Buying my first kayak

Thomas · **Joined:** Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:55 am **Posts:** 1

I'm looking to buy my first kayak and am interested in the Hobie Mirage Drive system. The dealer says it's so fast and great, but I don't see any in your photo gallery. Does anybody have good or bad opinions about it?

Go4Red · **Posted:** Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:30 pm

Black Creek Outfitters has Hobie yaks ask them for a test ride I have a 12' Hobie I am very satisfied with mine. My wife has a 9' one, not as fast and sleek as mine, but it is ok with her 'cause of its weight that she can handle.
Good luck

JeffreyMcGovern · **Posted:** Mon Jan 22, 2007 1:32 pm

Which ever boat you are interested in test ride first. It's the only way you find if the boat in question fits you. My own experience with the Hobie is limited. When testing them I found I could not get a comfortable stroke on the drive system, but that was two years back. The other concern is the weight of the rig. Remember you have to be able to get it to the water. That means on and off a car or in and out of a truck bed. You also may not want to have to make multiple trips back and forth from the vehicle to the water. It's real easy to over gear a kayak which can limit it's clear toss and go advantages.

JohnYaksJax · **Posted:** Mon Jan 22, 2007 3:21 pm

Hello Thomas and welcome to JKF!!
My favorite recommendation is to set YOUR CRITERIA, narrow it down to 2-3 of the ones that fit your criteria, test paddle them if at all possible, and buy the best one for YOU!!

Consider the criteria of:
-Storage of the kayak
-Transporting it to your fishing spots and road trips
-Storage in the kayak for gear such as rod holders, stake out poles, anchoring systems, coolers, bait buckets, tackle boxes, cast nets and stuff...not that you will always carry ALL of that!!
-Weight of the kayak and what you can carry and lift
-Your physical size and weight and what "fits" you
-Kayak Weight Capacity
-The kinds of fishing you want to do and water you will be covering.
-PRICE!!!
Set YOUR CRITERIA....and make a decision that is best for YOU!!!
Let's go fishing!!
JohnYaksJax

PS: I "drive" a W/S Tarpon 120...just works for me!!

zach7 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 22, 2007 5:50 pm

I have an ocean kayak and love it, but i hear the hobie's are real nice....The only thing with the peddle system is getting upinto shallow water, it hits bottom...other than that i have herd all good things about it

Yakatak · **Posted:** Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:29 pm

And once you hit bottom it can be a little difficult to get off of it.

DropShot · **Posted:** Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:43 pm

Yup, all of the above and then some. By all means, TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. Having said that, I happen to own a Hobie (Revolution) and am very pleased with it. Here's my own quick run-down on the pros and cons of Hobies with the mirage drive:

Cons:
* Mirage Drive = moving parts = more maintenance & potential malfunction. Never leave home without your paddle. Oh yeah, the mirage drive doesn't go in reverse.
* Expensive compared with similar size kayaks with similar features, sans mirage drive.
* Weight -- a bit heavier than other kayaks. I slide mine onto the top of a Chevy Tahoe, but even with a smaller vehicle, it would be dicey for me to heft the thing over my head and put it on a roof rack.
* Shallow Water - the drive fins add about 1 foot of additional draft when fully extended, but you can "shallow stroke" the pedals and still move in skinny water. Or feather the fins up against the hull and paddle.

Pros:
* Mirage Drive = hands free as you move; fishing/ photography/ eating lunch, etc. on the go is a breeze. Also gives you more than one mode of locomotion if your arms get tired or you injure yourself (e.g., hook in the hand, etc.)
* 2-year warranty from Hobie and top-knotch customer service.
* Wheels - comes with a nifty cart to help you drag it around. It can be hand carried, but if you have to park a long way from the launch site, you'll appreciate the wheels.
* Storage - and lots of it; even enough to store the wheels & your gear.
* Durable - I've dropped mine, banged it around, run it up on oyster bars, etc. It's a little scratched, but still dry as a bone inside.

Good luck with your search!

Joe/GA · **Posted:** Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:49 am

Yup. What DropShot said. I have the Adventurer (16 feet) and my wife has the Sport (9 feet and something). When not fishing, we often switch from paddling to peddling and so on. You can also paddle and peddle if you are really in a hurry. Where I live, we have strong currents. I've watched touring type kayakers struggling to make headway against the current. Typically, your legs have more strength and endurance than your upper body and you can make ground against the current. Where the Hobie really shines is in trolling. I can drag to lines behind me while casting another at passing creek mouths. I can also "hover" in a spot against the current while trying a few casts at a particular spot.
Whatever you do, don't buy any kayak without trying one. As Go4Red said, Black Creek Outfitters has Hobies and other kayaks that you can try out. They have a huge pond behind their store. Some folks prefer to paddle, so try some regular yaks too. A good 16 foot yak can paddle about as fast as I peddle. Just ask bnz!

Good luck and welcome to the site!

topwater · **Posted:** Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:26 am

Read the NuCanoe review....this could be the product you are looking for.

Yakatak · **Posted:** Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:35 pm

There any fish in that pond?

GatoRx · **Posted:** Tue Jan 23, 2007 6:03 pm

I've heard there's good-sized bass.

Joe/GA · **Posted:** Tue Jan 23, 2007 6:42 pm

GatoRx wrote:

I've heard there's good-sized bass.

Hmmm...I shoulda brought a fishing rod when I test drove my Hobie at BCO!! :lol:

Buying my first kayak

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