Hobie Forums :: View topic - Use of the TI for just Kayaking

You are going to be pleasantly surprised, a cafefuuly guarded secret about the Hobie Tandem Island kayak is by far the fastest and best kayak Hobie makes. They don't even mention any of this in their literature, and you cannot buy a TI as just a kayak alone. You can easily haul in kayak mode 2 people and gear, up to around 600 lbs capacity, with tons of storage area (more then any of their other kayaks. The boat is very stable. Because of it's length (18.5 ft) it tracks extremely well when paddling, one cool feature is if you are paddling in a cross wind you can always drop the centerboard a little to help tracking. The boat guides thru the water effortlessly so even with two passengers, only one ever needs to be pedaling (this was not true with our old Oasis). Actually when running very shallow rivers with weeds, it's easy to put the rudder and mirages up, and paddle, it tracks quite well when paddling.
Bob

Author:	Fishoutawater [ Tue Jul 21, 2015 11:58 am ]
Post subject:	Use of the TI for just Kayaking
I am very interested in purchasing the TI. I will likely use it for both sailing and Kayaking. Can anyone give me some feedback on the use of the TI as just a kayak without the sails and Ama's? I would think that it is considerably less stable without the amas, but do you need them if you are just paddling or using the Mirage Drives? Thanks!

Author:	fusioneng [ Tue Jul 21, 2015 3:17 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Use of the TI for just Kayaking
You are going to be pleasantly surprised, a cafefuuly guarded secret about the Hobie Tandem Island kayak is by far the fastest and best kayak Hobie makes. They don't even mention any of this in their literature, and you cannot buy a TI as just a kayak alone. You can easily haul in kayak mode 2 people and gear, up to around 600 lbs capacity, with tons of storage area (more then any of their other kayaks. The boat is very stable. Because of it's length (18.5 ft) it tracks extremely well when paddling, one cool feature is if you are paddling in a cross wind you can always drop the centerboard a little to help tracking. The boat guides thru the water effortlessly so even with two passengers, only one ever needs to be pedaling (this was not true with our old Oasis). Actually when running very shallow rivers with weeds, it's easy to put the rudder and mirages up, and paddle, it tracks quite well when paddling. Bob

Author:	Fishoutawater [ Tue Jul 21, 2015 3:29 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Use of the TI for just Kayaking
fusioneng wrote: You are going to be pleasantly surprised, a cafefuuly guarded secret about the Hobie Tandem Island kayak is by far the fastest and best kayak Hobie makes. They don't even mention any of this in their literature, and you cannot buy a TI as just a kayak alone. You can easily haul in kayak mode 2 people and gear, up to around 600 lbs capacity, with tons of storage area (more then any of their other kayaks. The boat is very stable. Because of it's length (18.5 ft) it tracks extremely well when paddling, one cool feature is if you are paddling in a cross wind you can always drop the centerboard a little to help tracking. The boat guides thru the water effortlessly so even with two passengers, only one ever needs to be pedaling (this was not true with our old Oasis). Actually when running very shallow rivers with weeds, it's easy to put the rudder and mirages up, and paddle, it tracks quite well when paddling. Bob Thanks Bob! I appreciate the feedback and always like it when a product has a hidden or unexpected feature. The more I hear and read about the Tandem Island, the more excited I get about the purchase. I am just about ready to pull the trigger on the boat and a trailer.

Author:	stringy [ Tue Jul 21, 2015 3:37 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Use of the TI for just Kayaking
What Bob said! I can't comment on the latest models (2015's with the raised mesh seat) but the earlier models work great in kayak mode. We've used our 2010 model as a kayak a lot. It is very stable paddling or pedalling and you will not need ama. viewtopic.php?f=70&t=42981&p=179151 viewtopic.php?f=70&t=54316

Author:	RandomJoe [ Tue Jul 21, 2015 3:43 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Use of the TI for just Kayaking
Agreed, it's a wonderful kayak! I've only taken it out once that way, no balance issues whatsoever. It's also faster than my Outback - or, put another way, takes a lot less effort for the same performance. Paddles nicely too. The only issue I had is it takes FOREVER to turn it around! I took it up a flat-water river (feeds into a lake) and actually had to do a 3-point turn when turning around once! The main reason I haven't used it in kayak mode more is that it's just so darn heavy...

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Author:	ChangeMan [ Tue Jul 21, 2015 8:37 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Use of the TI for just Kayaking
We are in the process of traversing the River Murray in Australia. 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles). Started in the rapids at the source and did a few 360 turns until we got the hang of it Works well as a kayak. Great videos Stringy. Cheers, Brian in South Australia

Author:	Fishoutawater [ Wed Jul 22, 2015 7:08 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Use of the TI for just Kayaking
Thanks Bob, FusionEng, Stringy, RandomJoe and ChangeMan! Your comments are all very helpful. I am glad that I asked. I will probably make the purchase in the next few weeks, and I will post on here how we are doing after we get her in the water a few times. Until then, Y'all be good and be safe!

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