how hard or easy is it to paddle a 2009 outback

how hard or easy is it to paddle a 2009 outback. My interest is if I were a mile offshore and something happened to my mirage drive, how hard or easy would it be to paddle back to shore lets say in moderate ocean conditions.(Not flat seas but also not hostile seas). I'd appreciate responses from people who have actually paddled an outback......Thank you in advance

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U BEEN CLOWNED

Wow guys, thanks for all the input

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U BEEN CLOWNED

You can Paddle the outback in that type os situation w/o and problem. The chances of have a 100% mirage drive failure is very slim I think. You can still pedal with only 1 fin.

The out back isn't the best paddler but its not hard to paddle at all, if you want o paddle too the Revolution paddles very nice!

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Brad Stephens
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hmm cool, rented an outback today and paddled for awhile didnt seem bad at all. I tryed the revoulution but i think I might be right at the vessels listed max load capacity which is 350. Im weighing 260 plus change these days and I figure with live well and gear I might be pushing the Revolutions limits. especially if I get some nice sized fish. wonder if I can use a different seat with a higher back on the outback or Revo, something like the GTS?

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U BEEN CLOWNED

I lost a fin on the mirage drive and would not advance forward anymore. Did you make an adjustment to the MD to get it to go forward with only one fin? Thanks for any help you might give.

I'll tell you what I am going to do when I buy the Angler pro. I am going to buy a second Mirage unit and store it in the hull.

With the Angler. I'll be offshore, and it the Mirage breaks, I don't want to paddle it. The entire Mirage unit price is $460.95. That's a good bit of money, but its a small investment when compared to being stuck in the Gulf of Mexico. I suspect the chances of a problem are minimal, but I would rather spend a few hundred more and greatly increase my safety factor.

That's my plan, and I'm stickin' to it!!

Ray

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Harold Ray Emerson
419 Lake Air Drive
Waco, Texas 78710

Phone: 254-772-3520

Thats exactly what i decided to do. It's really not that much more expensive than some of those nice carbon fiber paddles, or a nicer seat upgrade, if you had a different kayak. I figure, if your gonna go first class you might as well spend a little on the insurance!

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U BEEN CLOWNED

It seems like I just re posted this, but here it is again: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=8240&hilit

No adjustment necessary. One fin provides half the thrust as two. Some additional thrust is lost to the rocking motion of the boat, but some can be regained by a higher pedaling cadence. Once you get used to the motion, you should be able to cruise along at about 1/2 knot less speed. A looser clew setting gives slightly less rocking and more forward motion. You can experiment with this by simply removing a fin temporarily. Give yourself about 5 minutes to get used to it.

GMTA (Great Minds Think Alike)

I'm in Burnet, Texas, I get Waco Television easily lol

I already have my spare Mirage drive with turbofins, I'm awaiting my trailer cradles for the PA from the Austin dealer who special ordered them, then I'll go get my new yeller PA and stow the extra drive inside.... Lake Buchanan isn't ocean, but I still don't want to be "one-finning" on a 23,000 acre lake, unless both drives get damaged.

I live on Lake Waco, 15,000 acres, and have my Hobie Outback on it, which works out great. The hill I live on is too steep, about 45% to take an Angler up and down. I've got the Outback chained on a trail I built that runs to the shore, so it stays down there, ready to go.

I'm going to use the Angler on PINS, Padre Island National Seashore, south of Corpus. Its 65 miles of open beach down to the Mansfield Cut, and anywhere along there is where we fish, but near the Cut, its beautiful water and often lots of fish. I think the Angler will handle that well, but I want as much safety on my side as possible. We always wear PFDs and use all the safety we can, radios for the Coast Guard, etc.



Thanks for posting this in this thread. I really appreciate it!!!!!

Ray

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Harold Ray Emerson
419 Lake Air Drive
Waco, Texas 78710

Phone: 254-772-3520

psychoclown,
I'm at 250 lbs, but would not be carrying around everything that you would ( bait tank etc ) .... I'm gonna go on a diet and do a LOT of exersizing to lower my weight ....You must have had the rudder down on the Outback when paddling, because I surely don't agree that it's not that bad to paddle ....It's not impossible, but surely not very easy with the rudder in the up position .... The Revo paddles head and shoulders better ...I just recently paddled both at a Hobie Day ....No comparison to me .....Jim

I have an 09 Outback and believe that it paddles horribly. I was told this could be alleviated with a longer paddle, I dont know why Hobie doesnt supply one (longer) with the kayak.

The Outback was not designed as a paddling kayak. All those trays, the high gunwales and generous beam -- those qualities that make it an excellent fishing platform, are at the same time not exactly paddle friendly. You can't have it all.

Pedaling is the intended primary mode of propulsion; Hobie provides a basic paddle as a back-up. If you want to do any appreciable paddling, it's probably best to invest in a paddle that best fits your individual paddling needs, although the boat is best suited to a low angle style. Here's some additional information on paddle selection: http://www.ems.com/content/how_to_choos ... 4396003916

Note that the Hobie paddle (at 230 cm) falls in the middle of the recommended zone for paddle length for the low angle style. Much longer and you've got a stand-up paddle! IMO, additional paddle length would have no effect on the Outback's lackluster paddling characteristics.

Fir my Outback and later ProAngler ...

I'm ordering either a 9' (270 cm) or probably a 9'8" carbon paddle (LONG suckers, but good for standups and fantasic for pushing off docks the wind blows me into, the only ones I found so far are from wavewalk (because, they sit high in the water so they require super long paddles)

Are the paddles supplied by Hobie on their kayaks all the same length ? .....Are they the same for the Revo and for the Outback ? ...If so , that would explain to me why the Revo paddled so much easier due to it's narrower beam ....I realize that it's designed to paddle easier, and I realize that the Outback is designed with fishing in mind, but it was quite a difference in paddling each of them .....I mean a HUGE difference ....Maybe a longer paddle on the Outback would have worked better ? ....?????... This is important because it was a HUGE factor ( not the only factor mind you ) in me wanting to go with the Revo rather than an Outback ....I liked the layout of the Outback , but liked the way the Revo paddled in a pinch .... With my luck , it's not a matter of IF something goes wrong with my Mirage Drive, but more, WHEN something goes wrong with it .... The paddling ability is VERY important to me in a pinch ...Thanks, Jim