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| Retiring the Revo | | Print | |
| Tuesday, 06 November 2007 | ||||
Time to get more adventurousWith today being the most notable exception, it's been fairly windy up here in Townsville over the past week or so and as advertized, the ocean swell has been getting up a bit. It's been a bit like that even since I left Mackay. Rarely has it been the kind of conditions that would prevent me from going kayak fishing, but it has been the kind of conditions that have prevented me from reaching a few of the fishing grounds I've been eyeing off. This has been happening since I reach Hervey Bay and has now started to frustrate me a bit. More and more recently I've come to learn that just because Google earth says that 10km seperates A from B, that doesn't mean it'll be a 10km paddle to the destination. If the wind is non existant and there is no swell or chop to contend with then sure - as the crow flies won't be much different to how the kayak gets there. But when it is choppy it can be a different story entirely and wind and chop is typically present conditions up here. Shorter kayaks (like the Revolution) are more likely to traverse the rise and fall of the waves where as longer sea-kayak variants are more likely to cut straight over the top of them. It's that difference that has had me thinking twice about which kayak I am better off using. As I've travelled up the QLD coast I've had to surrender numerous plans to paddle to islands or outer reefs. Not so much because of the distance involved, but more so because of the conditions one has to contend with to reach them. Simply because the Adventure tends to handle wind and choppy conditions better, I've concluded that it's the kayak I really should be using at this point. The extra storage space in the rear well won't go astray either because I'm starting to make plans for several kayak camping trips.  Hobie Mirage Adventure Stepping up to the Adventure isn't a decision thats been easy to make because the Revo has been really very good and there are a few areas where the Revo actually outshines the Adventure. One of these is manueverability, which is a handy thing to have in rivers and around submerged trees. It's also smaller and lighter, which I imagine will make it an easier kayak to get to and from the water. But ultimately, however, I'm doing far more yak fishing in the ocean than anything else and whilst I'm here in croc country that isn't about to change. And at the end of the day, I'm probably at more risk of being washed out to sea than being chomped by crocs or sharks, so it just makes sense to have a kayak that is purpose built for open water. A side benefit of moving over to the Adventure is that it will mean that I will then have had hands-on experience with each of the solo Hobie Mirage kayaks. So far I've written reviews on the Sport, Outback and Revolution. Obviously I'll also do the same for the Adventure but perhaps more significant than that, I'll also cobble together a 'round up' article of sorts, comparing each of those models in such a way that should help anyone trying to decide which Hobie kayak is best suited for their needs.    
06-11-2007 17:56 so you are upgarding, excellent choice after seeing how the currents are in the whitsundays i had to re-assess any potential trips in the future 06-11-2007 20:09 Indeed Astro, they run pretty hard indeed. My main issue is how the smaller yaks handle choppy water. While the Revo & Outback certainly are stable enough in a rough swell, they do have to cover more water to reach the same distances. Not such a problem if you have the luxury to pick your days, but thats not a luxury I always have. Only registered users can write comments. Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6 |
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