New Hobie Pro Angler 12

You may have heard the underground buzz about the new Pro Angler 12 that Hobie is slated to release in limited quantities  later this month.  I was lucky enough to attend a Hobie dealer meeting that allowed us to view the new boat and demo it on the water.  This blog will give you some of my first impressions.

First of all, as the name implies, Hobie has created a downsized Pro Angler.  It’s 2 feet shorter, a couple of inches narrower and about 20 pounds lighter than the original Pro Angler.  On the water, this downsizing makes the boat feel quicker and more nimble than the original PA.  It turns on a dime and I wasn’t able to detect any hull slap (take this with a grain of salt as the waters were fairly calm during the demo).  Here’s a photo of the overall boat:

But the overall size and hull design of the boat are just the tip of the iceberg for this groundbreaking new fishing kayak.  Here’s a listing of some of the key new features (with pictures of a few):

Lowrance Ready hull:  The hull comes ready for a Lowrance fishfinder.  No more drilling, no more gooping transducers.

Pop-Out Plano Storage:  This super cool feature pops the Plano’s out of the hatch simply by opening the lid (see pic below).  Also – the hatch is built flush with the deck for easier standing in the boat.

Left or Right Hand Steering:  The steering handle is now built into the side rail.  This comes pre-rigged on the left side – but you can quickly and easily move the steering handle to the right side – Hobie has already run the steering cables for you!

 

The killer app on this boat has got to be the new seat.  Not only is the seat lighter and more comfortable than the old model – it is capable of adjusting upward under your legs, the tilt of the back as well as being able to flip up while standing and to rise vertically almost 5 inches – all while you are sitting on the chair in the boat!  Here’s a view of the new seat:

If you like to stand and fish, the seat bottom can be lifted up so that you can stand on the foam pads beneath the seat:

The Best Kayak Seat on the Market:  And now the thing that makes this boat ABSOLUTELY AWESOME for our area is that the seat can be positioned higher and lower depending upon your preference.  Setting it higher makes it a snap to stand up in the boat.  It also changes your position for comfort if you have back problems and want to try a couple of different heights.  It’s hard to explain how this works – so I made this short video for you to see:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0uSLcYio6U[/youtube]

The Pro Angler 12 will be in short supply this spring.  At this printing, Hobie is facing some delays on parts to finish out the boats.  We are hoping for delivery in Mid May – but it’s hard to promise a date at this point.  Our order is among the first to be placed and should be one of the first delivered.  Call us at 337 232 5854 to check on our stock.  We are taking deposits on the initial shipment if you are interested in reserving a boat.