Hobie Speed

hi - i am in research mode for a hobie pro angler, and have a series of questions that revolve around the miragedrive as they relate to speed and ability to work against wind and current.  i plan on using it in the SF Bay and along norcal coast for fishing.  Ive spent a lot of time on boats in and around the Bay so understand local wind and currents, but as they relate to big outboards that start with a key!  I just cant get a feel from watching videos how fast or how long people peddle for or if they are struggling.  when i fish whistle or HMB, i see lots of kayakers out there, but curious how long it took them to get on site and how much time they leave themselves to get back.

1. how much current/wind can you resist?  Do you find yourself saying, "damn, this sux" or "oh crap, i might need a tow"
2. what kind of speeds does a typical peddle-pace supply?
3. is it faster you peddle, the faster you go, or is there point where the mirage doesn't relay the energy?

Much thanks!

Darren

Sounds like you need an AI

Get a trolling motor so you don't have to peddle or paddle!

1. If the wind gets up to 15-20 you can still make headway but at times just barely. There are too many other factors to say for sure what an individual can do such as if you're fighting both the wind and a strong current that are both against you, whether the wind is straight on or at an angle, gusts higher than the sustained wind, wind wave size/duration/direction, swell size/duration/direction, your personal fitness level vs how far you need to travel, etc. Just like in a powerboat you will probably be saying "this sucks" at some point but unlike some powerboats a sit on top kayak can take repeated wave dunkings and either not capsize or capsize but be flipped over and reboarded......with a little practice before hand.

2. Do a search on the Hobie user's forum for a post by username Roadrunner that details the top speeds for all the Hobie Mirage drive kayaks.

3.There is a hull speed for all kayaks including Mirage driven Hobie's. You can see a great comparative list by searching for the above mentioned post on the Hobie forum.

hey Darren I'm new to kayaking myself I got the pa14 and love it just spent yesterday out of ocean cove for rock opener I was in a north drift at about 2 miles an hour on my gps not sure how far north I went but heading back I was pacing about 1mph heading south peddling steady for about 45min to an hour not over exerting they called for a wind from the south at 13 to 15 on the water I think it was closer 8 to 10 realie pushing I could reach 2 to 3 mph. boat is stable and comfortable swells had to be 5 to 7 feet. hope this helps and if your heading this way let me know.
jim

This is at salt point you need a buddy to launch hear

1. If the wind gets up to 15-20 you can still make headway but at times just barely. There are too many other factors to say for sure what an individual can do such as if you're fighting both the wind and a strong current that are both against you, whether the wind is straight on or at an angle, gusts higher than the sustained wind, wind wave size/duration/direction, swell size/duration/direction, your personal fitness level vs how far you need to travel, etc. Just like in a powerboat you will probably be saying "this sucks" at some point but unlike some powerboats a sit on top kayak can take repeated wave dunkings and either not capsize or capsize but be flipped over and reboarded......with a little practice before hand.

2. Do a search on the Hobie user's forum for a post by username Roadrunner that details the top speeds for all the Hobie Mirage drive kayaks.

3.There is a hull speed for all kayaks including Mirage driven Hobie's. You can see a great comparative list by searching for the above mentioned post on the Hobie forum.

Hey Jim,
    Can you find and link the test? I am curious.

I would get a Pro Angler 14. It is super stable, has room for all your gear, and great for fishing Bean Hollow and Pigeon Point just down the coast from you.

There's no test it was just me being observant of my speed wind and time. Had to get the wife to work by 6.

I would get a Pro Angler 14. It is super stable, has room for all your gear, and great for fishing Bean Hollow and Pigeon Point just down the coast from you.

And bring lots of your friends to help carry it.

thanks all for the replies.  i am definitely in need of some demo time on these hobies as my research has not given a conclusive winner.  my buddy who kayaks up here and fishes puts the PA way down on the list as he claims it has too big a profile, is very heavy, and doesnt cut through the water nearly as well as the outback or the revo (which is his favorite).

if ones spends 6 hours on a kayak, a slight increase (or decrease) in efficiency seems like it will make a big impact, but adding up all the pros and cons im finding is not that straight forward.  tough call for sure. 

I fish with my PA12, very stable flatform, roomy, but it is a bit heavy. If youre looking for speed check the Hobie Outback

I currently own 3 Pro Angler 14s and an Outback.  The Outback is fun but I prefer the Pro Angler.  Yes it's a big boat and heavy when out of the water but I spend very little time "carrying it" on dry land compared to the comfort and storage that it gives me when on the water.  I have no issues fishing from the Pro Angler whether it be on the ocean or any of our local fresh water locations.  I've fished in weather from the PA that was bad enough that I wouldn't want to fish from a power boat and I'm still here and able to type this post. 

Is it the perfect boat for all situations?  Of course not.  That can be said of any boat that you pick though.  You need to pick a boat that you're comfortable in, and that suits your needs for about 80% of the situations that you'll encounter.  That other 20% you'll learn to make the boat work for.  The best sentence in this post is the one in which you said " i am definitely in need of some demo time on these hobies as my research has not given a conclusive winner".  There's no better way to decide which is right for you than to spend some time on the water in each one you are considering.

Come by California Canoe & Kayak in Oakland and demo the PA and more!  You MUST try before you buy! 

Both my brother and I have the early Pro Angler 14s with the green folding seats.   I have been in many situations where I had to fight the wind and current to get back in.  One time fishing out of oyster point in the south bay, my brother and I went with RShu looking for  the poo pipes when the wind and current came up.  RShu was in his revo and left us in the dust.  We slowly and steadily kept an easy pace and made it back OK.
Last year out of HMB I caught the go home halibut near the green can as the wind was picking up.  By the time I got it put away, the green can was getting far away.  It was a strong head wind that we had to deal with.  If you stop pedaling, you lose the ground that you've just gained.  We beat our buddy in the outback back to the jaws where we waited for him in the wind eddie.  My brother got too close to the rocks and fell out of his PA14 when the swell receded and part of his kayak landed on a rock knocking him out.  He went in and I waited for my buddy in the outback.  When we got back to the dock, my buddy's legs cramped up and he couldn't walk.  I'm glad he made it all the way in before cramping.
For me, my PA14 is a great fishing platform.  It's stable, roomy, and safe.  Climbing back on (re-entry) is easy from the back.  I can pull my torso up on the back, get on my knees, stand up and walk over the seat and sit down.  As far as distance pedaling, we've been way out deep at shelter cove looking for Pac Halibut.  The hotel looked like a dot.   
Take Jason's advice and try different  models.  I think Jason saw us making our way back to HMB last year.

Steve