Is it worth it ?

[alanw]

Paddling was fun and I'm glad I learned on paddle boats, but the wind made it really tough to make headway sometimes. The wind really isn't much of an issue with pedals.

The only con of having a pedal drive is having to still carry around a paddle in case the pedal drive fails.

[GTboosted]

It's worth it if you already know that you like kayak fishing.

I constantly see kayaks for sale where the owner only used it a few times. If you buy used you will not lose much if you decide you don't like the sport. Pedals won't automatically help you catch more fish.

It also depends in what type of fishing you do. If you stick to harbors it might not be worth it. When you want to cover distance in the open ocean it's hard to beat leg power and the mirage drive with upper body and a paddle.

[Gr8fuldude]

[QUOTE=GTboosted;285550]It's worth it if you already know that you like kayak fishing.

I constantly see kayaks for sale where the owner only used it a few times. If you buy used you will not lose much if you decide you don't like the sport.

This is good advice. First decide whether you really, REALLY like the sport. If you are in, then you find a way to beg, borrow, or steal (ok, maybe not steal) the money to get a pedal yak.

Now you have another decision to make, do you get the heavier, more expensive pro angler fishing machine, or a smaller, lighter pedal yak (outback or revo). I got the outback, which I absolutely love, but I wonder if I'd have been happier battling the weight but enjoying the overall superiority of the PA.

I do wish I hadn't wasted money buying a paddle yak first, and instead had just went hobie right out of the gate. Oh well, live and learn, and you can learn from my mistake.

[King Saba]

And if you do decide to go with a hobie remember that it's a pedal powered kayak not a peddled one. Some guy would be getting a deal on your kayak if that's the case

[fishfoo]

hobie really needs to build a boat that you can stow your rods easy and not so fat

[jbl_91762]

great points on harbor vs open water as Harbor can get away with paddle. On other points with wind, I was caught in wind and it took me over 2 hours to fight back to the harbor with my paddle yak and Im in very good shape! But I was amazed when I saw a PA14 just cruise on by me in the same wind and caught up with him at launch. He wasn't even tired and was worried about me paddling back. That's when I knew I'd make the switch as I don't fish harbors as much as I fish open water.

[TJones]

I had about 6 hobbies and I started out in the sport with a hobie. I currently have a 2016 outback. I also bought a pair of ocean kayaks last oct just after release of new models, one being a 2017 trident 15. Since owning a paddle kayak I have not used my hobie. It's great having hands free, but the trade offs suck. The ability to stow rods in hull, and the ability to get through tuff surf with paddle kayak are enormous advantages. Hobie really needs to come up with some aggressive changes. PA is a great platform on the water but not practical for anywhere else except LJ beach launching ( harbors, marinas, lakes excluded ). The outback is a solid platform on water but slow compared to a fast kayak. Weight capcity of revo is kinda shady. Nothing spectacular about it in surf either . Speed is not bad if you carry minimal gear and don't have any fish on board.