Hobie Mirage Outback Review
Bottom Line:
Stable, comfortable, and highly customizable, experts rate the Hobie Mirage Outback as a great fishing kayak in all categories. It gets high praise for its innovative rudder system and innovative storage across the front and rear of the vessel.
What’s impressive about this kayak is that it seems to be a great all-rounder – never scoring too low in any category. However, it’s clearly built with fishing in mind, meaning it’s probably not the quickest off the mark! But this is a small price to pay for an all around great fishing kayak.
Price Comparison:
Specs:
| Brand | Hobie |
| Size (length x width) | 12'9" x 34" |
| Weight | 85 lbs |
| Capacity | 425 lbs |
Comparison to Similar Kayaks:
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| Hobie Mirage Outback | Pelican Sentinel 100X Angler | Old Town Topwater 120 | Vibe Sea Ghost 130 | Vibe Sea Ghost 110 | |
| Expert Rating | 7.9 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 7.8 |
| Size | 12'9" x 34" | 9'5" x 30" | 12' x 33.5" | 13' x 33" | 11'6" x 33" |
| Weight | 85 lbs | 44 lbs | 82 lbs | 75 lbs | 84 lbs |
| Handling | |||||
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| Comfort | |||||
| Onboard Storage | |||||
| Portability | |||||
| Durability | n/a | n/a |
Hobie Mirage Outback Review
- One of the most responsive rudder systems on the market
- Lots of storage potential and customization support
- Extremely stable to stand and sit
- Seat offers fantastic lumbar locking and angle adjustment
- It's light and easy to carry and store
- Not ideal for non-fishing trips
- Not much commentary on durability
Performance of the Hobie Mirage Outback
The Hobie Mirage Outback is a hugely popular fishing boat that’s seen plenty of reissues and upgrades over the years, but the core of the experience hasn’t changed all that much. Experts feel that with this kayak, if it ain’t broke – don’t fix it!
This is one of few kayaks in its class and price range that scores well on most categories (if not all). Therefore, reviewers are comfortable stating it’s one of the best all-around angling vessels for the price tag.
The boat’s handling is easily boosted by its famous Mirage drive and turbo rudder, which got a lot of praise in recent years for its “kick” setup, meaning it pops in and out if you brush up against something in the water.
Experts claim that the drive works extremely hard with very little encouragement, and that it’s always easy to handle the steering with dual controls at your seat. In terms of responsiveness, there don’t seem to be many complaints. Just don’t expect this boat to win any sprints!
Experts are also quick to confirm this boat is built for stand-up angling. Foot pads coupled with intrinsic stability (thanks to a classic hull design) mean you’re never likely to topple in. It’s also apparently hardy through tougher waters and weather, and it’s unlikely to let water ingress.
The seat onboard the Mirage Outback is something of a marvel all on its own, with simple yet effective securing widgets to help protect your lumbar and keep your posture in place on longer trips. It’s reportedly very easy to stand up and sit back down again without issue, and you can even remove the seat to use as a deck chair if you prefer.
There’s ample (if not excessive) storage onboard this kayak, with incredible flexibility for customizing gear, fishing equipment and more thanks to easy-access tracks and holders. There’s a large central bucket ideal for dry gear, and the manufacturer has gone to extra effort in making the hatches onboard extra resistant to water ingress.
Anglers will also like the presence of lure storage on either side of the vessel, as well as a huge well of space for ice boxes and crates.
As a very lightweight boat for its size and class, the Mirage Outback score highly on portability. It’s got a large handle towards the rear of the vessel, with extra supports if you’re carrying with a partner. It’s great for streamlined storage and for moving on cars and other vehicles.
A standout theme across this kayak is that there’s lots of security and lockability – you’re always likely to be secure if you tip, which doesn’t seem to be very likely. If you want to release transducers and rudders, you can do so from your seat – and at the same time, if you prefer to paddle, there are holders on either side of the boat (which isn’t always a given).
Check out the reinforced scuppers on the underside of the kayak, too. These give paddlers extra confidence that the Mirage Outback simply isn’t going to submerge without a fight.
Lastly – and certainly not least of all – there’s even a bottle opener on the inside of the central hatch door. Hobie really have thought of everything!
