Mirage Drive Turbo Kit Upgrade Kit?

So I bought the Mirage Drive Turbo upgrade kit for my Outback and absolutely love it. I can go so fast, I turn heads at the marina. People have actually asked me to slow down because it is a no wake zone. (ok, but they're probably just joking). I loved it so much, I bought another kit for my daughter's Sport, and another for my wife's Revo.

The question is: where do we go from here? Has anyone thought of a way to upgrade the Turbo Fins? How about a metal fin? Something still flexible yet more rigid than the rubber? Stainless? I want more speed!

Pick a color.

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

Your biggest speed limitation is the Outback hull. You probably noticed your boat pushing lots of water and pulling lots of wake when you get to your max speed. If you could double your thrust you would gain only about 1/2 knot. I verified this with the Outback -- using combined legs and electric motor yielded little more speed than either one alone.

You can have more speed with a Revo and more yet with an Adventure. On any given boat though, speed is directly related to cadence. Properly set-up Turbos will continue to pull well into the 90 - 100 CPM range with good efficiency.

What Roadrunner says is very true. On our Revolution, I can pedal to the point where the water builds underneath the boat in the spot where the hull levels out, and even if I pedal faster and faster the boat just won't go any faster due to the water being pushed.

That's what I really liked about the Adventure, It's much more difficult to reach the point where the hull can't go any faster, and that's why the Adventure is faster.

I used to wonder why anyone would buy an Adventure over a Revolution, as the Revo was so easy to car top (at just 13 feet) and had all of the features of the Adventure, but when I bought my AI and used it in Adventure mode, you REALLY get an idea of how different the hull designs are on these boats. The Adventure really flies, and it's all about the hull offering less resistance.

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But I have the Revolution with a Turbo Fin kit, and I do agree that it goes faster than the Outback, but that's not the point. I just want to know it making some type of fin out of a material more rigid than rubber will work. And as far as a sail kit, that is only an option if you have wind.

Short answer is no.

You would have to create significantly more power to only go marginally faster. The speed is very much limited by the hull's shape. They get to a point where the can't go any faster. Doubling the power would still not create much more speed. There is a point where the hull doesn't cut through the water as much as push the water. Once you're pushing the water, you'll need a LOT of power to get any significant speed jump.

No one is going to discourage you from trying to find a way to go faster, but others who have experimented have found that the limitation is in the hull more then in the fin design. In other words, if you want to go faster, start with a better hull, not a better fin.

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That's a good question. Fins operate like propeller blades, twisting as they radiate out from their root. But unlike most propellers, Mirage Drive fins oscillate back and forth, so their construction must be flexible enough to reverse the direction of twist without material fatigue while providing a variable rate of twist for optimal performance at different boat speeds, cadences and acceleration loads. Turns out rubber-like materials fit the bill very well.

Hobie has experimented with other materials, but without the efficiency or durability of rubber so far. They obviously continue to improve fin performance as well. Near as I can tell, Turbofins are currently in their fourth generation, as follows:

1. original Turbos
2. shortened mast by 1/4", improving twist rate
3. changed outer black rubber for better durability -- and performance
4. changed inner gray rubber for better kinetic energy storage (performance)

Of course they all look very similar so it's hard to tell which is which (except by date of purchase). Performance gains have been subtle -- most casual users wouldn't notice.

There are some after market sails that will fit any kayak, but they have little or no upwind capability. Some people have made their own out of a variety of materials and masts with varying degrees of success.

Are you tellin me they don't have wind on Lake Michigan?

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

They do have wind...usually accompanied with 3-5 ft waves.