New Hobie Revolution possible tracking problem....

I say possible because this was not evident in the one I tried out. I bought a 2011 Hobie Revolution brand new. I have had it for 3 weeks. This weekend I really took it out and spent hours on it. One of the things I noticed was with the rudder completely out of the water the boat wants to turn left sharply. This is while using the mirage drive or when paddling with the mirage plug in the boat. Is this normal because this will make the boat near impossible for surf launches/surf landings and paddling without using the rudder. There are no humps in the hull or any problem I could find when looking over it. Again this happens while peddling with the mirage drive in and the rudder up or paddling with the mirage plug in and the rudder up. Please help.

Thanks

Jebson,
The rudder is an integral part of the Miragedrive system. You cannot pedal in a straight line with the rudder up.
Paddling is different. With correct technique you should be able to paddle effectively with the rudder up. I'm assuming you have taken crosswinds and currents into account? I find that the rudder down and in a neutral (straight) position helps maintain a straight line when paddling and crosswinds are strong.

An interesting aside about paddling these boats. I've had a couple situations where I needed to paddle for considerable distance in wind and waves. I stumbled on a neat trick that really helped, which is paddling canoe style.

I set the rudder to slightly turn (right or left) and then hold the paddle "canoe style" on the side the rudder is turning towards. With the seatback well upright, this is an easier position on our wide kayaks, and it seems to be a lot less strain on my shoulders.

Experiment with it if you like....nice change of pace, and when you paddle on the right with wind on the left, you can dig in pretty well and stay dry (for example).

Regards, JimL