Hobie Mirage pedal drive

I just found a place that rents Hobie Mirage pedalboats. I’ve always had a casual interest in trying one and seeing if it’s better (more kayaklike) than the rectangular pedal boats, which my husband and I rented one time.



Main concern is how adustable the seat-to-pedal distance is. Anybody here know about that?

Hobie Mirage pedal drive

– Last Updated: May-07-16 12:47 PM EST –

In the world of kayaks, a Hobie is a luxo-barge. Something akin to a 67 Sedan Deville. Very wide. Very stable. Very heavy. But it is comfortable.

I have a tandem Mirage and there is enough adjustability in the pedals that my 4' 10" granddaughter could pedal it comfortably. I'm 6' and it can be adjusted in the other direction for someone a few inches taller than me.

Pedaling instead of paddling seems odd for about the first five minutes before you become accustomed to it.

Any other questions, just ask.

Tried it today
Thanks for your answer, which is exactly what I was looking for. We went before I read it, and indeed the adjustable reach accommodated me. Because this was a free trial day and we were allowed 30 minutes, I got a decent feel for it without paying for an hour or more of rental time.



Result: We will return to rent them for a couple of hours when the rental company is open for the summer. It was a really good workout for legs and cardio! Felt like a solid 30 minutes of exercise. The boat does feel like a barge compared with my sea kayak, but I expected that. Still, it moved pretty well. I liked that it was so easy to point my finger at a bird without interrupting forward movement even a tiny bit. My husband said it moved better than he expected.



It’s always fun to try a different twist on what we’re used to.

A peddle driven Hobie can blow
the doors off most boats and most paddlers IF you csn keep the leg power up.

No way!
A couple of years ago, two guys entered them in the Suwannee river 50 mile race.

The awards ceremony was scheduled for 6:00 PM.

Most of us were finished in the late afternoon.

At 6:00 Pm they were still on the river and the free beer was flowing freely, so everyone decided to wait for them.

An hour or two later they decided to go ahead with the awards ceremony without them.

They had it and people left.

We heard the next day that they both dropped out about 9:00 PM.



They might think they can kick butt, but most sea kayakers and decent canoers can leave them in their wake.



Also they are useless in shallow water



Jack L

They look funny upside down too.
The flapper things waving in the breeze, the fishing gear sinking in the surf. I’ve seen it a few times.



Right before they go over, both crew grab the sides … you know it’s going to happend, and then huge yard sale.

Depends
I read race results from the Rat Island Regatta (not a long distance race) from several years. Not surprisingly, multiperson rowed shells were generally fastest. But surprisingly, a pedal drive kayaker did quite well after he kept doing the race year after year. The first year his time was really slow. But he improved as he got more experienced.



I think it is possible for a fit, strong pedaler to move at a good clip, alright. I personally would not want to use one in rough water, though. The maneuvering depends on rudder use so heavily.



I did not like that to stop or back up, I had to anticipate quickly enough to untether the bungied paddle. The drive mechanism does not allow braking or reversing. I know that there is another drive system that allows backpedaling because it uses a system more similar to a bike crankset.



Anyway, none of this makes me want to switch from regular paddling. I just enjoyed doing something different that still got me on the water. The fact that it made for such a good cardio workout was a bonus. If they made a slimmer, much lighter version I would probably be interested in buying one. As it is, I look forward to renting the bargey kind some hot day.