Hobie Vs Feel free

[Aaron Trotter]

Hello everyone, 

I appreciate the experience and knowledge this forum has to

offer so I thought I’d throw out my circumstance at this time. I have two friends both getting rid of kayaks. One is a 2017 Hobie pro angler 14 (getting rid of kayak to make more room for bass boat) The other is a feel free lure 13.5 2017) getting rid because doesn’t like kayak fishing). Obviously Hobie comes with mirage drive and feel free is a paddel drive with overdrive optional. 

Quesion is which would you choose

considering use for fishing small to medium lake bass tournaments. Maybe occasionally big lake. Considering price as well. I can pick up the feel free for <500 Hobie is close to 2250. 

 

Thank you for the input! 

[freelancer27]

Assuming the PA14 is in a good condition I would go with the PA for that price if you can afford it and have a way to store and transport it. 

[Turkey sandwich]

the Lure WITH pedal drive for less than $500?!?

[Landis Carrier]

2 hours ago, Turkey sandwich said:

the Lure WITH pedal drive for less than $500?!?

Paddle not pedal. 

 

If if money is no issue the Hobie.  But that's still a lot of money! 

[Montanaro]

Lol feelfree by a mile at that price point.  Why on earth would you spend over 4 times as much for a similar product?  Spend that on upgrades like electronics and powerpole.

[flyfisher]

Depending on where you fish and your budget should dictate your decision.  A PA can't really be paddled except in an emergency meaning if you ever go to rivers or shallower water it won't be as useful.  They are both pretty big boats but that PA is a real big boat and loading and unloading can be an issue depending on your transportation situation.  

 

You are going to start to see a lot of boats come up on the used market as people are looking to upgrade so if it was me, i'd research a little more, go to a demo days or two and figure out what you really want and wait for the right deal. 

[Aaron Trotter]

Thank you all for the input! 

I really like the feel free but is there a disadvantage for

people that paddel vs pedal for tournaments? It seems with pedaling you have hands free to do

more. 

 

Thank you!

[flyfisher]

1 minute ago, Aaron Trotter said:

Thank you all for the input! 

I really like the feel free but is there a disadvantage for

people that paddel vs pedal for tournaments? It seems with pedaling you have hands free to do

more. 

 

Thank you!

That is an entirely different question and depending on what type of kayak a person owns, you will see different answers.  

To me, pedal power is absolutely an advantage otherwise people wouldn't be paying top dollar for a pedal drive kayak and everyone would just pedal.  The hands free aspect is part of the equation but so is sustained speed and using larger muscle groups throughout the day which will keep you fresher all day long.  The counter argument you will always hear is well they can't get as shallow, which is true too.

[Turkey sandwich]

I have a Lure 13.5.  quick list of pros and cons:

 

Pros:

Super stable

Carries tons of gear

Runs well in super shallow water

Can do TONS of creative rigging

Is sonar-ready

A pedal drive is available for less than $1k

 

Cons:

You'll want a rudder kit to help fix the tracking

It's heavy as hell to car top (as is the Hobie)

Not the fastest boat to paddle. 

 

 

My .02 - get the Lure for $500 (that's a crazy cheap price), invest in the Feelfree pedaldrive, and rudder kit. That's still going to leave you with a $600+ difference to invest in a paddle, sonar, etc.   If you really wanted to get creative, using a rudder kit, you could even install a trolling motor on the Lure for less than the Hobie. 

[Aaron Trotter]

Thank you everyone for the replies! For budget and being first kayak I’m going to go with the lure 13.5. It already has rudder kit installed. 

 

 

[YoTone]

I would get the Hobie, yeah its way more expensive but when youre on a big body of water and have to travel over a mile and the winds in your face youre going to wish your legs were doing the work.

 

[Turkey sandwich]

On 2/5/2018 at 12:23 AM, Aaron Trotter said:

Thank you everyone for the replies! For budget and being first kayak I’m going to go with the lure 13.5. It already has rudder kit installed. 

 

 

 

it can't really be beat for that price.  Still, consider the Feelfree pedal drive when you can scratch up another $1k.

[haggard]

On 2/1/2018 at 9:14 PM, Montanaro said:

Lol feelfree by a mile at that price point.  Why on earth would you spend over 4 times as much for a similar product?  Spend that on upgrades like electronics and powerpole.

Because the products are not similar. There's a big difference between the two, which is why there's a corresponding big price difference. Pedal vs paddle; seating (& adjustments); quality; rudder; built-in items such as rod storage; attention to detail such as molded-in brass anchor trolley screw inserts and molded-in transducer mount with cover (at least on the newer PAs); etc. If you buy a $500 yak and it either doesn't meet your needs or you end up spending lots more money making it meet your needs, maybe the PA was a better choice.

 

Then again $500 is a great price for a decent yak and it could be a great way to get started. If it's your first yak, there may be some real value in NOT spending huge $ on the Cadillac as you figure out what you need.

 

 

On 2/1/2018 at 10:22 PM, Turkey sandwich said:

 That's still going to leave you with a $600+ difference to invest in a paddle, sonar, etc.   If you really wanted to get creative, using a rudder kit, you could even install a trolling motor on the Lure for less than the Hobie. 

Fishing? Anchor trolley! Anchor trolley! Anchor trolley!

 

[haggard]

Does anyone know if I can I disable this "we have merged your replies" feature?  I do not want responses to different posts automatically merged into a single message. It dilutes the content. If I want to address several posts in a single message, I can do that myself. If I wanted to

 

On 2/1/2018 at 9:43 PM, Aaron Trotter said:

I really like the feel free but is there a disadvantage for people that paddel vs pedal for tournaments? It seems with pedaling you have hands free to do more. 

Not sure about tournaments but in my opinion/experience the value of the pedal drive comes into play after you get to your spot and start casting or after you hook a fish. It simply helps you keep your position. When moving to a new position, I think paddles could actually be faster.

 

If you end up with paddles and not pedals, I think an anchor and anchor trolley would be a relatively low cost and hugely valuable add-on, giving you some of the advantages of pedal drive (maintaining position) when you're casting or reeling one in.

[Montanaro]

19 hours ago, haggard said:

Because the products are not similar. There's a big difference between the two, which is why there's a corresponding big price difference. Pedal vs paddle; seating (& adjustments); quality; rudder; built-in items such as rod storage; attention to detail such as molded-in brass anchor trolley screw inserts and molded-in transducer mount with cover (at least on the newer PAs); etc. If you buy a $500 yak and it either doesn't meet your needs or you end up spending lots more money making it meet your needs, maybe the PA was a better choice.

 

Then again $500 is a great price for a decent yak and it could be a great way to get started. If it's your first yak, there may be some real value in NOT spending huge $ on the Cadillac as you figure out what you need.

 

 

Fishing? Anchor trolley! Anchor trolley! Anchor trolley!

 

 

 

Some people prefer paddle over peddle.  Seating is very similar as the feelfree seat is arguably best in business.  Hobbie rod storage is merely rod tip protectors you hide your rod under if you lay it down on deck.  Brass and transducer mounts are not worth price gap.

 

Is it a great kayak I would own?  Yes.  Is it worth the difference in price?  No, you are paying for brand name and the mirage drive technology.

[haggard]

6 hours ago, Montanaro said:

 

 

Some people prefer paddle over peddle.  Seating is very similar as the feelfree seat is arguably best in business.  Hobbie rod storage is merely rod tip protectors you hide your rod under if you lay it down on deck.  Brass and transducer mounts are not worth price gap.

 

Is it a great kayak I would own?  Yes.  Is it worth the difference in price?  No, you are paying for brand name and the mirage drive technology.

Seating:

 

"Feelfree seat is arguable best in business" is fine as an opinion but would help if you could provide facts to support that. For the Hobie, the facts are lumbar adjustment and front and rear elevation adjustments. 

 

Rod storage:

 

"merely rod tip protectors you hide your rod under if you lay it down on deck" Hobie gives under-deck tubes for protection for four rods, compared to "tacked on" half pipe on-deck protection for two rods. PA14? An additional two rods.

 

"Brass and transducer mounts are not worth price gap."  Again, it would help us all to separate your opinion from fact. 

 

In short, if you want best quality and can afford it, Hobie. If you want to not spend as much, there are far more options out there for less money than Hobie.

 

No, you are paying for brand name and the mirage drive technology.

Exactly my point. If you want Mirage pedal drive, it comes at a price. Alternative? Save money and use a paddle.

 

Figure out where you fit, and buy accordingly. I spent crazy money on a Hobie and also ridiculously cheap money on what may be the most ridiculed yak on the planet and I love them both

 

 

[DogBone_384]

1 hour ago, haggard said:

"Feelfree seat is arguable best in business" is fine as an opinion but would help if you could provide facts to support that

I bought a Lure 11.5 in 2014 and have a ton of hours on it.  My butt tells me it’s a great seat...

[haggard]

No doubt it's a great seat. I came very close to buying a 10.5 Lure and the seat was a big selling point.

 

[Montanaro]

Brass fittings, a competitive seat, and pedals are not enough to overcome the benfit of purchasing a nice SI unit with yakattack cellblok and a powerpole microanchor with the savings of the price difference.

 

Your financial ability to modify and add on to the kayak is a very important factor some overlook

[haggard]

6 hours ago, Montanaro said:

Brass fittings, a competitive seat, and pedals are not enough to overcome the benfit of purchasing a nice SI unit with yakattack cellblok and a powerpole microanchor with the savings of the price difference.

 

Your financial ability to modify and add on to the kayak is a very important factor some overlook

Actually, a better seat and pedals are in fact enough to overcome the benefit of those other items. For some. Keep in mind the benefit for you isn't necessarily the same as the benefit for others.

 

Molded-in brass fittings is simply an example of the attention to detail you get on the Hobie. I wouldn't advise you to buy a Hobie based on that alone.

 

Not sure how the other Hobie models compare but as far as the PA goes, from bow to stern, it's about as good as it gets. I never really "got it" until I saw it in person. Do you pay for it? Absolutely. The PA isn't for everyone. I'd bet most of us don't need or want top quality and built-in features. There's a lot to be said for starting with a cheap simple boat and building it up the way you want.

 

 

[wet_dream]

I am primarily an Inshore fisherman so my input may not directly apply to you and your fishing needs. My Hobie Outback has allowed me to do more actual fishing compared to when I was paddling. But I am fishing tidal bodies of water and have to contend with moving water. The mirage drive has allowed me to hold over structure without the need to readjust by paddling. I can also retie rigs if I need to while moving from spot to spot. I have been a more efficient fisherman since switching to a pedal kayak.

 

As far as fishing skinny water, the drive pops right out so you can utilize the included paddle to maneuver through shallow areas without risking damage to the drive.

 

It is a big investment, and you have to take into account accessories (fishfinder, PFD, crate, leashes, etc.) that you will need/want to purchase in addition to the price of the kayak. It can add up very quickly.

 

Do you need pedals? No.

 

Do pedals make you a better fisherman? No. 

 

I’m sure there are guys who paddle who will outfish guys in pedal kayaks. But it has made fishing more enjoyable for me, and it’s been worth it 100%. Kayak fishing has been very enjoyable and I don’t think you’ll regret it whichever direction you go. Ask your friends if you can test drive them and get a feel for each. Maybe that’ll help you make a decision.

 

Good luck!

[Aaron Trotter]

Considering The videos that I have watched and people that I have talked to it seems as if a pedal drive would be a benefit and efficient during a tournament. For the fact of using a large muscle group during the day to keep fresh, and adjusting position while fishing rather than using hands. 

A 2017 Like new Hobie PA 14 for the price I believe will be the best choice after more research. 

 

What are the things that are needed for tournaments as far as rigging goes? Or what should I add to the Hobie to be successful ?

 

Thank you all very much for the information and input it is all appreciated!