Results of Demos; Hobi Outback & Revo 13 and WS Ride 135

[ftufc]

A few of you knew that I was going to demo 3 kayaks last Sat. in NP Harbor, so I thought I'd spend a few minutes to share my thoughts just in case another newbie finds it useful -

It was a very nice day on the water although a bit windy, 10 - 15 mph; I don't know if that's light or not for kayakers,,, I'm too new. Even though the wind didn't cause a lot of chop, there were occasional white caps in the harbor; I stayed inside the harbor between backbay and the main channel. Keep in mind, I'm 58 y.o., 6'2" 190# in reasonable shape for my age, but still kinda old. I demo'd each boat for 35 min.s.

The first boat I tried was the WS Ride 135; It was extremely stable and I was able to easily stand in it and paddle, although with the wind, I acted more as a sail than anything else. The seat was very comfortable and the foot peg adjustments were easy. I could've paddled in it for several hours comfortably. However, because of the size and the amount of hull in the water, It was a bit slow and labored. This boat was not fitted with a rudder, so it was all paddle; but the boat moved very nicely and tracked very well. Overall it was a very comfortable and stable experience, just kind of clunky.

The second boat I tried was the Revo 13; an entirely different feel and it took me just one or two minutes to feel stable and comfortable. The Mirage Drive was really pretty interesting. Apparently I have more upper body strength than leg strength (yeah, I am a stork) and after about 10 mins of peddling (really more of a stepping action than peddling) my legs were getting fatigued; I was trying to see just how fast it would move; so I slowed down to a very comfortable walk, about 4 - 5 mph and my legs came back and I was able to peddle very comfortably. The couple of things I noticed about the drive were, it isn't as "silent" as Hobie advertising would lead you to believe; aside from limiting out on each stroke and hearing a thud, even if I consciously didn't max my stroke, you can still hear the blade pushing water; so it's probably no more "silent" than a Minn Kota drive. The other thing with the Mirage in the Revo is that it takes a lot of cockpit space; there's not much room once you reach the drive area, so reaching the front hatch is not practical at all. Although I tried standing, I couldn't make it much past a crouch on two feet, just too high a center of gravity; and it's not meant to be stood in. What I surprisingly did enjoy about the Revo is you are IN the water; it's a low gunnel so you can easily hang your legs over the sides and almost lie on the water; it was enjoyable. And I was easily able to sit side saddle in it, making it even more fun. I spent some time paddling this boat too, just so I could see how it moved without the drive, and it was sleek. Very easy to paddle and pretty quick; however, while paddling, the rudder lever, managed by left hand not feet, was a huge pain in the ass; if paddling, you're much better off raising the rudder. Also, the seat of the Revo was not comfortable at all; there was adequate back support but it was just "lumpy" or limited in its adjustability; not a great seat. But overall the boat was fun and fast and maneuverable, but with very little cockpit space.

The Outback was my last run, and it was VERY interesting. It first feels like a tank on the water; the gunnels are high, it's a pretty dry boat, it's very stable, only fractionally less stable than the Ride. The Mirage Drive felt the same as in the Revo but the space around the drive was more user-friendly; I was easily able to move forward and get into the front hatch. I really tried to get all over this boat, lol; I stood up in the center, I crouched on the bow, I crouched in the area behind the seat, all the while feeling pretty stable, and this was in the middle of the harbor channel with caps and wind. It wasn't as enjoyable sitting side saddle as on the Revo because you're sitting lower in the boat, not on the boat as in the Revo. When I paddled the Outback, it moved along reasonably well; a bit better than the Ride, but there are two screw heads (one on each side) protruding from the gunnel (for the paddle keeper cords) that you scrape your knuckles on while drawing the paddle back; a raging pain in the ass, an owner would have to remove those screws and find another solution to hold your paddle.

I'd have to say that, for me, overall, I liked both Hobies better than the Ride, even though the Ride was more comfortable. Between the two Hobies, I was so confused between which I really liked better that immediately after beaching the Outback I hopped back into the Revo for another 15 min.s. My conclusion was, the Revo is a slick, fun boat,,, the Outback is more practical. They both had poor seating and a crappy rudder steering system, but they are quality boats and I like the Mirage Drive as an option while paddling. If paddling either, I would remove the drive and stow it and lift the rudder (oh yeah, and remove those poorly placed screw heads on the Outback; it was an effort to keep this remark "clean").

Jarrod is kind enough to let me try his Cuda 14 tomorrow afternoon and I can't wait! I think if I weren't dead set on having an alternate means of propulsion, I would VERY seriously consider the Cuda (even without trying it yet), there are so many features that I love about it.

The reason I am decided on having the option of alternative propulsion (alternative to paddling) is that, although I intend to paddle a lot, I also intend to travel 5 - 15 miles when I go out, and at my age, I don't want to be forced to rely on just my arms and back to make it safely back; if I were in my 20's and 30's I wouldn't even consider another mode; but old age sucks and what sucks more is having to think of alternative ways to protect myself.

I am so annoyed that I was unable to demo the OK Torque,,, but yesterday I bought it anyway. After watching more than 20 videos and reading almost 100 reviews and articles, I'm pretty confident that I will really like the features of this boat. It seems to be a bit sleeker than the Ride and Cuda; I believe it will be stable enough for me to stand and fish for periods of time (especially with an 85# ballast, between the Minn Kota drive and battery), especially if I install a leaning brace; all areas of the boat are pretty easily accessible; it's longer and faster; it has a bit more of the Revo "in the water" feel than some others; I like the peddle rudder control much better than the hand control, especially while paddling; the cockpit is VERY open and accessible; and it's very add-on friendly. This will be my primary boat and I'm going to get a second boat in the next couple of weeks for my son/wife/guests and I'm leaning toward the Outback at this point.

So, for whatever, or little, benefit this is, that's my take on these three boats; hope it helps someone.