i12 questions

1. No, the pump won't fit in the forward hatch. I doubt the carry bag will either, but you probably don't want to take the bag with you. See the answer to Question 5 below. Most don't take the pump either unless they're going on a long, multi-day trip.

2. You can flutter kick the fins in shallow water. You push one leg forward so the fins are flat against the bottom of the boat & then move your legs with very short strokes. The fins will stay within a couple inches of the hull bottom but still provide a good amount of thrust, especially turbos. If you really prefer to paddle in those conditions you can flatten the fins to the hull bottom & use the bungee to keep them there while you paddle - no need to remove the drive. The fins are pretty tough & you can (usually) straighten bent masts on the water without a problem. The drive will still work with bent masts, or even one fin for that matter.

3. Yes, the Hobie seat is not good IMO. I would research getting a different seat. I adapted a Skwoosh high back seat which is taller & much stiffer than the Hobie seat with better lumbar support. Big improvement.

4. No idea about the sail. I don't sail.

5. Generally, you don't wheel the bag to the launch. You inflate & rig the boat at the car, put it on the cart & wheel it to the launch, same as a rotomold kayak. The bag & (usually) the pump stay in the car. The bag is not designed for long distance outdoor travel. You'll want to buy a cart, but see some of my other posts about balance issues with the Hobie cart...

Hope this helps!

Yikes. I'd look at the i9S then or getting a valet .

Just speculating here as I've never done this, but you MAY be able to rig a strap-on kayak cart to the carry bag to facilitate wheeling things a little easier.

You can certainly bungee the bag, pump & cart in the stern of an i12S.

You should note that all that gear - seat, paddle, pump, mirage drive, PFD, sail, mast, cart, etc. is not going to fit in the bag. You could talk to your dealer about possibly getting a bag for the next larger boat (i.e. an i12S bag for an i9S). Otherwise you'll need to tote another bag along with you.

Good luck!