Hobie Revo vs. Outback - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

dsafety · 09-22-2009, 08:19 PM

I ride a Revo and have been very pleased with its performance. I tried the Outback and was also very pleased but in my opinion, the Outback is better suited for those situations when you want to have the most stable platform while sacrificing speed and agilitiy. I think the Outback is best suited for smaller water venues.

For fishing the local kelp beds, I think the Revo is the best choice. It is not as fast as a sleek paddle kayak but is considerably faster than an outback when you have to travel long distances to the fishing grounds. I am comfortable with a little less stability and a little more speed.

While not as stable as the Outback, the Revo has never felt unstable to me. The other day however, when I had a big fish on and was seated side saddle, a wise fishing partner reminded me that if that fish came unglued, I would probably end up in the water after flipping my Revo. Would this happen with an Outback? Not sure, but it might be a consideration.

On the other hand, you could just limit your side saddle usage to making bait or fishing for bass and everything would be just fine.

Bob

kq · 09-23-2009, 05:04 AM

i have an outback and love it. have not tried the revo. so a couple of recommendations if you go with the outback. get the optional larger rudder, steers much better then the stock one. the paddles that come with the mirage drive kayaks are very poorly designed. the blades break off! so if you need to use a paddle getting in and out of the surf buy a decent quality one.

805gregg · 09-23-2009, 06:10 AM

I have an outback and since I'm too lazy to paddle or peddle, I think the extra stability comes in handy when I sail.

Geoffkoop · 09-23-2009, 08:44 AM

Like others have said, get the larger rudder and turbo fins. You will thank yourself.

09-22-2009, 08:19 PM	#1
dsafety Olivenhain Bob Join Date: May 2008 Location: Olivenhain, CA Posts: 1,122	I ride a Revo and have been very pleased with its performance. I tried the Outback and was also very pleased but in my opinion, the Outback is better suited for those situations when you want to have the most stable platform while sacrificing speed and agilitiy. I think the Outback is best suited for smaller water venues. For fishing the local kelp beds, I think the Revo is the best choice. It is not as fast as a sleek paddle kayak but is considerably faster than an outback when you have to travel long distances to the fishing grounds. I am comfortable with a little less stability and a little more speed. While not as stable as the Outback, the Revo has never felt unstable to me. The other day however, when I had a big fish on and was seated side saddle, a wise fishing partner reminded me that if that fish came unglued, I would probably end up in the water after flipping my Revo. Would this happen with an Outback? Not sure, but it might be a consideration. On the other hand, you could just limit your side saddle usage to making bait or fishing for bass and everything would be just fine. Bob Last edited by dsafety; 09-22-2009 at 09:18 PM.

09-23-2009, 05:04 AM	#2
kq Junior Join Date: May 2009 Location: bahia asuncion baja ca. sur Posts: 14	i have an outback and love it. have not tried the revo. so a couple of recommendations if you go with the outback. get the optional larger rudder, steers much better then the stock one. the paddles that come with the mirage drive kayaks are very poorly designed. the blades break off! so if you need to use a paddle getting in and out of the surf buy a decent quality one.

09-23-2009, 06:10 AM	#3
805gregg Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ojai, Ca Posts: 43	I have an outback and since I'm too lazy to paddle or peddle, I think the extra stability comes in handy when I sail.

09-23-2009, 08:44 AM	#4
Geoffkoop Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: So. Orange County Posts: 302	Like others have said, get the larger rudder and turbo fins. You will thank yourself.