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 Post subject: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 8:04 pm 
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Hi,
I am attracted to the Mirage Adventure Island tandem kayak. I want a long kayak because I am a rower (soon to be former rower?) and am spoiled by long boats. They move so much more smoothly through the water. I would like to be able to pedal/paddle solo for exercise, but still be able to take my wife out for a paddle and/or sail on weekends. Is that feasible? Those molded boats don't look very convertible, but they have so many innovative features that maybe they've figured it out.

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Brian Godfrey
kayakingforthebirds.org


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 Post subject: Re: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 4:20 pm 
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FatBear wrote:
I would like to be able to pedal/paddle solo for exercise, but still be able to take my wife out for a paddle and/or sail on weekends. Is that feasible?


I do not have a tandem adv. , but those that do have said you can single in a tandem and use a counter balance in the front seat to balance the load. (If needed) Try is single first and see if out of balance then decide. Hope this helps.


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 Post subject: Re: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 4:35 pm 
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Location: High Point, NC
I like my AI, but if I had to do it again, I'd get the TI. It just offers you more options.


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 Post subject: Re: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 4:40 pm 
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Thanks. I have found a local dealer with one in stock. I am going to check it out tomorrow and if I like what I see, try to arrange a test paddle/sail.

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Brian Godfrey
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 Post subject: Re: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 1:18 pm 
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I looked at one today. It's quite a boat. But very heavy. I have an appointment to test sail/pedal it tomorrow afternoon. We'll see how it goes. The guy who showed it to me is a sailor, but rarely pedals or paddles without the sailing rig and amas, so he couldn't talk too intelligently about that aspect of it. Since I am very familiar with making boats of roughly this dimension move under my own power, I think I can evaluate it adequately without his help. And since I have very little experience with sailboats under 100', I will value his sailing help very much. It's a good combination.

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Brian Godfrey
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 Post subject: Re: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 2:39 pm 
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Location: High Point, NC
Assuming you're going to trailer the boat and mostly launch from a ramp, it won't be much if any more trouble than the AI.


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 Post subject: Re: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 4:59 pm 
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Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
FatBear:
We have a Tandem Island that we use in kayak mode often, and it is very nice in kayak mode. When we first got into Kayaking we purchased a Hobie Revolution (for her) and a Hobie Oasis tandem (for me). We car topped them both and traveled all over the country for years, going out wherever we could launch. When in Colorado we went down several mild rapids in the boats on excursions. We purchased the sail kits for both boats, and sailing turned out to be the most fun for us, we always carried the sails on board, if we got any wind we would raise them.
In 2010 we traded in the Oasis for a tandem island. I used the same Malone roof rack systems that were used on the Oasis. To be honest it is easier to load the TI onto the roof (by myself always) than it was to load the Oasis. The TI has handles on the side that make it easy to lift the front half(about 50 lbs) onto the T bar hitch reciever on our Yukon Denali SUV. The front half of the Oasis was around 40 lbs, the TI is a couple feet longer but it's hard to notice the length difference. The TI as a kayak is superior to anything I have used (even solo). To give Hobie credit, the Oasis was the older design, last year they came out with a new design, that is way superior to the old design, so most of the problems I discribe are no longer valid.
Funny story when we used to go out together with the me on the Oasis (solo) and the my wife on the Revo, my wife on the Revo would accelerate an pedal around me circling my boat taunting me to keep up (I was doing the best I could do). The Revo is so nimble and fast compared to the Oasis (a much larger boat designed for tandem use). Now I have the TI, running solo my TI is much faster than her Revo, and for payback I run circles around her taunting her to keep up. However I tried in on a narrow river, and we ended up both going over (the boat is after all still pretty long, and a little more difficult in close quarters, or narrow rivers). We ran the Huron river rapids in Ann Arbor, MI with no problems with the TI (Kayak mode of course), (it gets pretty narrow and windy in a few areas), no more difficult than the Oasis was.
I'm pretty certain that the Tandem Island kayak is hands down the fastest kayak in Hobies kayak fleet (solo or Tandem).
To be honest I have not paddled much, the Santa Fe river in Florida (where the springs are) has a lot of weeds during certain times of the year, and it is easier to paddle (the mirage drives and rudder are like magnets to the weeds). And of course we remove the mirage drives whenever we run rapids. We actually prefer going tandem when paddleing (so she can pretend to paddle in the back while I do all the work LOL). Tandem the TI is a dream, very balanced, and with two peddlers/paddlers it just flies effortlessly. The Oasis was a divorce kayak when paddling tandem, we would argue like cats and dogs trying to navigate and coordinate our paddling (true story). We can easily cover much greater distance with much more storage with the TI.
We live near the Ocean, and mounting the AMA's and the sail turns the boat into a very capable (seaworthy) true sailing machine comparable to anything else out on the market. More fun and more versatile than you can possible imagine, plus you get a nice yak too. You get two boats in one.


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 Post subject: Re: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 5:34 pm 
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Wow! That's a glowing review and with very good experience to compare with. Thank you.

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 Post subject: Re: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 5:51 pm 
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Hmmm, the ocean. No way I'd go out in the north Pacific off Oregon, but we go to southern CA for the winter. Maybe I could sail it out there off of Oceanside and see some whales or something.

Thanks again for the idea.

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 Post subject: Re: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 1:31 pm 
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Location: Portland, Texas
Good deal if you go to Oceanside. You can visit the Hobie facility.

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Roger
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 Post subject: Re: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 1:49 pm 
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Oh, I didn't know that's where they were located. It would be interesting to see. Thanks.

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Brian Godfrey
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 Post subject: Re: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:57 pm 
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Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 5:17 pm
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Location: Auckland NZ
Brer Bear,

Fusion's glowing report of the TI doesn't surprise me one little bit. I have owned a number of Hobies over 7 years - singles and a double - and I still own an Adventure and an A Island. I haven't had a chance to get in a Tandem Island yet but have seen a couple around - both being soloed - it is quite a machine!

Anyway I wanted to echo Fusion's observation about these boats' versatility; I think this is the thing that most prospective owners (who consider a Hobie but then stick to a paddleyak) fail to appreciate. In effect they all offer: a form of low impact exercise; a vehicle for getting out into the wilderness; a paddle kayak; a cruising kayak; a fishing boat; a sailboat; and a even a powerboat if you want to... The two trimarans only add to these capabilities by increasing the sailing speed, stability and load carrying capacity of an already versatile boat without taking anything away (except, perhaps, an increase in cost and complexity which can hardly be a criticism). They are tough, reliable, usable, tailorable, fun!, low-environmental-impact and exceptionally well supported by both the manufacturer and the active community of satisfied owners on forums such as this. For my money there is nothing much out there in the watersports world to beat them on "cost per unit of enjoyment" basis.

Hope this helps.


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 Post subject: Re: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 3:26 pm 
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Yes, that is helpful. I have another question, though.

While talking to the salesman, he mentioned splashing and wetness a few times. As a rower I am not bothered by that, but my wife was a bit put off by it. She is used to my 18' aluminum power boat with all the creature comforts available in 1976. (You know, seats, windshield, leaky canvas top, etc.) I suspect that she would only be an infrequent passenger/sailor in the Tandem Island and probably mostly on warmer days, but we do like to go out mushroom hunting in the fall and there are some top secret spots where large numbers of Boletus edulis grow and are only accessible by water, so October is actually a big boating month for us in Oregon. Assuming it doesn't rain on her head, how likely is it really that she will get wet pedaling and/or sailing one of these Tandem Islands with me? Are they really wet boats to sail or just a little splashy?

Thanks again!

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Brian Godfrey
kayakingforthebirds.org


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 Post subject: Re: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 4:10 pm 
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Location: High Point, NC
She'll be soaked, which turns out to be a large part of the fun.

Both the AI and TI are wet boats. You sit below the waterline and their low freeboard, narrow width and wave piercing type hull shape mean that at any decent speed you're likely to have splash over the bow. On calm days, of course, with no sail and only pedals, it would be possible not to get wet. Or at least not very wet.

In hot weather the splash is nice. In cooler weather, you'll need some dry gear. I don't care to be wet and cold, but I do not plan to put my AI away for the winter (until and unless the lakes freeze over). I've got the clothes and will keep going - it's that much fun. And I suspect your wife might get past the wet part once she sees just how much fun these boats are.


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 Post subject: Re: Single/Tandem
PostPosted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 5:24 pm 
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Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
FatBear :
Keep in mind a lot of us are out in open ocean, or large bays where there are sometimes very large waves, in lakes the waves are not nearly as bad. If you avoid the breezy days where the winds are over 10mph (the ones we live for), you can have a nice sail and stay dry. The AI is actually a little wetter than the TI because you sit below the water line, on the TI you are above the waterline and with tramps and a spray skirt you don't get wet at all unless a big boat goes right past you.


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