notime2paddle wrote:
Most of the guys I fish with have Tarpon
160's - so how far behind will I be - or is the mirage system so much better in these conditions, that I will be able to keep up, even in a Pro Angler?
That's a tough question. The 160 is a pretty fast boat -- 2 1/2 feet longer than the PA and narrower. Unquestionably the hull is faster. But even in the same boat, different paddlers will cruise at different speeds. Comparing paddling to pedaling one has to be careful. Some great paddlers have no legs. On the other hand, pedalers can usually go further without stopping -- the legs have big muscles and hands are available for drinks, swatting flies, etc. without interrupting the pace.
The only legitimate comparison I can make is racing, where all the folks who want to go fast come together to see who is fastest. In last year's San Diego Bay 2 Bay 5 mile race, the (only) Hobie Adventure with Turbofins won its (15' to 19' single SOT) division by over 8 minutes and posted faster times than almost all the other single and tandem SIKs, SOTs and outriggers except surf skis. Headwind and chop were nasty -- 14 rescues.
It seems the worse the weather, the bigger the advantage for the Mirage Drive.
Of course, the PA is not an Adventure, but they do share the same Drive system -- with demonstrated advantages in bad weather. The PA is slower, pounds more and has a higher wind profile; but not that much different than the Hobie tandems.
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Have you gotten GPS speed readings on the Pro Angler, to compare with the other mirage drives?
Yes. For me the PA did about 4.55 miles in one hour (Turbofins, GPS, no wind, current, tide or chop). That is about .01 MPH slower than comparable times in the Outfitter (solo, ballasted); .3 MPH slower than the Oasis (solo, ballasted); and about .8 MPH slower than the Adventure. Still a respectable one hour non stop performance. Shorter distances of course are faster. Speeds vary according to the person, but the comparisons are reasonably valid.
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Also, how will it handle the rough conditions -
I don't know from experience -- but based on the ease with which it handles the more moderate conditions, I didn't see anything that would appear to develop into a concern in most conditions.
It's worth repeating again that a proper leg position is important to performance and range with the Mirage Drive. If your legs can't get a near full extension you'll lose power and fatigue faster. Finally, unlike paddles, Mirage Drives are tunable. If your Drive is not properly tuned, it will cost you power. So reaching your full potential is not quite as simple as getting in and just mashing the pedals. It pays to be set up correctly!