Hobie Lynx Review

Hobie Lynx Review. I was excited to road-test the new Hobie Lynx Kayak. It’s a unique product that fills a gap in recreational kayak fishing. A product that’s light, portable, stable, and no fuss. On the surface, the Hobie Lynx looks like a SUP with a mounted chair and mirage drive peddle system, but it’s so much more than that. There are many interesting things good and bad to cover about the Hobie Lynx kayak and I think it’s important you read this Hobie Lynx Review before buying one.

I have kayak fished now for almost 20 years. For the last 5 years, I’ve pretty much exclusively fished on my Hobie Pro Angler 14. It’s an amazing vessel that’s stable and can be loaded up with a crazy volume of accessories. However, it’s heavy, sluggish on the water, and can be challenging to transport. I’ve had some back issues in recent years which has made the Pro Angler kayak challenging to use at times. That’s why I was so excited to explore what Lynx has to offer.

Watch a detailed vid of FishingMad testing the Hobie Lynx on the water getting stuck into some awesome catches and testing its stability and versatility

Hobie Lynx light weight Shines above the rest

Let’s first discuss the Lynx’s best feature and biggest selling point its weight. At 20 kilos it’s so much lighter when compared to other kayaks on the market. Let’s look at that more closely ( Unrigged weights ).

Hobie Lynx – 20 kilos
Native Watercraft Slayer 10 – 28 kilos
Hobie Passport 10.5 – 29 kilos
Hobie Compass – 31 kilos
Hobie Passport 12 – 33 kilos
Hobie Outback – 38 kilos
Native Watercraft Slayer 12.5 – 43kg
Native Watercraft Titan 10.5 – 44kg
Hobie Pro Angler 12 – 48kg
Old town topwater 12 – 48kg
Hobie Pro Angler 14 – 55kg

Because it’s so light it’s simple to rooftop and move around. It doesn’t require any special vehicle. I drive mine around in a Mazda hatch effortlessly. You can lift it and place it straight on the roof racks or buy aids like the Rhino universal side loader which makes it a breeze to load. From there you can easily move your Lynx kayak from your parking spot to your desired launch location easily. Once on the water, it handles so well because of this lightweight. Hobie achieves this by using an EPS foam material within a fibreglass shell. They also removed weight by having a simple flat design and going with a minimal approach that resembles a SUP or surfboard.

The construction of a Hobie Lynx

Hobie Lynx Design and Space

Although it lacks storage ( and we will spend significant time talking about that later ) it’s open and spacious and has plenty of room for fishing. Surprisingly more than a lot of other kayaks on the market. If you sit in a passport, compass, or outback and then compare it to a Lynx you’ll know exactly what I mean. The passport, compass, and Outback have raised moulded polyethylene material which makes them a snug fit. There is only so much room to move your legs and feet. The lynx however is 91.4cm wide and you have all of that space to move around in. As there are not many raised edges it just means you need to be careful not to lose items over the sides.

When you first sit on the Hobie Lynx it feels strange. This flat surface with no raised bow or sides feels so different from fishing in any other model Hobie. You feel open and exposed but you quickly adjust to this so it’s not a problem. Not having a raised bow and sides means that in certain situations you will get wet as waves and swell will easily come over the front. The water quickly self-drains without effort and the yak remains on its way but it’s something you need to be aware of. In the winter months, the use of dry pants would be really important for this reason.

You will also notice when there are any waves that you will hear a lot of load hull slapping sound. This is because of the EPS foam construction material. This can become very annoying and there isn’t much you can do about it.

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Lynx Performance

The Lynx shines on the water in the right conditions. Because it’s so light it essentially floats and glides on the water. There is such little resistance making it fast and sleek. Especially if you upgrade the Mirage drive to turbo fins. Because it floats it allows you to fish areas which you may not have been able to with other kayaks. Shallow flats, weed beds, rock ledges all these things are now more accessible and easier to fish.

The stability of this kayak is amazing. I’m able to stand and fish with ease and without feeling like I’m going to fall. Its stability in my mind fits somewhere between the Outback and Pro Angler which is very high praise. The Lynx steering and turning are phenomenal. A gentle rotation of the rudder which is controlled by hand on the left side of the mirage seat makes the yak turn on a dime. It’s a crazy difference from some of the bigger model kayaks.

It’s really important to mention that this kayak is not for all situations. You wouldn’t use this kayak offshore and you need to watch the wind and swell whenever using it in inshore waters, lakes, or estuaries. Generally, I’m only taking this kayak out during low winds and low swells. Although it could certainly handle a bit more than that. Hobie Lynx review.

Hobie Lynx Storage and essential accessories

Now storage is where things get really interesting. On the surface, the lack of storage is a massive downside for the Hobie Lynx. It may turn keen anglers away thinking by default there is just no storage for fishing essentials like rod holders, net holders, storage for pliers, scissors, soft plastics, lures, and so on.

However, I think with some creativity you can easily overcome this. It just means you need to buy some essential accessories. For me this included the following items.

H-Rails Kit
Hobie H-Crate
BerleyPro Side Bro for Lynx
Underchair soft tackle storage
Hobie Vantage Seat bag ( optional )

Now that’s about $500 worth of additional accessories. For me, that’s money well spent, and the Lynx just isn’t a fishing platform I would entertain without any of those items. The H-Rail allows you to quickly mount rod holders and a sounder. The H-Crate allows you to store your rods, net, and tackle trays the Side bro gives you immediate quick access to scissors, pliers, soft plastics, and lures and you could take it a step further by having a vantage seat back to store additional things and personal items like keys, wallet, and phone.

Hobie Lynx Durability

As mentioned earlier the Hobie Lynx is made from core EPS foam material within a fiberglass shell. It’s stylish and sleek. However, it’s the least durable Hobie on the market. The outer surface scratches easily and it can also dent easily. So, you do need to handle them and transport them with care. You also need to take care when fishing in areas with heavy structures or sharp objects like bridge pylons and mussel farms.

After my first trip, I noticed some scratches just from launching and putting the yak on and off the roof racks. Which was done with care. It was a tad deflating seeing signs of wear and tear so early on. Since then I have placed sliding pads onto the roof rack, fitted a BerleyPro Bumper Bro to protect the keel, and applied some Keel Easy protective tape. Small measures will hopefully go a long way to increasing the longevity of the Hobie Lynx. Now my Lynx is still relatively new so time will tell just how durable it is. My Pro Angler 14 has been very robust over the journey and only needed very minor repairs in its hundreds of hours on the water.

Hobie Lynx Cost $$

I like the Lynx but I can’t help but think that Hobie has made a massive mistake asking a too steep price point for the Lynx. When you consider what you get it should be priced somewhere directly between the Passport 10 and Compass. Or priced similarly to the Passport 12. But it’s not. Let me break down all the costs I had when buying the Hobie Lynx

Essentials

$3,999 – Hobie Lynx
$175 – H-Rail kit
$129 – BerleyPro Side bro
$45 – Berley Pro bumper bro
$59 – Vantage Seat Bag
$179 – Hobie standard wheel cart

Optional purchases I made.

$55 – Soft Tacklebox
$199 – Rhino Universal Side Loader
$599 – Roof racks Fitted

As you can see it cost me a total of $5,439 to buy a Hobie Lynx with the accessories needed to transport it and fish properly with adequate storage. When you look at what you get with a Hobie Lynx and compare it to a Compass or Passport you can’t help but ask why is it so expensive. I own one and still haven’t been able to answer that question or really justify the expense. I could have easily bought a Passport 10.5 for almost $2,000 less and had a similar experience. It’s a shame as I think the take up on this kayak would be huge if the price point was lower. Especially when you consider the accessories which are essential to make it a usable platform.

The high cost is also a fair reason why we hope it remains more durable than first seen. When you’re making a significant investment like this you’re hoping to get some level of longevity. Only time will tell so fingers crossed here.

Hobie Lynx Review and Conclusion

The Hobie Lynx is an awesome fishing platform that will surprise many. It’s so light and so easy to transport. It handles exceptionally well on the water. It thrives in shallow flats, estuaries and lakes, and the bay in the right weather conditions. It’s unique and solves many of the problems found with yaks in today’s market. However, it lacks storage but with some creativity and cost, you can easily get around this problem. However, its real downfall is its steep buying cost and necessary accessories.

Al on the maiden Voyage with his Hobie Lynx and using smart storage options

Hobie Lynx Pros and Cons

Pros

Light Weight ( unbelievable )
Stable
Fast on the water
Turns effortlessly.
Kick up fins.
Can be assembled in minutes.
Easy drop rudder
Can add a sail.

Cons

Very expensive.
Lacks storage ( can be overcome with some creativity )
Expect to get wet in some situations.
Not very durable ( scratches and dents easily )
Can drift very fast with any wind

Thanks for reading this Hobie Lynx Review. You can see us on the water using the Hobie Lynx on the FishingMad Videos. You can see more details about this Kayak from Hobies Website. if you have any questions don’t hesitate to email us at enquiries@fishingmad.com.au

Hobie Lynx Review