Reviews for Mirage Outback Kayak by Hobie Cat Company

After several paddles or peddles, as you will, I think the Hobie is brilliant. Hobie has also fixed most of the problems that people seemed to have with earlier models mentioned before. There are two handles built in amidships for carrying, there are no leaks into the hull that I have found, there is no hatch under the seat now, the paddle is fairly large and works well for me at 6'3" 235 lbs. It is tricky to paddle and work the rudder system but if you are going in a straight line the rudder control has enough friction you can set it and it will hold straight.

The seat was quite comfortable after 4 hours of use. I can't wait to take it fishing! I have done some photography from it with a waterproof Lumix and a Nikon D90 and felt very secure. You could probably set a tripod on it! It is still a porker but necessity is the mother of invention and I have devised workarounds to loading and storing. I have the heavy duty cart which works well. Still, it's lighter than my Mad River Royalex Explorer canoe which is 75 lbs.

I have my first fishing trip this weekend and it is an overnighter. Storage openings in the hull could be a bit larger, but with the right dry bags and some trial and error when packing, I’m sure that the average user will find that this kayak has plenty of usable storage.

I don’t like the storage hole under the seat very much. Unlike the other storage areas, this one is not fitted with any rubber gaskets allowing for water to creep into the hull if you are in the ocean or rinsing it off after a trip.

Also, I am re-building an old flatbed utility trailer to haul the kayaks, having tired of loading/unloading the pickup truck. I still recommend the Hobie cart, but only hand haul the boat itself, with accessories (pedals, sail, anchor, etc.) carried separately.

We added cushioned stadium seats from Wal-Mart (& an inflatable neck pillow for occasional lumbar support), eyebolts (instead of Phillips screws) for the paddle bungees on the side (gunwale), silicone-lubed the hatch seals, glued the rubber grips on the bow/stern carrying handles, & repaired the popped cable tie on the up/down rudder lever (not fun; watch for rudder during launch, landing & take-out).

This boat definitely needs a better located drain plug & tighter seals---the ever-present slosh always sounds like gallons of water aboard, even though it might only be a gallon.

I also have the optional sail. The sail is well designed and sturdy enough. The only issue is sailing in anything above 8 or 10 knots. You can tip over before you know it. Perhaps a small keel to install in the pedal slot may be in order.

Admittedly the rod holders in front are not usable if you are casting from the cockpit. It is not so much heavy as unwieldy due to the width. I have learned to manage it by using the pedal opening and a finger in the rear rod holder to get it up to shoulder (and eventually head) to load it. Other nags are the water in the hull. I now suspect the useless under-seat screw down hatch. The rudder could be more robust but I am impressed that the material for the controls has withstood use and time.

The serious negative I have found is the hard seat. I don't know what Hobie was thinking. It is hard as a rock. Since you use your legs your butt bone/muscles and they grind on the seat--ouch!! After a few hours of peddling I am still in pain 2 days later. I have ordered a cushion but why Hobie didn't think of this floors me. That is the only negative I have found but it can be easily remedied.

I have also been out in some pretty good ocean swells and kept dry and felt very secure.A bit pricey and heavy but I have zero regrets selling my WS Ride and getting it.

It paddles well but I keep the rudder down unless I want to do some manoeuvring. The pedal system is amazing, ultimately faster than paddling. When you find a comfortable cadence you can go for ages without tiring but it's good to switch over and paddle every now and then. It feels very stable and at this time of year I don't want to deliberately tip it to find out exactly what I can do on it.

It is, as I expected from Hobie's reputation, very well made. The design is thoughtful and complete for what I want to do - fish. May need an anchor for sea fishing though. It seems quite expensive, but when you factor in all the extras that come standard, I am happy with my purchase.

This boat is extremely well thought out. With all the cutouts around the hull, I was able to keep everything at my fingertips: soft drink, pliers, fish scent, etc. The 2 rear rod holders keep the rods in easy reach, but well out of the way of casting. My only complaint with them is that the holes for the rod holders are too small to accept a pistol grip rod – but you can still strap one on the other side from the paddle holder. I had a full size tackle box in the area directly behind the seat, a cooler behind that, and a small bag with my soft plastic baits in the area right in front of the seat: and everything was well within easy reach!

This boat is very stable. I really don’t believe that you can tip it. Getting in and out is a breeze, 10x easier than the canoe I fished out of last year. The rudder system works perfect. It looks too small to be that effective, but it really is. You can cut donuts with this thing.

Is it perfect? Nope. It is a heavy little beast, but not so heavy that I can’t put it on the rack myself. The biggest complaint I have is the lack of handles – this makes it very hard to get up over your head. I have learned to strap one of my rack tie downs through one of the rear scupper holes and then the hole for the pedal system. Cinching it up tight against the hull gives one a centered “handle” that you can use to pick the boat up off the ground.

I think it tracks well. I never operate it with out the foot pedels in place but I do paddle it and allow the fins to act as a centerboard the same for sailing. I find the rudder very responsive regardless of the mode of travel.

I am still learning the capabilities of this kayak and finding out that it is a very talented machine. Even under sail I have not tipped this, but I do think we need a better rigging set up for the main sheet.