Kayak Reviews

Welcome to our Hobie Kayak reviews. We hope that you are able to browse and read the reviews of those who took the time to leave a hobie kayak review with us. After browsing through the reviewed models, please consider taking a few moments and leaving your own hobie kayak review with us.

This Hobie Kayak review by Steve, who reviewed the Mirage Outback model kayak on 08-12-2006. It was given an overall rating of 10, where 1 is low...10 is high.

Comments: I bought my used 2001 Mirage Outback three months ago after trying it out once. Since that time I have been out at least once every weekend fishing my local 600 acre lake. I transport it to the lake in the hatchback of my Subaru. With the wheel dolly it is a breeze to load and unload. The stability is amazing while fishing. I have never felt uneasy, even when fighting a 3 pound catfish on a 9 foot cane pole. I use a fish basket tied to a cleat in the cockpit which is very handy. I also take two anchors to stay put when I get on the fish. If I get caught in a light rain, I keep fishing because the kayak is self draining! Last week I bought a 2006 OUtback for my son. It has some differences from the earlier models, but I prefer the setup of my 2001 model. Since buying it, I have not had my flat bottom boat out of my garage. This yak simply revolutionized the way I will fish for the rest of my life. And talk about turning heads on the water. EVERYONE wants to know "What the heck is that?" I've also been sailing several times and that is easy as well. My Hobie Mirage Outback is my favorite toy!!!

Suggested Changes: Changes will come at the discretion of Hobie, but the mirage drive in a Hobie kayak is sheer perfection and cannot be improved upon.

This Hobie Kayak review by SeaCur, who reviewed the Outback model kayak on 02-20-2006. It was given an overall rating of 9, where 1 is low...10 is high.

Comments: This is a great product. It moves with little effort in wind or waves. Sailing works well also. Having the 34 inch width makes it stable. Having your hands free for fishing and Photos is so nice. I bought my first in 2004 and then another in 2005. It is however a pain in the butt to re-wire your steering cable if it breaks. It takes a lot to break it though. Paddling is a bit sluggish, but since peddling, I rarely paddle now. You never get fatigued. It is a real head turner. Everyone that sees it wants it. I can not get enough of it. The peddle system is powerful and innovative. It is fun to use. IT IS FUN TO USE!!!

Suggested Changes: I would like to see a different rudder system. I understand this year it may have changed as well as a new lid type hatch. I would like to see a buffer (to stop scratches) of some type for the side when you roll it on the beach to fit wheels in bottom.

This Hobie Kayak review by Ictalurus, who reviewed the Mirage Outback model kayak on 02-14-2005. It was given an overall rating of 7, where 1 is low...10 is high.

Comments: For freshwater fishing and trolling, this boat can't be beat. It's fairly comfortable for big guys (I'm 6'5", 215lbs) for extended periods of time (well, up to about 6hrs, anyway). Pedaling it is pretty fast, and I've been able to keep up with longer conventional yaks without killing myself. I can usually cover 4-5 miles in an hour (landmark-based estimate). I usually can maintain my position fairly well with minor pedal/rudder adjustments. I've had the boat out in 18-24" whitecaps with some larger boat wakes thrown in, and I never felt like I was going to capsize. Operation really isn't hands free, though, as the boat doesn't track all that well. Constant rudder adjustments are necessary, and tracking is abysmal with a following sea. Fortunately, the boat is maneuverable and tolerates leaning for tighter turning; however, it is a pig to paddle (I need to try a longer paddle, though) because of it's rounded hull and squared off gunwales). The boat is excellent for fighting fish, and I've landed some nice stripers on light tackle (wasn't expecting the big guys). Build quality could be a little better, though. My first boat developed a crack in the hull in the slot where the drive goes after 3-4 uses, and I didn't do anything stupid to it. Same happened to my father's. Hobie's customer service is topnotch, though, and they took care of it right away. I also had trouble with the sprocket guards coming loose (they apparently had a bad run with the plastic), but again, Hobie took care of it. It would be nice if there were more dry storage--all the hatches are pretty small. Camping with it would be pretty tough--you would need lots of dry bags. A lot of people ding the boat for the cart that comes with it, but I've used the cart quite a bit (once with the boat full of water), and there's no indication that it's going to break. Even with all my complaints, I would buy another for the stability, speed-to-length ratio, and the fishing ease.

Suggested Changes: Stouter plastic (what's a few extra pounds?), tighter tolerances on the drive, better hatches (something like the hatches Malibu uses), a slightly longer model would be nice, more of a keel for better tracking, and a longer paddle.

This Hobie Kayak review by kalifkurt. He reviewed the Mirage OUTBACK model kayak on 06-04-2004. It was given an overall rating of 9, where 1 is low...10 is high.

Comments: JUST GOT MY NEW MIRAGE OUTBACK IN MAY OR '04 AND ONLY HAD IT OUT A COUPLE OF TIMES IN RELATIVELY SHELTERED MOUNTAIN LAKES IN NORTH CALIFORNIA AND SOUTH OREGON....BUT THE WORD SO FAR IS "EXCELLENT". WHAT A GREAT WAY TO FISH ...ESPECIALLY THE SHALLOWS AND BACKWATER SHORELINES. I'VE USED THE OUTBACK FISHING FOR SMALLMOUTHS -- BOTH CASTING TO THE BANK AND TROLLING RAPALAS WITH FANTASTIC RESULTS...ALSO NAILED A NUMBER OF CRAPPIE, BLUE GILLS AND TROUT WHILE I WAS AT IT. THE HANDS-FREE PEDALING IS ALMOST EFFORTLESS AND LEAVES PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR CASTING AND FIGHTING FISH WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT STEERING ONE-HANDED WITH A PADDLE...OR WORRYING ABOUT DROPPING THE PADDLE. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. ONLY "DOWNER" IS THE WEIGHT AT 57 POUNDS. I HAUL THIS RIG ON TOP OF MY RV, SO IT'S QUITE A STRUGGLE FOR ONE KEY TO YANK IT UP IN THE AIR 11 FEET...BUT IT CAN BE DONE (JUST BOUGHT A RACK FOR THE SUV, SO MY EFFORT SHOULD BE CONSIDERABLY LESS ON FUTURE TRIPS). I ALSO BOUGHT A SAIL THAT I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY OUT....WISH ME LUCK! GO CATCH SOMETHING KURT

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This Hobie Kayak review by Burner. He reviewed the mirage outback model kayak on 12-17-2003. It was given an overall rating of 9, where 1 is low...10 is high.

Comments: My fishing is confined to inland lakes in ILL and Wisc. I purchased this kayak in early spring of 2003, with the intention of using it thru-out the summer. I had researched it on the internet and it seemed like a good fit for me. Its now December and the kayak is actually sitting in my basement, waiting for next spring. I got a full summer of use out of it, practically every weekend from May thru Sept,putting me in a good position to give input to interested buyers. Here goes.....The Outback surpassed my expectations. The drive unit is wonderful. Wind has minimal effect. You simply point the nose into the wind and with very little effort on the pedals, hold your position while fishing continuously. The only time I paddled, was to move thru very shallow water or to back off of shore. Stability is very good. I routinely stand while stepping onto a pier, exiting the Outback. I fish a lot and comfort is important to me. At 6'2", 220lbs, and middle-aged, fishing from a canoe is miserable. But fishing from the Mirage Outback is remarkably comfortable. One of the short-comings that I had read before the purchase is the lack of hand-holds making the kayak difficult to handle out of the water. For a while I agreed with this assessment. But at some point mid-way thru the summer that issue went away. Although I do recommend the wheel option, the handling issue has a way of resolving itself if you use the kayak enough . The drain holes and area where the drive unit sits serve as effective hand-holds when lifting. Like I said, mine is in my basement for the winter. I'm looking forward to next spring. Couldn't be happier.

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This Hobie Kayak review by FROBASS, who reviewed the MIRAGE OUTBACK model kayak on 04-09-2003. It was given an overall rating of 8, where 1 is low...10 is high.

Comments: I JUST PURCHASED MY HOBIE, AND I REALLY LIKE IT. THE USE OF YOUR LEGS TO POWER VS HAVING TO ROW WITH YOUR ARMS SURE MAKES FISHING ALLOT EASIER. THE BOAT IS VERY STABLE AND HAS TONS OF ROOM FOR ALL OF THE THINGS YOU NEED TO FISH. IF THEY COULD MAKE IT PEDAL BACKWARDS IT WOULD BE TRULY REMARKABLE. IT IS CUMBERSOME OUT OF THE WATER. TWO PEOPLE ARE BEST FOR LOADING ON A ROOF RACK. WHEN YOU ARE IN REALLY SHALLOW WATER PUT THE FLIPPERS UP AND PADDLE. PADDLING IS NOT QUITE AS EASY AS SOME KAYAKS, I THINK DUE TO HOW WIDE IT IS. I EXCHANGED MY PADDLE FOR A SLIGHTLY LONGER ONE AND THAT HELPED ME CLEAR THE SIDES OF THE BOAT EASIER. ALL IN ALL A VERY NICE FISHING SETUP.

Suggested Changes: I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HANDLES ON EACH SIDE OF THE BOAT IN THE MIDDLE. WOULD MAKE LOADING AND UNLOADING EASIER.

This Hobie Kayak review by Danbo, who reviewed the Mirage Tandem model kayak on 03-31-2003. It was given an overall rating of 7, where 1 is low...10 is high.

Comments: I got my Mirage Tandem for two reasons: For fishing of course, but also to allow my kids (non-athletic) out on the water with me. I wanted ease of mobility on the water. The entire Hobie Mirage line provides super easy mobility with what they call the Miragedrive pedal system. Basically its a unit that fits through the hull which converts your back-and-forth leg motion into side-to-side flipper motion underneath the boat. And for very little effort these kayaks really move. When you first start out, your tendency will be to pedal hard, but you don't need to. I found that by relaxing and pedaling easier than you would on a bike, it moves nicely at about 2 to 3 mph. Not bad. With my wife and I pedaling hard for fun at Dana Point, we moved so fast we were putting out more of a wake than is allowed in the Harbor, and were probably moving at about 6 mph. One person can peddle the tandem just fine as well, and there is rudder with controls on the right rail by the rear seat which controls steering and the rudder kick-up, drop down mechanism. The Outback model only comes in a single seat configuration, but has 4 molded in rod holders, and a square storage area behind the seat for a cooler or bait tank. The outback is also a little bit wider than the standard mirage models. From what I can see, even though they are very easy to use, they have a few drawbacks. There isn't much storage area since the place in between where your feet would normally rest now has the pedal mechanism. This leaves the area behind you, which is a little awkward to reach without throwing your legs over the side for stability. On the tandem, the rear seat is pretty far back, and the storage area behind that seat isn't very large. For my uses its a great kayak, as I need the multi-use features. For a hard-core ocean fisherman there might not be enough storage, but I'd be willing to bet that even they would appreciate the ease of use of the pedal system. It might make going those few extra miles even easier. Also, since it is a tandem, and I use mine solo, I had to work a little bit in some 30 mph winds Sunday to keep the bow pointed in the right direction.

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