Frank and I have worked up to being able to paddle 2 miles out to the deep for a few hours of fishing but when the wind picks up it’s a pretty strenuous paddle to get back in.  We definitely feel it the next couple of days.  Pedal kayaks are looking better and better for the efficiency of using our stronger muscles (legs) and freeing up our hands to fish.

There are a few makers of pedal kayaks and all but Hobie use a bicycle style pedaling motion that turns a propeller. Hobie pedal kayaks use a piston style pushing motion that causes fins under the kayak to flap. The Hobie pedal kayaks seem to be the gold standard.  Hobie’s drive train mechanism is easier to maintain than their competitions’ and only Hobie has an actual dealership on Oahu.  That was the clincher for me since the pedal mechanism on all the makers’ kayaks is prone to breaking down.

We’ve been told by guys who have used the various Hobie models that the Hobie Revolution 13 is the one we want for ease of transport to fish a couple miles off shore so Frank made an appointment with Windward Boats in Kailua, Oahu for the water test.

In this video, Frank is instructed by Bert to set the comfy raised Vantage seat, secure the paddle, deploy the rudder, insert the Mirage Drive 180 pedals and go into reverse gear.  He takes the Revo 13 for a spin, then I do, and then I switch to the longer Turbo fins for increased propulsion.

I found the bare Revo 13 to be lighter to carry than I expected.  Its advertised weight without the seat, Mirage drive, rod holders, etc is 70.5 lbs and my old Scupper Pro is supposed to be 55 lbs but the Pro feels quite a bit heavier than the Revo now that I have the rod holders, rudder kit, fish finder mount, transducer and battery permanently attached.  Since the Revo already has its rudder installed, I’m guessing the other permanently mounted accessories will add 12 – 15 lbs but still be car-toppable with the right car rack system.

We tested the Revo 13 in flat water and it was faster than I expected also.  Definitely quicker than paddling the Pro, which is a fast Sit On Top kayak.  And although the Revo 13’s width of 28.5 inches is narrow by pedal boat standards, it’s 2.5 inches wider than the Pro and felt a lot more stable.  Folks coming down from a much wider paddle kayak may not feel the same way, however.

The carry handles, rudder control, hatches, seat and Mirage Drive looked and felt well thought out.  Granted, we didn’t fish the Revo 13 but it did feel like a quality boat. The best blue water paddle fishing kayaks (Jackson Kayak Kraken 15, Ocean Kayak Trident 15, Wilderness Systems Thresher 140, etc) are half the price of the Revo 13 and come with more accessories and fish carrying capacity.  Is the pedaling convenience of the Revo 13 worth it?  For a few thousand more, we could get a power boat but I don’t want to have to deal with boat maintenance and having to trailer it around.

I have this transition plan in my head to adjust to our aging bodies:
Paddle Kayak -> Pedal Kayak -> Motorized Kayak -> Boat

What do you guys think we should do?