Mirage Drive Position 7

Upon my maiden voyage in my 08 Oasis, I found that the mirage drive set properly in the 7th and farthest position allows the pedal bars to ram into the housing surrounding the mast hole. The points of impact were scuffed pretty good before I realized what was happening. Position 6 stops the travel just short of doing this. Please advise if anyone knows that to be normal. I will also mention that I am 6'1" and I find even Position 7 to leave me cramped. Thanks.

I thought you just got upgraded to an '09?? Regardless, unlike the single kayaks, the tandems need to borrow some cockpit space to locate the mast mount.

There are a couple of things that might help if you're not already doing them. Realizing that the water is cold up there, if you can find some thin soled aqua shoes or socks, that will shorten your reach requirement. Also, you may be able to experiment with the foot position on the pedal -- higher on the pedal creates additional space.

Finally, if feasible, Hobie's '06 seat has a thinner back that lets you scoot back some. There may be a chance your local dealer has one (they are no longer produced) that you can try out. They are easy to distinguish -- no lumbar support and large pack on the seatback. Good luck!

Maybe Hobie should come out with extended cockpits for tall users, or at least extend one of the cockpits on the tandems.

that is our #1 complaint with the tandems and taller people, lack of room. RR had some great suggestions, keep us posted on what you find, always looking for new tips to give customers.

_________________
Brad Stephens
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At the time I was wearing chacos, which are kind of thick. I think that next time I will stow them and pedal barefoot. I learned a lot my first time out.

RR, I did request a new hull (not necessarily an '09) from Hobie, but was turned down. I don't want to get into the details on this forum, but based on that experience I do not plan to purchase Hobie products in the future. I have read where a couple of other posters had their '08 Oasis hulls changed-out for '09 hulls.

Hey Ya'll
Im not real short..my legs go all the way down to the ground (5'11")..and I can knock the same mast spot in my 06 with the pedals in the middle hole if I get too rowdy.
It seemed much worse with the standard fins for some reason but with the turbo fins its much better.
I can understand where someone over 6' tall might have some stroke length issues in the tandem.
We are still quite happy with our 06 model Oasis and were just amazed by how much gear we loaded into it yesterday.
I've heard that Hobie does take good care of its customers whenever possible.
I would urge you to contact Matt Miller Site Admin. on this board and give Hobie a final chance to help solve your problem if its not too late.
Kepnutz

I should clarify that the issues that drove me to ask for a new hull are unrelated to the legroom question. I mentioned it only to answer RR. MM, if you would like to discuss those issues, I suppose you are able to reference my direct email address. I could get it to you by other means if necessary.

Thanks,

MMM

We have seen pedals contact hulls on a some boats due to distortion, different drives and other issues related to production. For the tallest of pedalers, it is not hard to avoid this. Using a shorter stroke is the way to go. It is a just a change in technique. We have guys here with longer inseams that adjust the stroke to avoid slapping the fins against the hull bottom... this would also prevent the pedal hitting issue for the tallest pedalers.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

I'm 6'5" tall and weigh 205. In my Outback I often switch from position 5 to 6 to 7 on longer trips. The switching gives my back a rest and reduces fatigue. But, yeah, I'm often slapping the hull if I get carried away in position 7.