Big Hobie Peddlers

[bellcon]

Not ready to give up the paddle quite yet
but the tingling in my hands after 14 hours of paddling
has me thinking about it again...

My question for big guys:
or for those that know:

I am 6-4 240lbs with long legs...
Are there many Hobie guys out there this size?
I have tried them all, but it has been awhile
the outback seemed like a barge and even when I had the peddles adjusted for the longest legs and it still seemed short to me...

The revo seems nice and more of "real" kayak
I think the adventure may be my only real choice
(the pro angler is out of the question)

so any help?
I am familiar with all the advantages / disadvantages
Just looking to see how many big guys are really peddling
and how comfortable they are...

What say the peddlers?? (or the kayak shop guys in the know)
Thanks
Don

[WahooUSMA]

Don,

I am 6'2 and 250lbs...and the Revo is the only ride for me. While the Adventure may be a little more stable (so I have been told), I have never felt uncomfortable or unstable in the Revo. My recommendation, should you choose a Hobie - Add the turbo fins and rudder.

I had an X-Factor and while nothing against paddling, I will never go back!

Roger

[flydigital]

6'1 and 250 here on the Revo, my favorite yack so far. Its plenty capacity for me and a full load of gear either live bait fishing (with 7gal hobie tank) or hooping with 5 nets. At 6'4" you're going to need to use the last position on the pedals (7). The hobie pedals have a habit of rubbing the side of the deck near the full-forward position when in position 7, but removing the foot straps and cutting off the strap peg on the side solves the problem. I myself use position 6 most of the time (more leverage and power) but occasional use 7 when slow trolling, its less fatigue.

I switched to pedal because of pain and tingling associated with paddling, I was concerned that the Revo would not be enough capacity for me and my gear - but after demoing, it was a non-issue. Its about the same stability as any other 14-16 foot yak out there.

Good luck with your decision.. you should go out and demo one (again) and see. I highly recommend the turbo fins, sailing rudder and the comfort seat pad!

[Gino]

I was going to say, Talk to Damian! but he found you first!

I dont like the Hobie becuase i dont like how you sit in them. The Pro Angler looks cool, but they got to coem down in price.

:cheers1:

[erinoo]

Hey Buddy...Can't believe your going to start peddling rather than paddling...going to the dark side, huh.. Gettin old sucks..Although I'm not as large as you, only 6'1" and 200 lbs of lean body mass the Revo suits me fine..for fishing purposes I'll keep peddling..I'm still trying to talk Joy into one, I'm tired of her calling me a pussy..Eric

[Kiyo]

Hey Buddy...Can't believe your going to start peddling rather than paddling...going to the dark side, huh.. Gettin old sucks..Although I'm not as large as you, only 6'1" and 200 lbs of lean body mass the Revo suits me fine..for fishing purposes I'll keep peddling..I'm still trying to talk Joy into one, I'm tired of her calling me a pussy..Eric

LMAO!! Don, you PUSSY!!

[1Flatfish]

I vote Outback because that's what I have and love. My Revo buddies might be a bit faster, but I'm in no hurry. I like the extra stability (I think it's considerable) and the side trays. It's rated to hold more weight. But still, most people go for the Revo, and I like them too. I would like to have both some day.

Wayne

[1Flatfish]

I should add that almost everybody I fish with drive Revos and they hardly laugh at me at all!

[1Flatfish]

OK, they laugh at me all the time, but not because of my kayak!

[Grego]

Hey Buddy...Can't believe your going to start peddling rather than paddling...going to the dark side, huh.. Gettin old sucks..Although I'm not as large as you, only 6'1" and 200 lbs of lean body mass the Revo suits me fine..for fishing purposes I'll keep peddling..I'm still trying to talk Joy into one, I'm tired of her calling me a pussy..Eric

Erie...I told you I don't like my men with thick ankles, tanned toe nails, and thunder thighs! I wish you would just listen to me and get those arms and shoulders built up to my manly liking...dammit. :paddleersmilie:

One of my ol' drill sergeants told me one time...."Son, only two types of people come from Texas....steers and queers....and I don't see any horns coming out of your F'n head!" :farmer:

[erinoo]

Erie...I told you I don't like my men with thick ankles, tanned toe nails, and thunder thighs! I wish you would just listen to me and get those arms and shoulders built up to my manly liking...dammit. :paddleersmilie:

One of my ol' drill sergeants told me one time...."Son, only two types of people come from Texas....steers and queers....and I don't see any horns coming out of your F'n head!" :farmer:

Greg, your "drillin" sergeant must have been from Oklahoma..They always got it backwards...

[Jim Sammons LJKF]

Hey Don, If you decide to stick to real kayaking not that pedal nonsense ;) give a bent shaft paddle a try. I had some tendinitis in my elbow and it went away when I switched to the crank shaft.

[forefrazier]

Guys your size are too big for a Hobie! :biggrinjester:

Seriously though..6'-5", 240 here.....You are right about the Outback and unfortunately it will be a similar feeling in the Revo. They are both a bit too short in the leg travel area for guys our size. I have demo'd the Revo on a few occasions really wanting to make it work, but it just wont for me. Pedals are at the furthest setting and I still feel like the big guy in a little suit.

If the PA is out, then the only one left is the Adventure. You will be comfortable in the leg length department although you will still probably be at the furthest setting out (7). For me, the Adventure was not significantly faster than the Revo or my Trident for that matter. The capacity is only 350 so us bigger guys are already using up 2/3rds of that before we load any gear. Add a Hobie bait tank a few rods, etc and you are pushing the 300+ marker easy. What that means to me in my experience is that I will not beat the lighter, 180lb guy in a race since I am dragging more plastic through the water due to the increased load. Might of been just me or this picture below but always felt as if I was dragging a$$ in the Adventure a bit with all my gear tagging along:

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f374/forefrazier/AdvSF.jpg

What do I say to Hobie? Come out with a realistic yak for the larger folk...How 'bout an 'Advolution'? Something with about 450lb capacity, 15' long and a few Pro Angler features built in without the 36" width. Hobie...Are you listening? Good luck Don and let me know what you find since I am in your same "boat" right now.

Steve

[joyjiggin']

Hey, Don! Peddling is starting to sound better everyday! Paddling is getting to be a pia with my neck injury. Go for it, no one will call YOU a pussy! (And Grego, Eric's a steer, beelieve me!!) :D:p

[bellcon]

THANKS everyone

Steve
That is what I am talking about (finally an honest to goodness big guy)
when I peddled them it felt like i was bottoming out the peddles every time...
(with them adjusted forward all the way)

I am not looking for speed
I am not looking for stability

The only reason I would consider a hobie is for those long days
fighting current or wind, trying to stay on a spot, or trying to hit multiple spots over a long distance, chasing birds, exploring, etc.
there is no doubt a good angler in a hobie can cover a lot of ground.

The Trident is plenty fast when I need it most of the time, unless I am beat at the end of a day...
and it is also more than stable enough, almost too stable

Jim,
I use an all carbon werner Corryvrecken, may have to try the bent shaft
the hand numbness isn't constant, and the elbow issues come and go...

Steve, was the adventure a "wet" ride? another thing I love about my trident.... high and dry!

any other comments / suggestions guys and gals?

p.s
I could careless about the "pussy" factor
Hell if it made me a better kayak fisherman I would go with a set of pink avets and a pink hobie complete with a rainbow sticker on the bow
Kiyo...you wanna go paddling for 14 hours with me this weekend?:sifone::biggrinjester:

[Kiyo]

THANKS everyone

Steve
That is what I am talking about (finally an honest to goodness big guy)
when I peddled them it felt like i was bottoming out the peddles every time...
(with them adjusted forward all the way)

I am not looking for speed
I am not looking for stability

The only reason I would consider a hobie is for those long days
fighting current or wind, trying to stay on a spot, or trying to hit multiple spots over a long distance, chasing birds, exploring, etc.
there is no doubt a good angler in a hobie can cover a lot of ground.

The Trident is plenty fast when I need it most of the time, unless I am beat at the end of a day...
and it is also more than stable enough, almost too stable

Jim,
I use an all carbon werner Corryvrecken, may have to try the bent shaft
the hand numbness isn't constant, and the elbow issues come and go...

Steve, was the adventure a "wet" ride? another thing I love about my trident.... high and dry!

any other comments / suggestions guys and gals?

p.s
I could careless about the "pussy" factor
Hell if it made me a better kayak fisherman I would go with a set of pink avets and a pink hobie complete with a rainbow sticker on the bow
Kiyo...you wanna go paddling for 14 hours with me this weekend?:sifone::biggrinjester:

Don, 16 1/2 hours on the water non stop fishing in one day was my longest. That was at last years MDR Derby. Pliska was right next to me.

We all know the real reason you want to pedal. You keep losing your paddle! LMAO!

[bellcon]

You keep losing your paddle! LMAO!
Kiyo:
:the_finger:
and DP
:the_finger:
:biggrinjester:

[Billy V]

The Adventure is a nice yak, but the front hatch access is not so good. It is low to the waterline, and as you slide up toward the hatch the front of the yak gets very low in the water.
-Try it during a demo.

Other than that I fished it for several years with no complaints. It was stable enough for me, but I don't think that stability compares to your trident 15.

It is fast, and not affected by wind at all. This yak will cover a lot of water effortlessly.

Side saddle in the Adventure 150 ft. of water.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d600b3127ccec4bf1881569a00000040O00AbMmzFizcN2 IPbz4M/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

[Gino]

Very hard to paddle without a paddle Don! hah! :biggrinjester:


Hell if it made me a better kayak fisherman I would go with a set of pink avets and a pink hobie complete with a rainbow sticker on the bow

I'll hold you to that! ill even have the pink paint done for you for the Avets, And Laguna beach is real close... ill get you that rainbow sticker, put it on your trident start now!

[habanero]

Don, you might take a closer look at the 2010 adventure. They look like they sit higher off the water and I have heard they are a dry ride. You should try and work out a day long fishing day demo to be sure.

[Iceman]

Don as big as you are, you could sit in the back of the Outfitter and use the front pedals :biggrinjester:

http://www.viskayaks.nl/store/images/Hobie%20outfitter.jpg

[forefrazier]

Steve, was the adventure a "wet" ride? another thing I love about my trident.... high and dry!

Well..I never noticed swamp butt or anything but there will be more water in the yak just from the drive well and also in the rear well when the Hobie tank is used. Not too bad though especially if you wear waders during winter.

Hey we could always both go get Pro Angler's but then Andy would probably not let us on the Catapalooza trip due to weight restrictions :biggrinjester:

[landwhale]

With the people that have been moving to the ex paddle class It makes me even more gratefull that at my age I am still able to paddle as long as I want. Don I sometimes feel the numbness though it does not last long and as Jim said try the bent shaft if I could afford one thats what I would use......................................

[NextBite]

get a Hobie Don you will love it :biggrinjester:

i will sell you my Hobie Revo

[forefrazier]

Don, you might take a closer look at the 2010 adventure. They look like they sit higher off the water and I have heard they are a dry ride. You should try and work out a day long fishing day demo to be sure.

Agree on the day long demo for sure....However, no changes have been made to the hull of the Adventure in recent years so the ride height capacity,etc are all the same.

[bellcon]

try the bent shaft..... if I could afford one thats what I would use



Steve
so your saying...
lack of funds are the only thing keep you straight?

well thanks for sharing...:vroam:

[JPSURF]

LMAO!! Don, you PUSSY!!

Freakin Kiyo!!

Don Good Luck with whatever you choose.

JP

[bellcon]

might have to demo that tandem too
Andy do you have one at the shop?

[Gino]

tandem weight capacity is like 250 wiht only 1 person sitting in the back...

[Tman]

Dang Don, "tingling in your hands" ???

Maybe you're not getting enough of a workout...try towing one of these for half a day, bet that tingling will give way to numbness...:doh:
Problem solved...

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegallery/data/500/IMG_1850.JPG

[landwhale]

No Don the paddling itself gives me peace. If I want to peddle I take the bike to the market..............................

[Billy V]

Don,

Why don't you just buy a $50 trolling motor and a light weight Odyssey battery? The entire package mounts inside a milk crate, a 2x6 bolts on the front of the crate and hangs over the side, thats where you clamp the trolling motor.

Your yak would haul azz. Its cheap to put this together and you could cover a lot of water.

[bellcon]

Don,

Why don't you just buy a $50 trolling motor and a light weight Odyssey battery? The entire package mounts inside a milk crate, a 2x6 bolts on the front of the crate and hangs over the side, thats where you clamp the trolling motor.

Your yak would haul azz. Its cheap to put this together and you could cover a lot of water.


Might as well just buy a skiff...
but I'm not that old yet:sifone:
this body still has a few miles left on it

[ray]

with only 1 person in the back of an Outfitter the capacity is 200 lbs and in an Oasis it's 220. OUtfitter is 450 max and Oasis is 550 max with 2

[dsafety]

When Hobie introduced the peddle drive to kayaks, they released the genie in the bottle. Several other manufacturers either have peddle products currently available or about to be released.

This month's Popular Science has a page devoted to kayak fishing which features something called the Mariner 12.5 from Propel. It is a peddle kayak with a propeller. Unlike previous models from this manufacturer, this is not a glorified canoe with a peddle drive. It is a sit-on-top kayak that they claim is designed for fishing, although probably for lakes and rivers, not what we do.

The propeller drive has some advantages such as being able to go in reverse. It would probably be a real pain in the kelp, however. Having never had the chance to try this technology, I can only guess.

I have a Revo and am very happy with it. That said, Hobies are not without a few warts. I look forward to other manufacturers pushing the envelope a bit which will lead to improvements in technology that everyone can enjoy.

Bob

[Seaangler]

The only thing that worked for my 230 frame was the PA. I'm to old and too fat to not roll the rest. Only thing that sucks about pedals is banging through the kelp...have to bring up the pedals and its a pain:stickyman: in the ass to paddle that barge. Other than that love the size and storage space.....able to stow my rods and bag my reels. Ya never know when that sneaky breaker is gonna get ya on the way in.

[deepdvr]

Hobie has tested revos up to 550 lbs. without any issues. They list 350 lbs. for liability purposes.

[h2ofishfo]

When Hobie introduced the peddle drive to kayaks, they released the genie in the bottle. Several other manufacturers either have peddle products currently available or about to be released.

This month's Popular Science has a page devoted to kayak fishing which features something called the Mariner 12.5 from Propel. It is a peddle kayak with a propeller. Unlike previous models from this manufacturer, this is not a glorified canoe with a peddle drive. It is a sit-on-top kayak that they claim is designed for fishing, although probably for lakes and rivers, not what we do.

The propeller drive has some advantages such as being able to go in reverse. It would probably be a real pain in the kelp, however. Having never had the chance to try this technology, I can only guess.

I have a Revo and am very happy with it. That said, Hobies are not without a few warts. I look forward to other manufacturers pushing the envelope a bit which will lead to improvements in technology that everyone can enjoy.

Bobsaw somebody in the mariner last month peddaling around seemed to be peddaling around just fine why u would buy one when hobie parts are local is beyond me different strokes for different folks seems like the guys that are paddling are doing it cause they cant afford a hobie,sponsored by someone else or take pride in saying they paddle like it makes there arms look like 22'' either way im koo just as long as your fishing !!

[-scallywag-]

I have a hobie and I definantly could not afford it.....there's just no substitute!! With the introduction of the PA and the new "super" adventure islang thing, Hobie needs to have inhouse financing and pre-rigged packages....just think, $99 a month for 36 months, for a kayak!!!:doh:

.... and if you keep an eye out you just might see some of those "sponsored" guys peddling around too....;)

[dxrat]

with only 1 person in the back of an Outfitter the capacity is 200 lbs and in an Oasis it's 220. OUtfitter is 450 max and Oasis is 550 max with 2

Yeah, but you could set up the bait tank in front to help out the weight issues.
I have an outfitter you can demo all day long if you want to. Pedaling pussy:D

[bellcon]

I started this post over 6 months ago
and now it's alive again...

My update:
I have not had the chance to re-try the Hobies
but I will say, after seeing a few of those Pro-Anglers on the water...
maybe I shouldnt say no way... it looks like a doable fishing yacht
Maybe...

I still think the adventure might be the best choice... One of these days, I will get the time to try em out again,

August will be 3 years on the Trident 15... (we caught 8 wsb together in 2010...Just imagine if I would have had a Hobie:D)



Yeah, but you could set up the bait tank in front to help out the weight issues.
I have an outfitter you can demo all day long if you want to. Pedaling pussy:D

Thanks for the offer Dave, I might have to take you up on that.:the_finger: