yaksailor2 wrote:
The only advantage I see with the Native propel is that it can be pedaled in reverse but with all the advantages of the Hobie system I can live without it....
You've basically hit on what many people here feel. If the Mirage Drive had a free upgrade to allow it to go in reverse, just about everyone here would jump on that. Reverse would be a great feature to have, and it's what Native has to promote, because it is the one feature that they have that Hobie can't match.
Other then that one feature though, the ability of the Hobie to offer so much torque, 3 different fin designs for those who want more or less power, tremendous adjustability in the pedals to fit all paddlers, the ability to shed sea plants, and other debris, shallow water ability, and general simplicity of ownership and maintenance, the Mirage Drive shines.
I can see why people like the Propel drive, it's a familiar design. The Hobie looks like something from an other planet, but it's that type of design that makes it work so well. A propellor works well on a motorboat, the mirage drive is built for kayaks, and it works perfectly on that type of boat.
You're going to get biased opinions on this site, but if you get over the unfamiliarity of the design, you'll probably find that the Mirage is a better system for most uses. Just grab the paddle off the built in paddle holder if you need to back up.