The Kayak Graveyard | Discontinued Kayak Models

Designing new kayaks is hard. And unfortunately, not all of them survive the cut. Waning sales, high production costs, and extraneous business decisions can all lead to a discontinued kayak. Since we’re in the business of talking about kayaks we thought it would be useful to keep a list of all the discontinued kayaks. We update this list periodically as new models come and go. Models here won’t be found on our other kayak databases. We’ve only been keeping track of kayaks since 2019. So this is by no means a comprehensive list. There are tons of models no longer in production that aren’t found below.

A Kayak’s after-life is a bit nebulous. In some cases when a brand folds the entire line and accompanying molds can be sold off to a competitor. But when a single model is retired it usually goes the way of the DoDo. The last thing any manufacturer wants is to see a non-branded version of the same boat sailing next to theirs.

Discontinued Kayak Models

We’ve slimmed down the fields we normally display here, since, you won’t be buying these first-hand any time soon (if ever). There are currently 24 discontinued kayak models. And notably, none of them are pedal kayaks.

Discontinued Kayak Models and Brands

Hobie Changes Hands

The Hobie Kayak company was quietly sold to a private equity group in January of 2021. New management began working alongside old management and one of the first appreciable changes was the consolidation of the production line. Product line consolidation is generally a smart business decision. Broad product offerings requires extra parts, tools, and processes that can be streamlined with a slimmer portfolio. And while it’s regrettable some of these models were retired early, it opens up both budget and R&D for new and innovative products, like the Hobie Lynx and their new line of inflatables.

Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 17T

The Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 17T was one of the most expensive tandem fishing kayaks ever produced. It measured 17′ long with a width of 43.5″ and weighed in at a colossal 244 lbs.

The PA 17T had some worthy innovations that negated issues plaguing other tandem fishing kayaks. The long length allowed both parties to fish without tangling each other up. A 900 lb capacity easily accommodated a small cache of fishing munitions. Finally the PA 17T had three drive wells to allow different seating configurations. You could sit in a traditional manner for serious pedaling. Or you can flip a seat around and sit face to face for a more social experience.

At a price of $6,599 the Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 17T was the most expensive single hull tandem fishing kayak out there. The PA17 was an awesome boat, but just barely qualified as an actual kayak. It’s oversized features were great for extended river-cruises. But handling it out of the water must have been an absolute bear.

Hobie Revolution 16

Hobie’s Revolution line of kayaks were largely aimed at paddlers looking for speed in big water. The Revolution 16 featured a slim beam and streamlined monohull design built for speed. At 16′ long and weighing just 92 lbs the revolution sliced through the water with the mirage pedal drive. Given what we know about kayak hull speed it’s a safe bet that this was one of the fastest fishing kayaks ever made, if not the fastest.

Luckily the Revolution line lives on. And the Hobie Revolution 13′ is still being produced today. We expect the 16′ model was discontinued since it filled a very small niche and lacked sufficient demand. A 16′ long boat isn’t a peach to store or transport. If you live near a beach and run across a 16′ Revo for sale don’t hesitate to snatch it up. This boat was a thing of beauty.

Hobie Mirage 14T

The Hobie Mirage I4T was aCadillac of inflatable fishing kayaks. Premium lawn chair style seats, two 180 mirage pedal drives, built in rudder, and a drop stitch floor put the I14T in the same league as plastic yaks. It measured 14′ long and weighed. 67.1 lbs. And the I14T could fold up into a rolling case 4′ long, 2′ wide, and 1′ thick.

The I14T retailed for $4,089 and included two paddles with a two year warranty for 2019 and newer models. We expect it was retired to make room for the new Hobie Mirage Itrek 14 Duo.

The Shutdown in Muskegon

Hemisphere Design Works was formed in the merger of KL Outdoors and Quebec based GSC Technologies under the private equity firm New Water Capital in April of 2017. At the time of the merger Hemisphere Design Works was the largest kayak producer in the world. They manufactured multiple models under kayak brands including Evoke, Future Beach, and Sun Dolphin. These brands were primarily known for their low price point and wide availability in big box stores. They were all manufactured close to the firm’s headquarters in Muskegon, Michigan.

Unfortunately, for reasons that aren’t well known, the company shut down in late 2019 due to “challenging business circumstances“. Which is about as clear as mud underneath an even larger more opaque layer of mud. There were rumors that manufacturing was going to resume. But as of Summer 2021 there’s scant evidence this is true. Time will tell if any of these brands or models resurface, but don’t hold your breath.

Overview on Discontinued Kayaks

Although it can be bittersweet to see a kayak sail off into the horizon it’s ultimately a good thing. We’d all rather have a model leave than an entire brand; and that’s exactly what model retirement enables. On a positive note discontinued kayaks pave the way for new models to make their debut. Such is the kayak circle of life.

If you know of any models that should be on this list and aren’t. Or models that shouldn’t be on this list and are; please let us know.