My wife and I have been looking at the Hobie Kayaks with the Mirage drive and I wanted to ask a few questions so we would know which one(s) to buy.

1) How much effort is needed to use the Mirage drive? And is it strong enough to move against a slow current?

The mirage drive is very low impact workout. You will love the drive. The drive should hold up to the current of at least three miles per hour. I would not want to peddle against the current for an hour, but it could be done with just a little experience. Good luck.

2) Are the 2 person models difficult for one person to use?

It is not difficult at all. But remember you can not sit in the middle of the yak and will have to sit in the back seat and have a lot of yak in the front of you. If fishing your rod would have to be an eight footer to clear the front of the yak when the fish swims under the yak. Do you fish?

3) How tough are the inflatable models? How likely is someone to puncture one of them just in moving around in the water? I am somewhat worried about sticks or rocks puncturing the rubber (or whatever it actually is) and what you would have to do if it happened far from "home base".

The inflatable is very durable, but there is some caution to be taken. I would not want to fish the flats where there is a lot of shell, mainly ostyers, due to the sharp edges. But the materials will hold up to a lot of bumps and scrapes within reason. Good luck.

4) Are the hard sided kayaks better than the inflatables? By better I am asking if they handle better both in and out of the water.

The inflatable is lighter and easier to handle. If you deflate then does not take up very much room and could be stored in a trunk of a car. Then the security of the yak will be out of site to the public. The hard sided yak performs better, but there is not that much difference if using for recreational purposes. You will not be racing in an inflatable.

5) How much trouble is it to inflate and deflate the air models? How much trouble is it to get them back into some kind of carrying box or case after removing the air?

The set up time for the inflate is about 10 to 15 minutes for the single yak or the i9. Add about 5 minutes for the tandum model. The getting back into the box is a matter of remembering how to fold the yak. I watch the trainning U-tube each time I try to get it back into the canvas bag. Not hard, but a learning curve that I not yet mastered, when I use the yak two times a year. The air removal is not hard at all. Have you ever removed the air from an air mattress? About the same roll and squeez the air out. Drying the yak is a must. Don't put the yak in the bag wet!!!

I know these questions depend somewhat on use but without any experience with kayaks in general and Hobie in particular I hoped to get some information before I spoke with the sales people. I will appreciate any answers.

Thanks in advance.