Hobie Mirage Sport Kayak - Opinions

[teckee7]

Hi

I am looking for information on how good the Mirage Sport is for fishing in the river and lakes. I dont think I will taking it out on the ocean. Is it a stable craft given the size of it compared to say the Outback Revolutions? I have googled it and did not get that much info.

Anybody have a Mirage Sport or used one before and can provide me with a feedback would be great.

Btw I am only 5'7" and weigh about 70kg.

[freedomhawk12]

Speak with mal or Tony at sunstate hobie. They have try before u buy sessions.

[BrisVegasBretto]

Haven't used a Sport before, but I'm yet to use a Hobie which isn't stable. Even flipping the Quest11 during a recovery exercise took a bit of effort.

Dimensions and looks wise, the Sport looks a little like a mini Outback. It's not a bad looking rig.

[teckee7]

Yes, the Hobie Sport does seem to be a smaller version of the Outback and the Outback is pretty popular. The main thing for me is the transportation and handling of the Sport, and as I am not overly tall or heavy, I didnt feel the need to go for an overkill.

[benno573]

I don't think you'd have any issue with stability. They are roughly the same width as a revo. I'm 6'2", 110kg and a revo is beautifully stable. The lack of waterlength will no be a huge issue for stability, that more affects how it moves through the water.

If you are sticking to the rivers and creeks you won't have a whole lot of swell/chop to contend with as a general rule so it would be less important than if you were hitting the bay.

I know Yoyo used to take his mirage sport out off wello no worries.

[Terry H]

I can't remember the specifics of how they perform, however I do remember Neil Schultz and his Son have used them offshore before. I can't remember how well it performed, but I don't seem to recall any issues with stability.

Definitely talk with Mal at Sunstate Hobie though, he's a top bloke and will no doubt be able to help you with a test and his customer service is exceptional.

[Rocket75]

I had a Sport and loved it.

The only problem I had was that I put on a few KGs and it started to sit a bit low in the water. I moved on to a Revo 13 as it had a larger load capacity.

At 5'8" I'm a similar height to yourself but I have not weighed 70kg since Primary School

Unless you plan on putting on 25kg I reckon you will find the Sport a great kayak for estaury, river and lake.

I took mine out in sloppy chop on the bay but not open ocean. This was more due to my lack of confidence in my abilities than doubt over the kayak.

Agree with the fellas that suggest a test pedal on anything before you shell out your $$$$ cause they are not cheap, even 2nd hand.

If you are looking at older models make sure you check for cracks around the rear scupper holes (this is where metal poles on the trolley pokes thru and this has been known to sometimes cause stress on the area).

Also keep an eye out for damage/cracks around the opening where the mirage drive clicks in as this was another area that some models had issues.

Overall I would recommend the Sport to someone your size not only for the advantage of the mirage system and but also due to it's ease of loading, unloading and storing.