Which Hobie to get... Outback? PA12? PA14?

I know I'm getting a Hobie kayak. I just haven't decided which one to get.

To start, this would be my first kayak purchase.
I would initially be fishing lakes and rivers but eventually I want to get out on the ocean (after I get around to buying all the gear I would need).
Bass fishing is appealing but I'm more likely to want salmon, halibut....

I always like the newest tech, and the new PA coming out with the 360 Mirage Drive sounds great.

I want fishability.
I want stability if I choose to stand.
I want storage (rod storage in the PA is good, yeah?).
I would be hauling in the bed of my truck with a hitch bed extender so not worried about lifting up high.
I have to plan for the time(s) when I might have to paddle but am expecting to predominantly use the drive system.

The negatives I've read about for the PA are the weight, difficult surf launches, poor paddle-ability.
The negatives I see for the Outback are the lack of 360 drive (I know, I could get by just fine without it but new tech...), the handle up front looks weak (prefer the handle on the PA), and less storage.

So, what do you think?

First off I would say to try all of the models you are considering first to see how you like them and see/feel the differences for your self.

From the boats you mentioned and wants you listed, I would go with the Outback. I have a 19 Outback right now and really like the way the boat handles in flat water as well as the Ocean. Many people like the revo for the Ocean but standing may be a challenge.

New tech is good but many times the first year of a mod turns out to be a large scale testing of the new gear and may result in needing fixes and mods. The drive currently on the Outback does all I need. For Zero radius turns I use my paddle. Of course this is all just my opinion and other will add stuff.

I have a ‘19 Outback and love it. Had a paddle kayak for years, the 180 drive is great, 360 seems a bit much.

Tried the PA’s, they are really heavy. I recall going to a dealer when I was testing kayaks out. That was before ‘19 Outback had come out, and I was considering the Compass or a PA. Sales guy wanted to get me in a PA. His line was “that one’s a kayak, the PA is a boat”. Yeah, but I wanted a kayak, not a boat.

Then the new Outback came out, which made the decision easier for me. PA’s def have over the top fishing features (rod holders tackle box holders etc etc) but I find the Outback pretty full featured. It is hard to paddle esp when a DR and FF on the rails. I’d be worried with the PA, but that’s just me.

Like Jed said I’d try them all. You’ll know what feels right for you and your style/s of fishing. I am mostly salmon fishing in the Puget sound and need to be able to hand carry over obstacles at a few of my put ins, Outback was a good fit for me. Good luck choosing, you’re psyched!!

I think you'll have a great time no matter the Hobie....but if you have to beach it at low tide...hauling the PA back to the truck may involve some inventive swearing.  Enjoy the hunt.  I've now got three kayaks.  I really appreciate the lightness of my paddle only kayaks for lakes.  Because they're relatively inexpensive, I don't feel bad dragging them across rocks or pavement either, but I love my Hobie Compass, and my next Hobie will be an Outback.
Remember the drysuit if you go in the salt!

I'm always curious why folks who've never owned a kayak want to jump right in with a Hobie without ever learning how to paddle a kayak.  It seems to me they're putting a lot of faith in a propulsion unit that fails way too often - read about it here through the Search function and then do the same search in NorCal Kayak Anglers (NCKA).

Hypothetical situation: let's say you're a half mile offshore when the wind builds up and you're tryiing to get back to the beach wen a cable comes loose on the Mirage drive, rendering it useless.  You grab the paddle and then what?

I think they're fine boats and all that, but they're not the end all and be all of kayaks.  I own an iPhone and it isn't the end all and be all of smart phones.  Both have a rabid fan base and are surrounded by a lot of hype, but hype isn't what you depend on in the ocean, now is it?

There, I got it all out, and I now feel better.  But that said, I'd have to agree that if you cannot live with the humiliation of not owning a Hobie of your own, the Outback is the right choice for what you said you want to do.

I'm not sure why anyone would want or need to stand up on a kayak.  They're pretty silent things and you can drift right up to fish in a kayak.  Sight fishing is entirely different in a kayak than it is in a powerboat, but you can stand up in an Outback if you want, and an Outback won't give you a hernia while trying to launch, land, and load like a PA might.

I know I'm getting a Hobie kayak. I just haven't decided which one to get.

To start, this would be my first kayak purchase.
I would initially be fishing lakes and rivers but eventually I want to get out on the ocean (after I get around to buying all the gear I would need).
Bass fishing is appealing but I'm more likely to want salmon, halibut....

I always like the newest tech, and the new PA coming out with the 360 Mirage Drive sounds great.

I want fishability.
I want stability if I choose to stand.
I want storage (rod storage in the PA is good, yeah?).
I would be hauling in the bed of my truck with a hitch bed extender so not worried about lifting up high.
I have to plan for the time(s) when I might have to paddle but am expecting to predominantly use the drive system.

The negatives I've read about for the PA are the weight, difficult surf launches, poor paddle-ability.
The negatives I see for the Outback are the lack of 360 drive (I know, I could get by just fine without it but new tech...), the handle up front looks weak (prefer the handle on the PA), and less storage.

So, what do you think?

I think you need to rent the big 14, and then load on the roof of you cart a few times then get it from the parking lot to the water and back.  Next peddle down a shallow river so you can get the full effect of having to try fix the paddle drive when it breaks, then have to paddle up stream with that beast.  Then decide if you really want too Hobbie Pro Angler.  In all honesty I don't think the pro angler was made for that.  It was made for Bubba Bass Fisherman who will tow it to the boat launch and launch like a boat.  IMHO opinion, before I dropped that kind of change on a yak, I would try some other rigs first.  If you have no experience paddling, learn that first before crossing a paddle drive, you will thank all of later.  Also from the safety side, take that PA 14, roll it over and try to roll back over and then get in it.   the wider it is , the harder it is to roll over , flip side is, the harder to get it right side up. 

The PA 14 (for that matter so is the 12) is limited by it size and weight, as to where you can launch, a detractor for kayaking in general, let alone for fishing.  Not a kayak to throw on top of Jeep and take off to that secret lake in the middle of no where that you have to defend down 200 feet of elevation to get to a launch site. As I have gotten older I have come to appreciate simpler things that are easy to fix, easy to move about and store, launch, and need little maintenance.

Does Hobbie make a good boat, yes they do. I owned a traditional paddle Hobbie Quest for 10 years and I have never seen a rotomolded kayak that didn't sun fade...except for Hobbie's, as they use high end plastic in their yaks. I had a red one I bought used in Texas, and then I moved to CA with it, and never faded. Just as red as the day I bought it. That says something.

There are a lot of good kayaks out there for well under $5K,  you may wish to look a little further.

I got my Outback as a second kayak after realizing pedal drive makes such a big difference on big water. So your thoughts as a starting point are good, if you are sure you are going to take to kayaking and kayak fishing. Save the lost investment in the first boat and go directly to the pedal boat.

OTOH what Tinker and others say about paddling is real. You need a backup propulsion mode and frankly I don't want to think about what paddling a PA is like - I know the Outback is bad enough and that's compared to the barge of a paddle boat that I bought in the first place (Predator MX).

Which is not to say the drive is unreliable, but things do break on occasion.

Put me down as yet another who as stood in his kayak just to prove he could, then wondered "Uh....why ?" Maybe for a fly fisherman, I dunno.

As far as creeping around the back country and 200' descents, no thanks. That's just 200' of ascent coming later. Pass. Hard pass. An Outback isn't even a good fit for that situation.

Though for that you might do well with just a boat for that specific use - a lightweight paddle boat or even canoe that is designed for easy portage.

I've had my secondhand Revo 13 for several years and would likely buy another when the time comes, I'd like to try an Outback first though. PA just looks like too much weight. I really like the speed of the Revo. Especially when caught in a strong current (which seems to happen to me where I fish). It's def. not as stable, but you learn what you can do and what you can't.

Have you considered the Hobie Adventure Island?  Weighs about the same as the PA14 when fully decked out to go sail.  Super stable under wind power until you hit 9mph+ on a beam reach, and you have an AMA looking to take a dive.  It's 10' wide when set up to sail and with trampolines installed on each side, you can store crab pots, 100+ rods, cooler, dog, girlfriend, hell if you're lucky your other girlfriend too.   

You can set it up to go from full sail rig to just a fat paddle craft with no sail, down to using just one AMA and tramp for stability and storage, or use none of it and just take the hull out just like that.  So many options! 

And did I mention, it's FAST!   

Further ruminations, I posted a few weeks ago about maiden Outback session where I was a bit put off by how cumbersome the program was, but for fishing I was impressed by the space, stability, and 180 drive.

Since then I’ve had more sessions and gotten more dialed in. Then last week I had to use my old paddle kayak for the MA10 opener dawn patrol. Super easy to load up, but tight quarters, and significantly a lot of non-fishing time when jigging with wind and current.

Fast forward to last Saturday. I got all geared up for my MA9 debut, everything set, headed up to Edmonds from West Seattle. Got kayak loaded, carted down to beach, removed cart and pushed off. Something was missing- I had forgotten the drive. Kayak was super cumbersome paddling w/associated gear (DR and FF) and hole where the drive should be. Half-enjoyed a half-assed session but kept close to the pier and launch, dreaming of what could have been. Def gave me food for thought about what it would be like if the drive failed (vs user fail like in this case), it’s not pretty! Can’t even imagine what a PA14 would be like paddling.

Why a hobie? Natives are nice boats as well with the propel drive, and several other manufacturers now have peddle drives as well. Try before you buy, and paddle them as well as peddle.

Not sure where you're located Jason, but if you want to hop in some of the Hobies in our demo pool at the shop I'd be happy to walk through them with you and find the one that you're most comfortable with. I've owned a PA12, 14, and Outback and can share all the ins and outs with you, and we can do some loading on and off your rig to make sure you're comfortable with that part as well!

Why a hobie? Natives are nice boats as well with the propel drive, and several other manufacturers now have peddle drives as well. Try before you buy, and paddle them as well as peddle.

^^ I was in a hurry to get out and fish before I bought my Perception Pilot and I wish I would have asked in this forum first. 2 things I would have done differently:

1) Tried before I bought.
2) Looked for a used one instead of purchasing a new one from Amazon. Whichever one you decide on, get one from a local brick and mortar store and not from an online retailer (mine arrived pretty beat up).

For what it's worth, here's my 2 cents on propeller drives...

Pros:
1) Quite a bit cheaper.
2) Reverse peddling can stop you very quickly.

Cons:
1) Not quite as efficient as Hobie drives. I have to move my legs in a circular motion which takes up more space. The Hobie drives deliver just a little more thrust for the energy spent and can achieve a little better speeds.
2) Not good when there's a lot of grass and other junk floating around in the water. The stuff gets tangled around the prop which can slow things down quite a bit. Both times I've taken it out on the Puget Sound so far, this has been an issue. I sometimes have to stop, pull the drive up into the scupper and use my pliers to get it out.

If you are considering trolling a lot for salmon or fishing heavy currents I would consider the outback.

I own an outback and a revo. I leave the outback at home unless there is a guest. I enjoy the speed of the revo and what it has to offer. But if the revo is totally a no then I would go for the outback. Each time I see a PA I wonder why not just a boat lol. Also they are heavy and slow in current. They do look badass tho but The thought of them in the ocean or dragging them up the ramp or beach makes me tired haha.

We live close and I would be happy to show you both models. I even have them on the roof of my car now lol

I'm always curious why folks who've never owned a kayak want to jump right in with a Hobie without ever learning how to paddle a kayak.  It seems to me they're putting a lot of faith in a propulsion unit that fails way too often - read about it here through the Search function and then do the same search in NorCal Kayak Anglers (NCKA).

Hypothetical situation: let's say you're a half mile offshore when the wind builds up and you're tryiing to get back to the beach wen a cable comes loose on the Mirage drive, rendering it useless.  You grab the paddle and then what?

I think they're fine boats and all that, but they're not the end all and be all of kayaks.  I own an iPhone and it isn't the end all and be all of smart phones.  Both have a rabid fan base and are surrounded by a lot of hype, but hype isn't what you depend on in the ocean, now is it?

There, I got it all out, and I now feel better.  But that said, I'd have to agree that if you cannot live with the humiliation of not owning a Hobie of your own, the Outback is the right choice for what you said you want to do.

I'm not sure why anyone would want or need to stand up on a kayak.  They're pretty silent things and you can drift right up to fish in a kayak.  Sight fishing is entirely different in a kayak than it is in a powerboat, but you can stand up in an Outback if you want, and an Outback won't give you a hernia while trying to launch, land, and load like a PA might.

I've paddled kayaks and am very comfortable doing that. I figure the drive WILL go out some day and I'll have to resort to paddling at that time. Until then, trying to maneuver with the paddle while fighting a fish isn't something I prefer to deal with so I want the quietness of the Mirage Drive and the flutter kick option when in the weeds.