Introduce yourself

Good evening folks,

I’d like to start off with the fact I have yet to even buy kayak. With that said I have been looking hard at the hobie pa 12. I’m 5’11” 165# I usually fish on the Columbia and some of the tributaries but would like to work up the courage to get out on the ocean. I chase mainly salmon walleye for fresh water and attempt to get a lingcod or so at least once a year. I look forward to asking a lot of questions. Thank you!

Welcome!

What makes you want to get a PA over the other Hobie models?  I would recommend testing them all out as each one has its benefits and draw backs

Welcome Becart

The PA is a lot of boat.  If you have a trailer and plan on using ramps, it might be the ticket.  If you plan on car topping and hauling to your put-in, you might consider something lighter, like an Outback.

-Mark-

You need to look at a Revo 13, 16, or Outback.  You will be MUCH happier on the ocean with one of those than a PA

Welcome Becart

The PA is a lot of boat.  If you have a trailer and plan on using ramps, it might be the ticket.  If you plan on car topping and hauling to your put-in, you might consider something lighter, like an Outback.

-Mark-

If you fish on the regular get the PA and you can cancel your membership to the cross fit gym. Clean and jerk, kayak weight squats, and the H-rails are great for dips. You'll get to swim often in the surf zone. You'll be fit as a fiddle. 

Seriously, if stand up sight fishing is your thing then the PA is a money boat.

Im thinking the pa because I’ve heard it’s very stable and so I thought for being a newbie that would be the ticket. I’ve looked a lot at the revo but it sounds like it’s a little more unstable but a lot faster and one of my biggest worries is flipping it in the surf, I like the looks of the outback to but idk I still have to try them out. Loading and unloading won’t be to much of a problem because i would get a trailer but that’s why I joined this forum so I could get advice from the folks who have been doing it awhile.

Find one of the demo days or rent one before you spend that much on a kayak, imo, regardless of what model.  I also don't find the whole stability thing to be an issue in an kayak targeted at fishing unless you're standing up and that's just a matter of practice and physical ability/agility.  I've stood up on my 30" wide 16 footer to fly fish but it wasn't a zen experience like it can be on a barge.

A lot of downsides to a PA that you shouldn't overlook. The width and stability works right side up or upside down and fights against you getting it right side up if it flips in the surf.  There's a lot of surface "sail" in the wind.  They are heavy and darned hard to paddle in an emergency.

I always thought my Revo 13 was a very stable ride, but you should try them and form your own opinion.

Tbkd4 tournament June 16th Garibaldi Oregon Next Adventure will be having a small demo day and there will be a bunch of us addicts here to talk about the kayak addiction, rigging, boat selection, and of course fishing ... now the fishing part will likely be exaggerated greatly because the fish is the only animal that grows rapidly shortly after it’s captured    also check the TBKD 4 Outback thread 

WTTM .............Welcome to the madness

There’s a cure but none of us care about it, let’s fish

I can stand in my outback in class 1 / lower 2 rapids. Super stable

Im thinking the pa because I’ve heard it’s very stable and so I thought for being a newbie that would be the ticket. I’ve looked a lot at the revo but it sounds like it’s a little more unstable but a lot faster and one of my biggest worries is flipping it in the surf, I like the looks of the outback to but idk I still have to try them out. Loading and unloading won’t be to much of a problem because i would get a trailer but that’s why I joined this forum so I could get advice from the folks who have been doing it awhile.

Welcome Becart...

Don't get to hung up on the kayak's primary stability as a newbie.  Just like learning to ride a bike, many people start with training wheels because it provides good primary stability. But, after a short while the balance becomes natural and the training wheels come off.  The bike becomes faster and easier to maneuver.

Same with kayaks, of course the skinny kayaks feel all wobbly and unstable at first, but a few trips to the lake and some miles under the belt, the body gets the balance down and it becomes a very smooth experience.

The secondary stability is where is at.  You can really lean over much much further in say a Revo or Addy and just come right back without being dumped in the drink.

So, once you get comfortable with a skinny kayak, your loading/unloading, launching/recovery, paddling and speed efforts are much less of an effort compared to a PA or even the Outback. 

If sight fishing is going to be one of your go to methods of fishing, just adding a set of outriggers to any kayak will help facilitate this. 

A couple years ago I took the Hobie First Cast class out of Half Moon Bay, CA.  It was heavy overcast and blowing 40.  As I approached the bay I looked out at a white capped angry sea.  I was pretty sure they would cancel the class, but it went on.  They put me in a Revo 13.  One person in the group capsized (immediately rescued) but I kept quartering into the waves and trying to fish.  It was like riding a bucking bronco.  I never felt like I would capsize but it was so wild I started to get seasick.  The guy who capsized was starting to freeze so one instructor took him in early and I went too.  I would never voluntarily fish in those conditions but I was glad to see how the Revo fared.  The only downside for me, being a big guy, was that the seat felt too narrow.  The lead instructor for the group said his favorite ocean kayak is the Revo 13. 

I think if there's one thing you're picking up on from the replies here is to try them all out because it's different for every person. The fantastic thing about Hobie's in particular is that they hold their value very well, meaning if you buy a Pro Angler or an Outback and you decide a year or two from now you want a Revo you can typically offload it without losing too much money.

When I first started kayak fishing I fished out of a buddies Hobie outback and I loved it for the size and stability while still being reasonably sized, I tried a Revo 13 before buying one for myself and decided for ME and the way I like to fish it wasn't going to work out and ended up buying an outback, so far I can't think of too many occasions where I've wished I had the Revo over the Outback, but I can think of several occasions where I have been really happy I have the extra space and small bit of added stability.

Thanks for all the advice. It sounds like I’ll have to head to Garibaldi on June 16 and try them out.

Have to add to the positive comments on the Outback. It is lighter on land than the PA, easier to paddle than the PA, BUT neither would be fun to paddle any distance. OB is stable. I/m 6', 175 and enter it by sitting down from the side, then swinging my feet in. There's never a hint that it could tip. As a fishing machine the OB is widely used. You're on the right track to test several brands, designs, before buying. I was advised early on that I just HAD to have a PA. The OB turned out to be a better fit for me. YMMV. :-)