EYC)maybe that was a closer option for you.

Yes I'm in Sherman and didn't know Eisenhower let you demo kayaks I'm definitely gonna give them a call

I bought a Mariner Propel right after they were on the market. I figured that since I ride a bicycle over 30 miles a week, the Propel would be a no brainier. After taking it out a few times, I realized that it was not for me. It just didn't feel "natural" to pedal it and I have been on recumbent bikes. I ended up selling it and buying a Hobie. The Hobie is way more comfortable to peddle for me. I have been selling most of my paddle yaks because I don't use them as much since buying the Hobie.

As stated before, try both of them to find out which one you like best. This is just my experience with owning them.

If you're a crappie fisherman like me, the reverse of the Propel is great for keeping you over the fish. I'm a cyclist like fredfarmer, doing 100 miles a week on a recumbent bicycle, but unlike him, the pedaling position in my Native Ultimate suits me well. I haven't tried a Hobie, so I can't make a comparison.

The new propels have a different seat position (higher I think) which I hear is much better than the originals.

The older Native seats (at least on my Ultimate 14.5) have an optional riser you could put under the seat which gave you a higher seating position. Besides making the pedaling easier, that higher position is the key to comfort for me. With my old cratered back, there's no way I could fish all day in a kayak that has me sitting at floor level. The only time I would ever remove that riser is if I had a long ways to pedal in rough water. The lower seating position is, of course, more stable.

Getting the right recline on the seat is key, too. I recline the seat more before pedaling a long distance, then keep it more upright for fishing.

A agree! A side by side test is a great way to get a clear idea of the strengths and features of each. Both are great choices BTW. We're happy to help if that makes sense to you.

Yes I would recommend you demo before you buy... even though I didn't and I absolutely Love my Slayer Propel.

Don't forget the Slayer Propel 10. Very cool boat with a same capacity as the 13.
I agree ALWAYS demo the boats you are looking at before purchase. My opinion, go Slayer!

I'm in the same boat trying to decide. I'm leaning toward the Slayer because I fished a 3 hour fun tournament out of one and I really liked it. To me the Hobie pedal action feels like exercise, the propel motion is more natural.

One thing I know for sure, I'm getting a peddle kayak before the end of January.

Im thinking its going to be the 13 foot slayer. I looked into the 10 footer but im 6'3 and i dont think the 10 footer would be enough for me. The thing that really got me wanting the slayer is the reverse option and that it paddles easy, a few folks informed me that the hobie paddles like a tank. I also have a pescador sport but my boys at home will be using it so i need a kayak that can handle both skinny water and texoma. Thanks fellas for the input on both of these awesome kayaks.

Can't you turn the mirage drive around in a PA and reverse?

you can turn the mirage drive around, but it seems like a lot of trouble to pull it out, flip it around, put it back in then reverse that process to get to go forward again, when typically you only have to back a few feet to turn around or get away from a tree or bank. A lot easier to use you paddle.

I have an Outback and prefer the peddle motion of back and forth than the going around in circle motion of the Propel. Just my preference but it seemed like less movement and effort to me. But only tried a Propel for a short trial at the spring GTG last year. The advantage of the Propel is the easy reverse. An advantage of the Hobie is you can position the flippers up against the hull when the water is shallow or when there are branches or tree trunks right under the surface and flutter kick it and still have forward progress in pretty shallow water. Can't do that in the Propel.