dunno about anti-hobie sentiment. I think some guys just gotta bitch about something. I'll say this though: I've never been almost run over by a hobie
we're all 6" above the water on a piece of plastic. how you move from point a to b under human propulsion, I gather, is irrelevant. I've actually never rode a hobie, maybe in part because I figure if I do, I'll never be happy until I get one
also, I love paddling. to each their own.
every kayak has its pluses and minuses. hobies don't have the storage for rods (like my FND did and my T15 does) and they are less than ideal in the surf. they seem, seem, to be more popular closer to LJ where longer excursions are the norm. more up north, us malibu guys, don't see as many. our trips are shorter, and the surf a bit more interesting. but they work all the same.
one thing I've always been leery of, and I'll catch some shit for this
is that old saying "mechanical device subject to failure". I htink every hobie owner I've fished with has had, at one (or many) time, some mechanical problem with them, and a few times, on the water. that is not to impugn hobies, or the company. great product, great company. and probably a stupid concern.
there are more important things to fight over. for instance, power pro sucks. use izor spectra. shimano calcuttas are way overpriced and come with crap drags. get a daiwa luna. oh, and 2-speed lever drag reels are simply so guys can brag they fish with 2-speed lever drag reels.
