I spent time on different Hobie pedal boats and have owned a number of paddle type kayaks over the past 20 years. For fishing the pedal power is a big advantage but until I spent time on the Revo 13 I did not appreciate the huge gain in speed and distance with the Hobie Mirage drive. I can easily go three times as far offshore with less effort than with any paddle kayak. It also makes it practical to troll with a kayak and it takes no more effort than walking to make the boat go at 3 knots through the water.

The boat includes an excellent rudder system that is controlled with a single 4 inch long lever with the left hand, and it includes a paddle and a bungee retention setup for us on the sides of the boat. The kayak is ready to put into the water and go with the addition of a PFD and nothing more.

Hobie has done a remarkable job of providing a large range of accessories that are designed to work well with their boats and that are very reasonably priced. This includes hatch storage bins, anchor trolley, ama kit, anchor trolley kit, oversized sailing rudder, power Turbo fins, rod holder extensions, dry bags, etc. etc. etc.

Narrow rails so GT90 track is needed if wanting to add track for any desired accessories. This is the one area where the most of the Hobie boats with their center pedal drive are different than paddle kayaks. Rod holders and fish finder, and other items need to be mounted to the sides of the boats and the center cockpit area is not available as it is with many paddle type boats like the OK Trident and Prowler boats for example with their Mod Pods.

Being able to easily add a sail is a huge deal for both general use and for fishing. When you can unwrap the sail and be doing 3-4 knots under wind power alone your range is greatly extended and you can pedal and use the sail power at the same time. The Revo is stable enough to use as is for wind under 8-10 knots or you can add the Hobie ama kit to provide lots of additional stability - and the ama kit can be used to make the boat practical to use standing up for sight fishing.

The "other" boat most often considered is the Hobie Outback which is wider and heavier and more sluggish through waves and chop but has a lot more deck space for fishing tackle (even more if the 8" round hatch is removed and replaced with the $100 Pro Angler 12 rectangular hatch kit which ought to be standard equipment).

I bought this kayak about 5 years ago, and have used it very often. The thick plastic construction gives you a feeling of confidence in the water. It is not the fastest kayak in the water, so if you plan on going very long distances you may want a more narrow vessel. I have taken my son, now 8 years old, on it with me for the last 4 years. We fish in saltwater in it, and have trekked out to Cape Lookout with camping gear in it! Overall it is a well constructed kayak with ample room, and is very sea worthy!

I purchased the Revo 13 with a couple of specific applications in mind. This boat is far sleeker in the surf than my current PA14s, in both entry and egress. For a surf-launch craft this is an ideal weapon.

But not to be disregarded on the flats, the Revo 13 is incredibly fast and agile. With the Turbo ST fins--believe it or not, on a sprint this boat will do 9 1/2 kts. Of course not being a young man with legs of steel, I could never maintain this speed for long, but long jogs at 5 or 6 kts is not difficult at all. This will allow me to buzz across a bay or inlet at a brisk pace, and move from flat to flat covering lots of water.

For storage, I am spoiled with my PAs, so it is a challenge to find a place for everything. The handy crate takes care of handling all my junk for the day. Other items that I would leave on board will stow easily in the bow storage tub.

To power the FF/GPS, the easiest route was simply the small gear tub in front of the seat. A traditional SLA 12v battery mounted there is easy and out of the way. The install of the FF/GPS with the power located here took about 20 minutes.

In closure, while the Revolution series may not appeal as strongly to the hardcore angler as much as a PA or even a Outback, it does warrant consideration. The Revo is sleek, nimble and fast. It is a narrow'ish boat. For narrow launches, carrying down stairs at your condo this could be the ticket. With this boat being so quick, if you find yourself needing to cover distance quickly or zip across open water the Revo 13 might be the ticket. It's simple, easy to manage and quick to launch and load.

I got my opportunity to demo the Hobie Revolution while fishing for peacock bass near Naples, Fl.

The first thing that I noticed that I felt like I was in a confined spaces. Having a landing net in one of the flush rod holder and the other held an extra rod. So that left the other rod in my lap while I pedaled the mirage drive system. There just did not seem like there was any spare space.

The Revolution was very fast using the mirage drive. My only issue was that the rudder system was not very responsive when turning the kayak to the port direction.

The kayak tracked very well when drifting.

I did try paddling the Revolution. This kayak paddled very nice. In fact I just wondered why Hobie decided to incorporate since the Revolution paddled so great,

Back to the confined space feeling. When I managed to land a peacock bass I was a little concerned about the measuring and photographing the catch. It did worked out for the CPR process.

Would I recommend the Revolution as a fishing kayak I would struggle to say "yes". As normal I would recommend that an individual first demo. Their impressions of the Revolution might be different. For me the Revolution is not a fishing kayak for me.

In a word the Hobie Mirage Revolution 13 is: Fast.

From the moment I engaged the Mirage Drive in the Revo 13 I knew I was sitting on a rocket. I had the Turbo Fins locked in and could blaze through the water with ease. The Revo has so many upsides it’s a wonder more people don’t fish out of them. As with any testing period, I located some areas for improvement as well.

The morning that taught me everything I needed to know about this kayak started at 5 AM. The moon was covered by clouds and the sun wouldn’t make its appearance for another hour and a half. I could feel the wind and know that the reported 15mph didn’t quite cover it. 25mph was more accurate though in the dark it was hard to tell. The forecast said the wind would be dying out over the next few hours and the hybrid bite was on so, PFD strapped on, lights ablaze I set off into the darkness on my half mile journey. As soon as the kayak gained buoyancy the wind caught it. I deployed the rudder, pointed the bow into the wind and used the paddle for about 10 strokes. I quickly dropped the Mirage Drive into place and went to work pedaling. Waves crashing over my bow and around the sides told me quite a bit. The rudder held me on course, the Turbos sliced me through the water and a short time later I had made my destination. I had to turn broadside to the waves for about 100 yards and I learned a little more. This weather, though not ideal, was simulating lots of situations that would normally take several weeks to experience. Sheltered and safe, I commenced fishing and for once the forecasts were correct. The wind died to a mere 10mph and the trip back was uneventfully quick. I was able to make multiple other trips in the boat but none proved as useful as this one.


The Good


The Revo 13 is F-A-S-T! I covered the same water I used for one of the Slayer 12 trips and did it in ½ the time. Over 13 feet of kayak helps keep you on course but add in the rudder which comes standard and this kayak will move. Add Turbo Fins and it flies! It will also turn more easily than boats of equal length. The hull weight of just over 69 pounds seems about right or even on the lighter than expected scale. Three hatches allow under hull access and provide a good place to store extra tackle, gear or clothes. Come to think of it I am pretty sure I left a box of Storm swimbaits in the Revo I tested. The boat drains quick. I really needed it on the nasty weather trips and it didn’t disappoint.


Room for Improvement

The Revo is a skinnier version of its shorter big brother the Outback. At only 28.5” wide it doesn’t handle broadside waves as dryly. I missed not having the side trays or wider side rails for mounting Gear Trac. I could only feasibly find a couple of locations to fit a 4” Trac and it would be a bit of a stretch at that. The hatches offer access but a major improvement would be to add the Pro Angler rectangular hatch, maybe slightly smaller where the center round hatch is. As it is now, you can only get longer gear like poles or paddles in through the front. That’s ok for lakes, not great for BTB trips. Because the kayak is narrower, if you are pedaling quickly and do a sharp turn with the rudder control, it gets pretty tipsy. I’m not sure how many times you would do that but it leaves a little to be desired with width stability. I wouldn’t stand in this Hobie. Only the PAs are made for standing but the Outback and Sport are standable models. The keel is less pronounced in the Revo than the Outback and Sport which I feel makes the difference.

Final Thoughts

So the end all question is would I buy one? Yes. I would.
Would I buy it over an Outback? Not for my uses.
The Revo is an excellent boat and should be very popular for car toppers everywhere. The weight of the hull feels lighter than 69 pounds and it flies when in water. It is a possible BTB kayak though the shorter model might be preferred by some to avoid telephone poling on re-entry. I wish it were two inches wider and had a rectangular center hatch. Past that, it’s dang near perfect for folks who don’t mind sitting in a more traditional style kayak seat and getting a little wet.