It was time to replace the battery after noticing I was only getting 3 hours of use out of my 12V 9AH Gel Cell battery that came with my Hobie Fishfinder Kit. On a full charge the voltage topped off at 12.1V! The thing about these battery’s is that they don’t like to be discharged and my Lowrance Elite 5 TI drew 1.2A, virtually damaging the cells by running them dry on every outing.

The solution: Buy a bigger battery! But the downside is you would have to carry the additional weight. So even better, buy a Lithium Iron Phosphate “LiFePO4.” Not only lighter but they don’t mind being completely discharged!

Time to salvage the cover and connector using a flat blade:

Great job Hobie!

Now let’s clean up those wires and remove the plastic covers so we can use them on the new battery:


Use a good flexible glue for the connectors and let’s fill up those covers:



Make sure the opening is completely sealed off to prevent corrosion and then clean off any excess:



Finally let the glue dry for 24hrs and install in the existing Hobie tray.

I opted for the 12AH to give myself ample time to enjoy using my Fishfinder. It’s wider so it won’t snap into place but nothing a bungee cord can’t fix.

Another added benefit is that lithium battery’s can be mounted on its side if you want to avoid the wires being pulled by the battery tray:


Here are the specs from the battery app and the voltage from the Fishfinder:



This lithium battery cost $79.00 and works with the existing Hobie charger. At the price of just $9 more than the Hobie replacement battery and a 5 year warranty, it was a no brainer. I hope this helps anyone out there looking to replace or upgrade their existing Hobie battery kit.

Link to the battery:
https://lithiumhub.com/product/12-volt-12ah-battery/

Looking for a revo 13, preferably ‘15 or newer. Let me know what you got. Thanks!

Hey everyone!

So i'm looking into getting a Hobie Adventure or Tandem Island, Preferably used. I enjoy fishing alone from my kayak but a tandem sounds tempting because i'll be able to share the experience with friends and family, since they love fishing as well. I can pick up just about anywhere in the Bay Area. Thanks  

Hey Guys,
This past Sunday I fished out of Berkeley and on my way back I was asked a few questions by the Wildlife Fish and Game to check my catch. After an hour discussing unrelated topics she eventually gave me her Fish and Game jacket and was cool with me assisting her with checking other boats for data. Very beneficial because I immediately knew where everyone was hooking up. Striper and Halibut was extremely slow in the Bay except for 4 Leopard Sharks ranging between 40-50 inches. All the action seems to be out of the gates from Bonita Cove to Duxbery Reef. Lingcods all above 30 inches and 4 salmon off of duxbery reef in 50ft of water.

Seeing that the action is out there, i'm looking into leaving tomorrow in the morning from either Fort Baker to Bonita Cove or Bolinas Bay to Duxbury Reef. If anyone if heading out there tomorrow, or would like to, let me know. It would be my first time out in the are and would definitely like some company to help navigate the trip.