Hobie Cat Forums

Does anyone know what the maxium speed is for an A.I. through the water?

About 8mph without going up on plane. When planing, anything is possible!

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http://KayakingBob.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2007, 2009 & 2010 Hobie AIs and a 2010 TI

It very much depends on wind and water conditions. I have had mine to a top speed of 11 knots now (12 miles per hour) but its not a speed I have been able to maintain, its only in strong gusts and surfing on a wave, 6 to 7 knots (8 mph) is a speed that can be maintained in good conditions. Over a whole return trip however, that can still equate to an average speed of 3 or 4 knots (3.4 mph) depending on sailing directions and wind conditions.

If you start trolling fishing lures etc you can expect that speed to drop down to 4 to 6 knots depending on lure size, depth and amount.

I find if you plan on doing expeditions and day trips, you need to keep a log of time, conditions both wind and water, tides etc, so you can better plan in the future.

fastest i have gone is just over 11 knots, but as said above it was not a speed i was able to maintain for longer than a couple of minutes.

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These boats really scoot along on flatwater however they need a good deal of wind, and very calm water to hit double digits. In the chop they don't go fast at all. And it's a very wet ride!

But I have fun with it anyway especially in flat water, and windy weather.
Thank you very kindly to everyone who replied Amy

12 mph seems to be the consensus when sailing ideal conditions, though I think I could beat that, pedaling away from a great white.

I've had some experience surfing the AI at faster speeds, but I noticed a tendency for the rudder to load up and release (STRETCH --POP) at high speeds, causing you to lose speed and control.

It's likely Hobie's "safety" feature, intended to prevent damage to the rudder housing when running aground, but it's kicking up too early to allow me to surf the boat properly. It's quite a "drag".

Locking the rudder in place may be my only option here, but I have been reluctant to try it.

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"You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality."
- Ayn Rand

Hi NOHUHU
My is an older 2007 model with the rudder kit upgrade but it still has the original screw to lock the rudder. I tend to still use it in heavy weather and find it a lot better and more reliable. I am relying on the old soft rudder pins as my safety net at present but only have a few left before I have to go to the harder ones.

I would agree 10-12 mph or ~11 knots. I have experienced similar results with the TI.

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I'd rather be sailing,
Mark.

Dunno if this link will work but my garmin 60 csx showed 11.2mph
I use it on my ktm enduro bike and it's not far out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dM9fSEV ... ata_player

The highest speed i have recorded so far is 20.2 Klm per hour or 10.9 Knots
Ainut