The best way to secure Mirage drive & scuba tank for surf?

I'm loving the two new Revolution 13 my wife and I recently bought. Am zipping about with 'em in a pickup truck bed and hitting various touring spots around So Cal as we learn the boats.

I'd like to do some surf launches and gather it best to secure the drive for the trip through incoming wave sets.

QUESTION: Does anyone have a suggested "best" way to secure the drive in a bounce through the waves and yet have it handy to mount and peddle on?

QUESTION: Related to this, would anyone have a best way to secure a scuba tank to a Revo? Do most folks use the rear well?

Is it a good idea, and/or, is anyone mounting a scuba tank "strap mount" or two to the well and then straping in a tank with BC attached?

Good for you guys. The Hobies can make for quick and controlled surf launches. I went down to Big Sur earlier this year and did a few days in fairly big surf (early spring storms). Links on my blog below, you'll have to scroll for a bit to see pics. The beaches in Monterey / Big Sur are really really tricky because of the undertow / rips.

Unfortunately, I didn't properly anchor the drive and lost it on a big surf landing / whipeout. $700 mistake. Hobie makes a coiled surf leash that is pretty much perfect for clipping itself to the drive (there is a small slot in front of idler pulley) and it uses surf grade stainless hardwear so its quite strong. Others on the message boards have made their own.

As for lashing, my boats are a bit different (I have a pair of i12's), but don't trust the elastic straps to hold anything down when it comes to waves. Look for a really bomber cord, and then practice your knots to tension and secure them. Also, I recommend a climbing cord called Dyneema - its incredibly strong and doesn't stretch when wet (avoid nylon for this reason). It's sold at REI in various thicknesses, you will likely have good results with either 3mm or 5mm.

Something else to consider, tanks in the rear of the boat might add some weight, and it can help to counterbalance with other stuff in your foreward hatches.

_________________
"Never mistake a clear view for a short journey." - Cowboy Proverb

Graduating from adventure junkie to dealer. Get your fix at http://www.fasterfarther.com

Here's mine that I do on the Adventure Islands and Tandem Islands.

_________________

Hobie Island Sailing since 2006

cryder, on the i12, what do you anchor your Mirage drive to? There's a fitting (padeye?) for the bungee that holds the pedals in the "fins up" position. But it seems to me that a safety tether, for when the drive is out, ought to be somewhere else, to avoid tangling the lines. How do you manage this?

Thanks,
Mary

Thanks for the replies!

But, I'm lookin' for rigging that's more than a leash -- someone's elegant method for strappin' the drive or a scuba tank to the boat in case the surf tumbles the boat. I'd guess there's some simple common-sense ways to go.

While looking for something "slick," I may just default to some padded half inch cam-lock straps that go all the way around the hull. They'd be easy to get snug and then release once in open water where a bungie might be fine.

But, they would be bullet proof in holding the mass of a tank or drive down on the hull if the boat gets loose and tumbles in surf.



Let's hear it for leashes! :)

I'd seen a few posts on leashes as we were trying to pick our boat. And, a couple shops we'd talked to mentioned, 'Don't lose your drive.'

One of the first things I did (in expecting rookie clumsiness when launching) was to do a poor-man's leash. BTW, we did then have rookie some moves when tipping the boats to pull our wheels on a dock lauch. The drive did try and escape.