Pedal Kayak advice?

[Dc1211]

Getting ready to upgrade to a pedal powered kayak.
I'm looking at:
1. WS Radar 135 w helix pd
2. Hobie outback
3. Native Slayer

I do all sorts of fishing from trout and reds in the open bay, back in the marsh, and bass/crappie fishing in lakes.
I'm going to make sure to get on them all before I buy but I wanted to also ask you guys for your experiences with pedal kayaks.
Thanks

[JRB-USMC]

I have a Hobie Outback and I absolutely love it. I primarily fish water less than 4' or so. It is very stable has plenty of storage (I recommend the rectangle hatch upgrade with it) and it works perfect for me. The mirage drive has better acceleration than the propeller based peddles. I almost bought the prop style because of the reverse feature but with the new 180 mirage, it solved that. Hopefully I win the 180 mirage at the Hobie only tournament in Corpus later this month.

As far as getting skinny, the peddles only work in water deeper than about 12". Shallower than that and you are back to the paddle. I draft an inch or two deeper than my old Jackson Cuda but I will happily trade that to get the mirage drive!

[Dc1211]

Thanks!
I'm definitely going to get in a hobie before I buy, I have no doubt the mirage is quicker andif the mirage 180 is smooth I'll have a tough decision.
I just really like the idea of being able to somewhat hold my potion by pedaling back and forwards without pulling a lever. Plus I'm a biker so the pedal action wouldn't bother me too much.

[TexasJim]

My fishing buddy just bought the Radar 135. I'm very impressed with the Helix drive and the engineering design that went into the overall boat design. The up-and-down movement of the drive is different. not bad, just different.

The Native Slayer pedal drive is nice. I like the tilt-up drive feature.

I've only looked at the Old Town in a showroom, but it has lots of neat design ideas.

I've never pedaled a Hobie, but the prop drives are better for holding a position.

The Pescador Pilot is is a different class(way lower) than the first three.

My take on the whole fleet: Too heavy, too wide, and don't paddle very well, which is important, because you won't always be able to pedal.

Not for me(yet). I'll be 72 in two months, and I still prefer paddling a light, fast, fishing kayak. My trips rarely cover more than four miles.

Good luck! TexasJim

[JMS]

Have Demo'd the Hobbie and enjoyed it, saw some YouTube videos on the Radar and it looks impressive...Your going about it the right way ask questions and pedal each before making a decision.


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[Dc1211]

I'm renting the Radar 115 today from ACK. Going down to aransas pass for 3 days. They don't have the helix available to rent so I'll have 3 days to see how it paddles.
I'll let y'all know how it does.

[Tombo]

I saw the pedal drive set up of a Jackson Coosa at Roys Bait and Tackle yesterday. The propeller is protected by a skeg that serves two purposes. One is obvious in that the skeg is below the propeller and the skeg is narrow, acts to keep the kayak tracking straight.
The really cool part is if it hits something, the skeg is spring loaded to resist breaking. The drive has three positions. Deep, midway and tucked into a chamber out of sight. The drive is also easily raised and lowered by a lever attached to the topside of the drive. The prop does not need to be aligned to raise or lower.
This was my take at playing around with the displayed prototype. Its worth your time to look into it.
Will this replace my Hobie? Nope!
I can't comment on the other drives just coming out. The Native has been out for a few years and has been well documented on TKF.
My question about the propeller drives is "Can individual parts be replaced if in need of repair?"

[RealBigReel]

I don't have a Hobie kayak but I do have the Mirage drive V2, with the Click N Go mounts.
Doesn't matter what drive you have if you run full tilt into a rock or a log, something is going to give.
I like the feature of being able to feather the fins, or flutter kick in shallow water. And with the Click N Go mounts you can extract the drive quickly.
Going backwards is no big deal, the paddle works fine for the little bit of that that is needed. You do need to be careful going backwards because none of the rudders are designed to take a load going backwards. It is real easy to snap the rudder off in that case.
I find the Mirage drive is just fine for holding position in the winds. I can stay within a few feet of a marker buoy. With shifting winds you really can't expect better than that.
But nothing beats a pedal drive for moving upwind.

[Cruisin_Cuda]

i would wait and give the jackson coosa fd a test ride too. i have a feeling it will be the outback killer. it'll be a prop style like the radar and propel, but the way it's designed to bounce up in shallow water seem like it will be less hassle. youtube has some videos on to check out!

[SeaGreen]

I have a 2017 native manta ray 12 propel.
it was easy for me to make up my mind...i wanted something easy to carry/maneuver. price tag was perfect $2165 after tax. PLUS reverse on the fly is so freaking awesome. and in skinny water i was even more impressed with how easy this kayak is to paddle. @181lbs i can easily stand in this kayak without a problem.

[Dc1211]

Took the Radar 135 out today! No helix drive but I still got a good feel for it. I stood up all day and never lost my balance. I have a ride 1:5 and the Radar is much more stable and paddles better.

After looking at all halls comments looks like I have a lot of testing to do still.

I like he idea of jecjackson coosa that has a deep, midway and tuck up position.
Oh ya, fished redfish bay saw some reds tailing cought 3 reds 1 flounder and a nice trout.
A lot to think about

[Dc1211]

Just sold my Ride135 so the search for a new Kayak just ramped up.

Anybody have any experience standing and fishing from a Outback ? I'm starting to lean towards a outback but not sure its as stable as the Radar or Slayer.

I'm still going to demo before I buy just makes me nervous seeing an empty spot in my garage where my Kayak use to be

[JRB-USMC]

Standing and fishing on the Outback is no problem. I am 6' tall and 210 pounds and it still fells stable to me. My dad is a little heavier and he also stands on his with ease.

[mdeisher]

I recently went through the same considerations your facing. I found things I like about all of them. I ultimatley decided on the Outback Camo. I really like the acceleration from the Hobies and the possible feathering in the shallows. Also, the point about holding position I had the same concern. What I found is everytime I needed to hold position there was either current or wind pushing me in a certain direction and holding my spot didn't involve switching the 180 drive back and forth. It was simply putting it reverse and when the current pushed me forward a few feet I would give a few kicks then rinse and repeat.

[Dc1211]

I'm renting the outback from ACK tomorrow. Can't wait to check it out .

[SteeleKnight]

Roys Bait and Tackle in Corpus Christi is having their Demo Day next Saturday August 5th. Not sure on the time slot so may want to call for that. Just an FYI.

[Dc1211]

So I took the Outback out yesterday and liked it a lot. Keep in mind this was my first time on any pedal drive.

So far I have rented the Radar without the Helix drive and rented the Hobie outback camo edition.

1st thing I noticed was it was more of a workout than I thought! Not a problem just didn't expect it.
The Mirage drive 180--- was awesome, pulling the cord for reverse is not a problem so the instant reverse that the propeller drives talk about has pretty much even out.
The stability of the Outback was great. No problem at all standing and fishing. It is not as stable as the Radar but definitely stable enough to not be a factor in my decision.
Not a big kayak the Radar has it beat in storage area and features but if I get the square hatch that will help.
The seat--I like the seat on the Radar better. The Radar seat is higher, wider, easier to adjust, and is more comfy.
Not that the Hobie seat is bad the Radars is just better.

Although I have not tried one of the propeller drives yet, I feel like the Mirage will have a big advantage in shallow water and grass since you can just put one leg forward and it gets flush with the hull, and you can still flutter it and move.
I imagine the propeller would get wrapped up in grass.

I'm waiting to see if Hobie comes out with a 2018 Outback with any changes from the 2017.