Return to Hobie.com
Hobie Forums
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 7:15 am

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Paddling the pro Angler
PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2012 5:21 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 1:49 pm
Posts: 40
i'm new to this forum and not yet a Hobie owner.saw the pro angler 14 and can't get it off my mind.i do some fishing,but saw the potential this rig has for 3-4 day river trips.more than enough room for gear.my only concern is shallow water.some of the florida rivers are low.one previous trip had us pulling the yaks through the really shallow stuff and paddling most all the rest(i currently own a native with the propel drive) Have any of you guys had to do a lot of paddling in the angler?how much water is enough to use the mirage drive?Love the boat,just want to be sure it will be the right choice for what I'm doing.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2012 8:34 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2011 4:51 pm
Posts: 10
I've had one for 2 years now, and you need at leat 1-2ft of water to use the miragedrive... in really shallow water you can kinda do short little half burst kicks to get through, but it wouldn't be practical to go a long distance in real shallow water.

What you can do is just kick either pedal all the way forward, and strap the miragedrive down inside the cockpit (it comes with a bungee for this), and this will keep the fins up against the hull and you can paddle, or use a stakepole to get through the real skinny stuff.

Also, if you are going to be scraping bottom, you can completely remove the miragedrive while in the water and paddle or stake your way through. Otherwise you might damage the fins/drive.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2012 9:40 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 6:29 pm
Posts: 2763
Location: High Point, NC
Assuming no standing rocks that loom up off the bottom as in many mountain rivers, you could easily propel a Hobie Mirage Drive kayak or boat through as little as a foot (or slightly less) water for many miles. I've done it. No problem.

Now if the boat is going to be constantly running aground, I'd pull the MD and paddle or pole those sections, still knowing some wading and dragging will be required. The Pro Angler doesn't paddle bad, but it's not going to move like say, a Revo will in paddling mode.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2012 9:43 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:23 pm
Posts: 147
I would also suggest a bigger paddle like a Bending Branches in the 280cm. I have one and it paddles the PA better than the stock one. :idea:

_________________
Steve Valerga Jr.
DV U.S.Army Airborne
1988-92

2012 Pro Angler
Take a kid fishing!


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2012 10:15 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 1:49 pm
Posts: 40
Wow! that was fast.OK,at least now I feel confident that I wouldn't be making a mistake buying the 14' Angler.Sounds like the mirage drive is a little more forgiving in the shallows than my "Propel' unit.My next post should be as an "Owner" and not a wanna be.Thanks guys.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2012 10:20 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2011 7:57 pm
Posts: 60
Location: Bluegrass Region of Central KY
You won't regret it at all! Let us know when you get one. The Mirage way of life is pure bliss, even in the skinny water.

_________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_____
_<>-+ copterchief


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed May 23, 2012 5:51 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2010 12:33 pm
Posts: 252
Location: Virginia - Pro Angler 14 owner since Feb 2010
dfeivelson wrote:
I've had one for 2 years now, and you need at leat 1-2ft of water to use the miragedrive... in really shallow water you can kinda do short little half burst kicks to get through, but it wouldn't be practical to go a long distance in real shallow water.


I agree that the PA is totally at home in very shallow water. I, too, use the partial pedal strokes in these situations. It's important to understand that you want to use very small pedal movements. If I think of a full pedal stroke as one pedal moving from full forward to full back, or vice versa, then a half stroke would occur when the pedals are even with each other in the middle of the stroke. I find it is natural to want to bring the pedals to an even position when trying to short pedal. However, when the pedals are even in mid stroke the fins are actually at their fully extended position under the boat. You want to just flutter the pedals, using a quarter stroke at most, to keep the fins close to the hull, but still provide some propulsion. It's surprising how much you can generate by positioning the pedals at opposite extremes and just barely moving your feet to flutter the fins. I've learned all this the hard way! As noted in other message threads, bent masts can be straightened.

_________________
Anonymous - "The gods do not subtract from the alloted span of men's lives the hours spent fishing."


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 4:52 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 1:49 pm
Posts: 40
Well I can finally say I'm a Hobie Owner,well,at least my wife is. She fell in love with the boat the first time out.Rented one for the day to do a trip on the Weekie Wachee.She must of told me she loved the boat 150 times.Well,no pressure,other than the new 2013 seat wasn't going to work for her.Thanks to the outstanding customer service from the guys at Tackle Shack in Pinellas Park,I was able to get her one of the last 2012's.Guess I;ll have to keep a keen eye out for a used one for myself.I look silly paddling my Malibu along side her in her Pro Angler 14 !


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  
© Hobie Cat Company. All rights reserved.
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group