A.R.S.E.

I was sitting on the beach at Currarong on the South Coast the other day, trying to see norbs' house through the binoculars, when I saw a fellow wheel a double kayak down to the water's edge.

He fitted a mast with a sort of windsurfer sail to it, put a fishing rod into a holder on the side, pushed it out, reached under and pulled the wheels out on a little trolley that fitted upside down into the stern, hopped in, put his feet into some little pedals and pedalled out into deeper water, then set his sail and cruised out into the ocean!

I was amazed! What a craft! He came back a couple of hours later, sailing up to the beach, and I went over to admire it. It was a Hobie Mirage Outfitter, a two-seater plastic sit-on-top kayak with a pedal-drive system (amazingly sophisticated), rod-holders, stowable rudder with a little hand tiller on the gunwhale, a sail, normal paddle and all this amazingly clever storage all over the boat.

More info here: http://www.hobiecat.com.au/kayaks/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I immediately went to the kayak dealer in Nowra to lust after them and get glossy brochures to hold up with one hand at home and I am now sorely tempted. I've done lots of kayaking over the years, from racing flat water K1s and TK1s and twos and C1s and C2s, to sea-kayaking in a Mirage double that Bibi and i had before the kids came along, but these Hobie Mirage kayaks seem to have everything for the more relaxed man - pedal, sail or paddle, fish or just mooch about. I even found youtube channels for blokes who game-fish from these things miles out to sea!

Any ARSEs have experience with these things or own one?

smiss

Smiss, you buy it. I will charge you the smallest of medium fees to house it at my place for the 50 weeks of the year you aren't down here.

norbs wrote:I will charge you the smallest of medium fees to house it at my place for the 50 weeks of the year you aren't down here.

30% of the profits smiss makes from it....

bengatta wrote:

norbs wrote:I will charge you the smallest of medium fees to house it at my place for the 50 weeks of the year you aren't down here.

30% of the profits smiss makes from it....

Fuck you! And the Apple you sailed in on!

Actually, I will buy him a kayak, then charge him the initial cost + 30% per day to use it.

Oooh, I just got the shivers, I must have been channelling Steve.

norbs wrote:Smiss, you buy it. I will charge you the smallest of medium fees to house it at my place for the 50 weeks of the year you aren't down here.

Make up the spare room fella! If I buy it I'll spend more than 2 weeks a year down here!

Man why do you guys post things that i will now lust over????? That kayak is utterly sexual makes my sit on look like a shitbox !!

DO we know how much it is yet? I could google it but that's road to finding who sells them and then i will be visiting etc etc

Richo - the one i have decided on (if I actually pull the pin) is this one - the Revolution 11. It's a single, it's light while still having all the good gear, and its a bit quicker and better for off-shore than the double or the other candidate single - the Outback. Retail is $2150 I think (sail and trolley are extra), but much cheaper on Ebay if you don't mind second-hand. A few seem to come up or can be bought from the classifieds section of kayak fishing forums (of which there are many i am finding).

http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_nkw= ... m270.l1313" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

richo - they have them here: Hobie Kayak Centre Sydney, 14/65-75 Capt Cook Drive Caringbah. 02 9531 1133. Just around the corner...

I'll be heading there when I'm back in Sydney to do some test-paddling!

Price correction - retail is $2390.

Just FYI.. you all realise I work for a kayak/canoe company, and I'm the interstate delivery driver for these motherfuckers, right?

http://www.paddlepro.com.au/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just sayin'..

EzyRider wrote:Just FYI.. you all realise I work for a kayak/canoe company, and I'm the interstate delivery driver for these motherfuckers, right?

http://www.paddlepro.com.au/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just sayin'..

So if you forget to roll the back down and hit a bump........oh, i dont know, say around Nowra.

They sell Nookie! Is it cheap Ezy?

My Dad has wanted one for fishing for AGES!!

It's his 60th this year. Can you do me a deal Ezy?

Have a look at the Paddle Pro site and look for the Rambler.. we deck them out with all the fishing gear, from rod holders to anchors. I'll check some prices and get back to you with what I can do
(I can probably even deliver it :P )

Kayak fishing has become really popular in the last few years. A lot cheaper than maintaining a boat I guess

smithcorp wrote:richo - they have them here: Hobie Kayak Centre Sydney, 14/65-75 Capt Cook Drive Caringbah. 02 9531 1133. Just around the corner...

I'll be heading there when I'm back in Sydney to do some test-paddling!

Price correction - retail is $2390.

Yes i know this place as i live very close to it...

kwijibo wrote:Kayak fishing has become really popular in the last few years. A lot cheaper than maintaining a boat I guess

Ahh yes i,m paying $505.00 per month for a 22ft marina at the St George Motor boat club ..

EzyRider wrote:Have a look at the Paddle Pro site and look for the Rambler.. we deck them out with all the fishing gear, from rod holders to anchors. I'll check some prices and get back to you with what I can do
(I can probably even deliver it :P )

Awesome dude, let me know Might be a bit out of the price range but definitely worth seeing if we can do it

Had a test paddle of the Revolution 11 at St George Sailing Club at Taren Point yesterday. I dropped into the Hobie Shop at Taren Point to have a look and line up a test and the bloke there said he'd take me straight down. I didn't have any boardies or a towel, but I whipped my shoes off, jumped in and had a great float about.

I was initially planning to have a play with the Outback and the Revolution (Outback is very stable and some forum folk had described the Revolution as 'tippy') but in the end I just tried the Revolution and I didn't find it tippy at all. Very stable, didn't get to sail, but tried paddle (paddles fine, the boat has little foot rests on the sides to brace against and tracks fine if you lean slightly forward) and pedals (easy as once you get used to it and the kayak gets along fine by pedalling). The rudder has lines to let it down and stow it up, and your left hand controls a little tiller.

I tried it in the little slop and boat wash that was out there and it is remarkably stable front, side or back on and its quite manoeuvrable with the standard rudder (a larger sailing rudder is an option). I tried the standard fins for the pedal drive (little sense of resistance and goes along fine) and the larger turbo fins, which give you a good burn in the thighs and the boat goes about 20% quicker. The pedal drive is interesting - it fits into its slot with no effort and locates itself perfectly and two clips unship it for removal. As you approach the shore you lift the rudder by means of a line, and then put the drive fins into the parked position of one pedal forward and the other back, and a bungy hook keeps it there, so you can beach without banging anything up.

It's not a dry kayak - you get a wet arse from water sloshing up from the drive well.

Overall, I was well impressed.

smith

Christened the kayak on the weekend - a quick lone trip on Saturday afternoon then a longer paddle/pedal/sail on Sunday with the family. Launched at Connell Point on the Georges River and played about with the kids in the back (such a stable kayak, no problems with me and a little kid) and then tried out the sail by myself. Great fun but it requires quick reflexes to ease the sail when a gust hits. It feels like it would be easy to capsize under sail.

Hobie make little outriggers for it, which apparently help.

Some pics:

Should I make space in the garage?

smithcorp wrote:Christened the kayak on the weekend - a quick lone trip on Saturday afternoon then a longer paddle/pedal/sail on Sunday with the family. Launched at Connell Point on the Georges River and played about with the kids in the back (such a stable kayak, no problems with me and a little kid) and then tried out the sail by myself. Great fun but it requires quick reflexes to ease the sail when a gust hits. It feels like it would be easy to capsize under sail.

Hobie make little outriggers for it, which apparently help.

Some pics:

We must live quite close to each other ...

Does the drive make the kayak faster than paddling, could you troll (fishing trolling not the other) using the pedals?

You can probably pedal as fast or faster than you can travel under paddles. People have reported doing 11 kmh under pedals. On Saturday I pedalled as much as I paddled. It paddled quite well, and the pedals with the longer and wider turbo fins are quite a workout for the old thighs, so you can paddle for a rest. You can definitely troll from it while pedalling, lots of people do.

It comes with rod holders (two at the back in the 11 foot one, 4 in the 13 foot) and more can easily be added. The big deck on the back can accommodate an esky, or a milk crate; and Hobie makes a live bait tank that fits there too.

Drop me a PM if you'd like to look at it, or have a paddle in it.

smith

this chap called Smith knows no bounds, a man of land, sea and air. He is the Mercedes of men.

You should take it fishing sometime!

http://media.smh.com.au/system/ipad/kay ... 35688.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

w00dsy wrote:this chap called Smith knows no bounds, a man of land, sea and air. He is the Mercedes of men.

You're right!

I'm even more photoshopped than Mercedes.

Hey Pix - that's an amazing story isn't it? When I was researching these kayaks I watched his youtube videos and others - crazy stuff. I thought I might try a bit of a fish from it (perhaps in a more restrained way), but I haven't fished for 25 years and nobody seems to sell fishing line wrapped around a cork like I used in the old days!