Hobie Mirage Drive Questions

Renee and I are in our research-phase of kayak shopping right now.  We're not ready for the test-drive phase yet.

Elric's comment in another thread got me thinking.

Myself, i'm a proponent of the Hobie Mirage Drive, where you propel yourself w/ your legs and have instant connection w/ the rod in your hand. IMHO, this is the premier kayak fishing vessel for this reason alone. the advantages out weigh the disadvantages, but that's another discussion altogether.

The Hobie Mirage Drive looks like a pretty well-designed feature ... having both hands free for fishing seems quite nice, and I was able to watch someone buzzing around Fort Baker nicely using the Mirage Drive.  He looked like he was having quite the time.

1. Is the Mirage Drive usable/practical in typical offshore conditions?  Renee and I would like to crab outside of HMB, rockfish on the San Mateo and Mendocino coasts, and maybe even try for salmon.

2. Is the short length of the Hobie Mirage Outback SUV a non-trivial drawback  offshore?

3. How hard would it be to mount two of the Hobies on a single vehicle?

I can't speak for the surf-launch aspect of it, as I've typically launched in protected areas (like Moss Landing Harbor), but it can handle the salt just fine (excellent for trolling).  So far I'm 3 for 3 on my salmon trips out of my Hobie!    I've also caught some rockfish out of Monterey.

I'm not sure if you would be able to stow your gear below decks for a surf launch/landing, as the hatches are small and positioned awkwardly for this.

Regarding transport, these things are wide (>30") and heavy (~60 lbs).  The dealer suggested the best way to transport was upside down, as they have flat edges with rigid support.  My roof bar is only 58" wide, so I could only transport 1 at a time.  I ended up getting a trailer, #1 so I could haul more than 1 kayak at a time, and #2 so I didn't have to lift the #^&* thing over my head.

I fish out the Hobie extensively in freshwater (I'm in a human-powered craft bass fishing club) and have been generally pleased.  The main disadvantage of the pedal drive is that there is no reverse gear.  If you want to back up, you have to break out the paddle.  But I wouldn't want to fish out of anything else...

Good questions!
I also have an Outback, so let me try to answer your questions...

1. Is the Mirage Drive usable/practical in typical offshore conditions? Renee and I would like to crab outside of HMB, rockfish on the San Mateo and Mendocino coasts, and maybe even try for salmon.

The drive can be a bit troublesome if you're in lots of kelp, however, you can always pull out the drive and use the paddle to get through it.  For salmon fishing, the Outback is so ideal for trolling.  Just ask Gordon, who scored the two big Moss salmon last weekend.

2. Is the short length of the Hobie Mirage Outback SUV a non-trivial drawback offshore?

The short length of the 12 ft Outback hasn't been much of a drawback as some might expect.  The only thing I don't like is the bit of noisy hull slap when punching through small swell and wind waves.

3. How hard would it be to mount two of the Hobies on a single vehicle?

Cartopping an Outback solo can be a bit tricky.  It just takes a little practice.  To safely mount two upside down on a single vehicle, you'll 72" crossbars.

(I'm in a human-powered craft bass fishing club)

I'm interested, got info?  Is it Bass-n-Tubes?

MolBasser

Mol-basser,

Yes, Bass-n-Tubes.  You just missed the 2-day "Delta Open" at Bethel Island (of course, so did I, since I was out catching salmon   ).  I think the next tourney is a night tourney @ Rancho Seco.  Haven't decided whether I'm going to make that one or not...

Ethan's taken his out of bean hollow a number of times.  I'd reccomend surf launches and landings with the paddle and drive out/rudder up though as he broke both of those things over time.  I think the drive actually broke in open water, probably a defect, but the rudder snapped when he tried to launch and did a backwards endo.  I tried it in the surf (w/o the mirage) and it handled quite well.  This was the day that Ethan got thrown endwise in the thing by a breaker at the jaws of bean hollow so it was a pretty thourough test of it's seaworthyness.

The mirage drive might be annoying if you dove off the thing because there's less open area to flop around on getting in/out and your gear on.  Without it though it's probably a good diveyak.

Orkspace,

I've got the mini cooper of the Hobie's, the Sport. It's a good lil machine that barely supports my 6' 185lbs frame. In fact, I was getting worried that a limit of fat rf and lings would sink me.
I've got limited amount of space in my garage and the Outback was too big and awkward IMHO.
Even though I look ridiculous peddling that thing, it does catch fish.
I have a love / hate relationship w/ it, but in the end the Mirage Drive won me over.
While others are drifting or gettin blown out of position by winds and waves, a few slow peddles and i'm hovering over a productive rockfish hole, rod in hand, waiting for any nibble.
With a conventional kayak, if you hold your rod, you're drifting - great for halibut or stripers.
If you're rockfishing, you often drift away from the productive spot or structure. If you paddle to stay in place, then you're not in touch w/ your rod, or you can get snagged as you're not jigging off the top of the rocks.
Mind you it's not the best, but if Hobie ever got their  5hit together, i'm positive it would outsell, outfish, outpaddle anything out there.
There's a great price in the classifieds, i'd jump on it if it were still available.

Orkspace,

I've got the mini cooper of the Hobie's, the Sport. It's a good lil machine that barely supports my 6' 185lbs frame. In fact, I was getting worried that a limit of fat rf and lings would sink me.

Eep ... thanks for prompting me to check the Outback's carrying capacity.  400lbs would be cutting it close for me -- I'm a bit of a gastropod (290lbs).  The 600lb capacity of a Malibu X-Factor would probably serve me better.