Hobie Adventure in small waters

Most feel that the Adventure is too long for use in small, confined waters. But many don't realize that it has probably the shallowest draft (about 4" with fins against the hull, rudder retracted) of all the Hobie kayaks

Recently I stumbled upon a little known tributary to Lake Hodges and was able to do a little exploring....

Amidst the ghost forest exists a small portal, if you're lucky enough to find it:


Eventually the maze of trees faded, revealing a small tributary. Heavily damaged by last Fall's fires, it offers a rare access:


A little further upstream I approached a solid debris zone glistening in the morning sun -- More on that later:


Once clear of the debris, water seemed to ooze out of the banks, sparkling in the sun:


At times it was hard to tell the water from the shore. Here it looks like the end is ahead:


But around the next bend the stream continued:


Finally the Adventure can go no further. I have to admit, there was a little backing out here until I could hang a u-turn:


Perhaps I forgot to mention that there were some recently submerged rocks about 5" deep. I got over it without a hitch:


Back through the debris zone. There was no evidence that I had ever passed through:


Looking back, it wasted no time erasing my tracks once again:


But alas, this adventure is getting to long winded, so I'll skip to the end. I was able to locate the portal and escape back to the present time and place:


There was much more to this enchanting place -- some nice wildlife shots and stunning reflections. But that goes beyond the scope of this post. Suffice it to say that the Adventure glided through it all beautifully. You may have noticed that this is actually an Adventure Island with the Island part left behind. Talk about a versatile boat!

I had to pull the rudder over the shallowest part and clear the Drive a few times through the debris field, but all in all, an excellent adventure!

Thanks for posting that trip with a difference Roadrunner. Sadly we experience the damage from bushfires too often here.
I have just purchased a red AI just like yours.
Can't wait to try it out in its many forms -it really is a versatile craft!

Stringy, thanks for the comments. Congratulations on your new AI! When does it arrive? We'll have to see some pictures! Will you plan to commute to work with it as well?

G'Day Roadrunner,
Commuting to work is one of the main reasons for my upgrade. We have had the Tandem for nearly a year now. As you already know it is also a very versatile craft and has been great but I am looking forward to a faster solo commute. I borrowed the demo Adventure from my dealer the other day and was impressed with how well it went. With the small sail and daggerboard I went faster into the wind than I had before with my tandem/twin sail setup. It was also a lot simpler to set up and control.
I am not thinking of commuting in Island mode though as I have to walk about 2km's and I'm not sure how well the AI can be carted. I have already noticed how much easier the Adventure is for this over the Tandem.
I could have just bought the Adventure but then I would miss out on the great sailing experience the AI offers, so I had to get the boat that does it all
Should pick it up tomorrow. I want that AI grin too.

PS- First mod on my list will be your small sail adaptor.

Hi Stringy,

An adapter for the '08 AI will require some different parts than the '07. You will need a different mast base and possibly a different mast collar. The kayak mast base (# 84550001) should remain the same and because it is hollow at the bottom, it may eliminate the need for the larger mast base??

By the time you get done you may have completely redesigned it -- it will surely be better! I'll look forward to seeing what you come up with!

I'm surprised there are not more small sail users with the AI in the Adventure mode -- maybe most users see the AI as a single purpose boat only. In fact, Stobbo is the only other AI small sail user that I know of.

Great post Roadrunner. I have been contemplating a purchase, and you seem to have answered my noob question. I want to buy the Adventure as a workout machine, that is how I anticipate using it 90% of the time. However, the sailing part of the AI looks fun too. What you seem to say in your post is that the amas and akas can be dropped off, and the boat operated as a straight Adventure. Is this the case? If so, is it very involved to switch?

Capt. M, thanks for the comments and welcome to the forum.

You're absolutely right about the AI -- it is simply a heavily accessorized Adventure. For Most AI owners, it is stored and transported as a kayak, with the AI gear added at the launch point. As you can see below, the only difference in the kayak mode is a little added gear that makes it quick and easy to convert.

Here's a regular Adventure


Here's the AI. With practice, it takes about 8 minutes or less to turn this....


into this:


One of the most exciting sail boats around -- fast, fun and stable (and a little wet when the winds kick up).

I also use the AI for exercise in the "Adventure mode". With Turbofins, it just loves to run!. If you end up opting for the Adventure, be sure and get the large (sailing) rudder. Not expensive, it really improves your handling. (The AI already has it).

Both boats are outstanding machines!

Thanks for the extra photos. Last fall I rented an Adventure in Florida for a trial, and it had the steel cross bars in your pictures. So I guess it really was an AI stripped down. It got me hooked, approach of winter was the only thing that cooled off my wallet.

I believe the rudder was standard. I was able to turn it fairly well, inside 40' I'm think. (Now I think I will have to go measure.) The fins were standard too. My first time out at comfortable pace I averaged 4 knots over a two mile course (distance measured off Google Earth), the first half was into a 10 knot wind with about 1 foot chop. The return trip I had the wind at my back. I was surprised at how dry I stayed. The only disappointment was the seat not staying in place. At first I attributed it to a heavily used rental boat, but it seems to be a common problem.

You know those rubber mats that you can use in a toolbox or kitchen drawer that are no slip? I put one under my seat and the last few times out I haven't had a problem with the seat slipping. It's really comfortable and I was on the lake for approx 8 hours each time.

_________________
Isaac