Hobie Lynx Review

Vipul M

05 Mar 2025 — 11 min read

All right. We're going to keep this short, sharp, and sweet. Today, we are looking at a full top-down pros and cons review of the Hobie Lynx. It's the newest addition to the Hobie market, and after a few sessions out on the water, I'm going to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly. As always on this channel, we have a giveaway, so let's get into it.

When I first saw this Hobie Lynx, I got really excited because I thought to myself, "This is the type of kayak that I could get lost in the Australian bush with."

That's exactly what I did when I got my hands on one. I packed my car, threw the kayak onto the roof, and went away for the weekend. I went camping, so I'll show you some of the shots of that now, and you'll see the Hobie Lynx here on the water. I've got about 60 seconds of footage, and then we'll break down the info and the kayak together.

Specifications for Hobie Mirage Lynx

Length: 11 feet (3.35 m)
Width: 36 inches (91 cm)
Weight: Approximately 47 lbs without drive, 64 lbs with drive1 2
Capacity: 360 lbs (163 kg)2

Features of Hobie Mirage Lynx

MirageDrive 180 with Kick-Up Fins: Provides efficient pedal propulsion.
ACE-TEC Construction: Lightweight and durable with a foam core and fiberglass reinforcement.
H-Rail Accessory Mounts: Allows for easy installation of accessories like rod holders.
Elevated Seating: Comfortable, breathable mono-mesh fabric for dry seating.
Power-Pole Ready: Compatible with shallow water anchors.
Sail Mount: Option to add a sail for additional propulsion.
H-Bar Standing Support: Enhances stability when standing.
Transducer Cavity: Ready for fish finder installation.

So, that was the Hobie Lynx, and that was the weekend camping away at the Australian Brim Challenge. Now, there were two reels in there that are yet to hit the market, as well as a lure that I was using. Full reviews on that stuff are coming soon, so if you're interested, you know the buttons to push.

If you've been around the kayaking space for a little while, I think one of the big things that will jump out at you is the general shape of this kayak. It's not like a typical kayak that we usually see. It's very much like a stand-up paddleboard. In my opinion, it's definitely a bit of a cross between both. It takes a really nice leisure space out of that SUP area and then combines it with the kayaking-style exploration and Mirage Drive aspects.

The fact is that while the Lynx does have that SUP shape, that's really where the similarities stop. The Lynx has channels underneath to help direct the flow of water and track straight. You've also got a shaped nose that is raised out of the water, which helps cut through and add a bit of speed. There's a steerable rudder on the back that works really well. Of course, you've got the MD 180 drive, which is Hobie's flagship system that propels the kayak.

Truthfully, with that heavy price tag of $2,700 USD or $4,200 AUD, you've got to remember all of this. You expect premium products at this price, and they've included that flagship Mirage Drive, which I think is a good thing.

Another great feature of this kayak is the hull weight. In total, it is 45 pounds, or just over 20.4 kg. A friend of mine picked it up with one hand, though realistically, I reckon you need two. It is 30% lighter than the Hobie Passport 10.5, which is arguably the smallest kayak and the one I typically would have recommended to someone traveling.

Around the country on a motorhome, I actually don't recommend the Hobie Passport. The reasons why are in this video. The Hobie Passport 12.0 is a much better kayak. But when you compare the Lynx to the 10.5, it's 30% lighter at 20 kg, and that makes it really easy to car-top, load, and unload. I think that's awesome.

Disassembled, the Lynx is basically three pieces. You've got the base (the main part of the kayak), the seat and rudder (which are one unit), and the Mirage Drive. When it's all packed up in the car, it takes up minimal space. When it's in this configuration and all clean skin, the Lynx itself can be flat-packed, so you can stack them on top of each other.

But you can see here on mine, I added the Lynx side rails—the H-Rails—that I think are a must. I would not own a Hobie Lynx without those Lynx H-Rails on the side. You can get them for free in a deal that I mentioned earlier, so definitely stick around for that.

For those of you that are fishing enthusiasts, yes, the Lynx is Power-Pole and Livewell compatible. But these aren't a must-have if you're not serious about fishing.

The rudder and the rudder lines are fully contained within a protective sheath. One of the best things about the Lynx is that the steering handle itself can be moved from the left-hand side to the right-hand side. You can start with whichever hand you prefer.

To deploy and restore the rudder, you simply tug the line here, and it does its thing. You tug it once to send it out and then tug it again, and it'll come back in. It's simple and easy, and I'm a huge fan of it.

So if you look at all those things together—it's lightweight, it's got the MD 180 drive, and it really comes apart into three pieces—then you get an idea of what customer Hobie is really targeting here. It's really that "the sun is great outside, let's grab the kayak, throw it onto the top of the car, and get out to enjoy the water" type of person.

Now, talking about the water, let's discuss how it performs.

On the water, one of the first things that stood out to me was the amount of sheer water that the Hobie Lynx was able to float in. I reckon it was able to float in around two inches of water. One of the really cool things about that was that when I was fishing, I didn't really get caught up in weed.

If you're the type of fisherman who goes after bass and wants to push your kayak through pads or weed beds without getting tangled up, the Hobie Lynx is great for that. Since there wasn't much hull in the water, it helped avoid entanglement.

There is a bit of a downside, though, and I'll get to that in the constructive part.

Secondly, there's no in-hull access, so there's no in-hull storage. Again, there is a constructive part about that. But the good thing here is that if your kids are playing on it and they flip the Lynx upside down—maybe they're jumping around—it won’t take on water the way some other kayaks might.

Off into the water and just enjoying the day. You don't have to worry about the Lynx sinking or getting waterlogged. They can just flip it back upright, and they'll be good to go. The kayak turned in a really nice, tight circle, and because it had that MD 180, you can go forward and backward with the click of a hand. The kayak was really quite enjoyable to use on the water, and I can definitely see my two kids, my wife, and I playing around on it.

So now I've talked about how it performs on the water. There are a couple of design features that tell us who this kayak would be perfect for.

The first thing you should look at is the bow of the kayak. Now, you'll notice that it's pointed and raised out of the water, and this means that it will travel well. The vessel is going to glide and cut through the water nicely. But when you compare it to other kayaks in the range, the Lynx's bow isn't as pointed as, say, the Outback or the Compass. When I was fishing with my two friends who own a Pro Angler and a Compass, I did find that I had to pedal harder to keep up with them.

Now, what this design told me was that while the Hobie Lynx is designed to go places and be enjoyable on the water, it's not the Hobie endurance kayak that's designed to go 20 kilometers or 15 miles in a day.

Secondly, while the Lynx is stable in good weather, in bad weather or heavy wind, I did find that it got pushed around and did slide and skid across the top of the water. Now, the channels underneath do help with keeping it straight and making it track straight, but there's simply not enough hull in the water.

So when the weather kicked up, of course, I took the opportunity to go out and test it, and I had a lot of fun doing that. To be honest, though, if it was my wife, I think she would have been scared to be in that weather.

If you put those two points together, the takeaway is that the Hobie Lynx is not your offshore kayak designed to take waves. It's also not the kayak that's going to go far in an endurance application, and it's not your bad weather kayak. There are just better kayaks out there if you want to tackle those things. Go buy a kayak, not a SUP hybrid kayak.

Now that I've said that, I'm sure you'll find some people on social media who will take this kayak to the extremes—offshore and beyond.

But I think, realistically, this kayak is a leisure kayak that's not designed to push the limits. Now, the more I think about it, one of the major points that you're going to need to consider if you purchase this kayak is that there is no in-hull or dry storage.

So if you want anything with you, you're going to need to think about a dry bag, like the one that my wife and I are testing here. It's a North Storm bag, and you might see a review on that later. When I was filming by myself—and I'll show you some shots here—you'll notice that I actually had a tough case with me.

That kept my drone and camera gear dry as well. The other option that I think worked really well for keeping things dry was the Hobie seatback bag. Now, it's not actually called that, but the thing here that's on the back of the seat—the really nice thing about that—is that while it's not waterproof, it did sit high and away from the waterline. So you got that little bit of protection from the water, and everything I kept in there actually stayed quite dry.

The other major point that I'm going to stress is about the H-rails that are on the side of my Lynx. They are Lynx-compatible H-rails, and 100% I would not buy or use this Lynx without them installed. It does a couple of things for me. The first is that I think the material handles on the Lynx are absolute garbage. They're tough to use, and if you install the H-rails, you've now got a solid handle that runs almost the entire length of the kayak, making it easier to load onto your car if you're going to car-top it. I'll play some footage here of my wife.

You can see she's also carrying the Lynx by those handles. Now, the next two points are somewhat related, but they have to do with the fact that the deck on the Lynx gets wet. If you've got expensive fishing reels or valuables sitting on the deck, it's a surefire way to get salt water into them and ruin them. By having the H-rail on the side, you can mount a rod holder and keep your valuable reel up and out of the water.

The other thing it does, and the third reason I recommend it, is that it creates a bit of a physical barrier. If your tackle box gets bumped off the side, or if you're clumsy like me and accidentally kick your rod off, the H-rail can help stop anything from going overboard.

So, if you've stuck through all of that for the Lynx giveaway or the Lynx H-rails, this is the bit you want. First of all, I'll start with the Lynx H-rails. I was talking to HWS about how important I thought these H-rails were to the Lynx, and I actually said to them that they should come as standard. The guys at HWS basically said to me, "Look, what we'll do is make them standard for any one of your viewers."

Here's the deal. If you purchase your Lynx through HWS here in Australia, they will throw in a set of H-rails for you. All you need to do is mention this video if you're talking to them on the phone, or enter the code in the description below if you're purchasing online, and you'll be good to go. I've said it once, and I'll say it again—these deals are only possible because you guys continue to support the channel and the people who support the channel.

A big thank you again to you guys and to HWS! Now, let's talk about the giveaway. In one week from today, we'll be giving away this Hook Reveal 5-inch sounder. It's brand new, still in the packaging, and I'll be randomly selecting a winner from the comments below. All you need to do is like the video, subscribe to the channel, and comment below about your favorite kayak. You don't have to own it, but if you do, tell me where you've fished with it—whether that's the open ocean, lakes, rivers, or creeks. Just share your kayaking experience.

In one week, I'll select a random winner. Good luck to all the entries, so get involved!

All right, so let's finish this off with my final thoughts, and there are some big ones. Firstly, if you really enjoy kayaking and already own a kayak, I do not recommend selling it to buy a Hobie Lynx. There will be exceptions. If you're struggling to load or unload your current kayak, then the Lynx might be an option for you. But in terms of long-distance kayaking, where you might cover a fair bit of water and handle a bit of weather or chop, the Hobie Lynx isn't the strongest option.

My second point: if you're looking to buy a kayak specifically for fishing at a similar price point, the Hobie Compass is, in my opinion, the best value-for-money fishing platform out there. When you consider the distance you can cover and the in-hull storage, it’s a much better fishing kayak than the Hobie Lynx. The Hobie Lynx is a great recreational fishing platform, but if you're a serious angler like me, the Hobie Compass is the better choice every day of the week.

My third and probably most important point is who the Lynx is perfect for. I think this kayak is incredibly versatile. It's perfect for families who want an easy-to-transport kayak that can be thrown on top of a car and taken to the water. Its low-profile design doesn’t take up much space, making it ideal for people who travel in motorhomes or camp regularly.

For families, it suits all age groups. Kids can jump in and out of the water, do somersaults off the platform, flip it upside down, and have a blast in the shallows. When they're done, mom can take over, relax in the seat, enjoy a suntan, sip some wine, and watch the world go by in a peaceful break from family chaos.

Pros of Hobie Mirage Lynx

Lightweight and Portable: Easy to transport and store.
Excellent Maneuverability: The MirageDrive 180 with Kick-Up Fins offers great agility.
Versatile Fishing Platform: Suitable for inshore fishing with easy accessory mounting.
Stable and Comfortable: Provides a stable ride with comfortable seating.