I wrote up a small piece on my Hobie Revolution kayak only days after I received it, mostly with a focus on some of the appendages that I had attached to it. Now after having put it through the wringer in over 50 trips and traversing at least 700km - from river systems to surf - I feel well qualified to write a thorough review. In particular, I'm in a pretty good position to compare it to the Hobie Outback model, which I was happily using before picking up the Revolution.

There were several attributes that attracted me to the Revolution model, which ultimately influenced my final decision to take it instead of the Outback that I had previously planned on using. Those attributes can be summed up under the banner of versatility. Being a hybrid of sorts, the Revolution sits nicely in that gap that previously separated the Outback from the Adventure model. The Revolution is a longer and more slender kayak than the Outback, which not only makes it a faster hull design, it's also easier to paddle. It's not as long or slender as the Adventure, however, and nor is it as fast. But being some 80cm shorter than the Adventure, it also boasts a tighter turning circle and has the added advantage of being lighter than both the Adventure and Outback. That's not to say that it skimps on storage space either - it has plenty, especially under the bow hatch.

So it would be fair to say that the Revolution is a very good all-round fishing kayak, and is precisely the sort of multi-tasker that would be suitable for someone traveling along the diversified coastline of Australia. It is also that sort of 'best of both worlds' quality that would lend itself to any kayak fisherman that fishes in a variety of conditions. It would also be fair to say, however, that because it does sit somewhere in between the Outback and Adventure models, both of those kayaks are probably a little bit better suited for their intended specific usage scenarios. Despite having good storage for what it is, both the Outback and Adventure models do offer more storage room than the Revolution. They both have more options for mounting extras such as rod holders and GPS mounts as well. The Revolution isn't long enough to offer the ability to slice through choppy water quite like the Adventure and nor is it wide enough to offer the rock-solid stability of the Outback. So perhaps the term 'almost best of both worlds' is more appropriate.

Hobie Mirage Revolution: good to go