Hobie Turbo Fin repair

I had my fins down when a wave picked me up and deposited me on a sandbar.

Here's how the fins looked before ...



And, here is the damage ...





Obviously the fin material is punctured, but I think I can perform a repair by sliding the pin back in to the fin. So, do I remove the ring and slide the pin out, or do I use the thumbscrew?

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Jerry White

Paddle Fishing Articles

“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after” ~ Henry David Thoreau

I had the same problem, I was pedddling in a stream and hit a sumerged log, I did not think I was going to fast, but I bent both of the matal rodes and the metal poked out of both fins.

I bent it back most of the way and stuffed the fin back in place. The fins still are not flush though with the drive? Should I bend them back more?

Release the fin using the circle clip, slide the fin off and back on again. You should be good to go! The thumb screw is for adjusting the fin. Normally I would suggest loosening it a little, but considering the location of the fin hole, its current position looks reasonably good.

With a hole in the fin, it will deteriorate a lot quicker now as the rod will keep coming out when under pressure, eventually ripping the hole further. One way I have slowed the process is to pull the fin right off and make sure you give it a good clean inside at the rip. I then fill the bottom with some silicone, smear some cooking oil on the bottom of the shaft and then fit it back together, try and keep the rod to the opposite side of the shaft hole to the tear and do not use for 3 or 4 days. The (minimal) bulk of the silicone both in the tear and the hole sometimes makes it a little harder for the rod to poke back out and ultimately extends the life of the fin.

Start saving though, as it will go sooner now.

Duct Tape ???

I took one to a tyre repairer to see if truck tyre/tube patches would work but they didn't stick. Two rubbers must be different and the fins uncompilable but I would still be interested to see an old heat vulcanize tried. Trouble would be to keep both pressure and shape that is needed without something specifically made.
I doubt Hobie would do that as they would rather sell fin sets I think.

While I assume they would loose some performance, and the extra weight swinging off away on the pendulum of the fin shaft would add extra stresses to the Mirage drive, I would be thankful if they added an extra thickness wear pad/buffer to the bottom of the fins as it is there that most start to fail first.

Perhaps I've been fortunate, but so far I haven't had any unfavorable consequences to the fin holes I've accumulated with the current version of the Turbofin, even when continuing to operate the fin with the mast sticking out. It's about twice as strong as the early Turbos -- nice to know Hobie is always improving their products. Keep in mind, the latest fourth generation Turbomasts have rounded tips (far right below) to reduce the chance of poking through fins on tip strikes:

Easy enough to accomplish yourself with a little file work if you have the older masts.

Keep in mind, Turbofins are performance items, just like race tires on a car. If you make them thicker they're not going to perform as well. Then you might as well use the standard fins that Hobie issues without charge. They have the best durability (and worst performance). It's nice to have a choice, and even the ability to swap fins if we anticipate going into hazardous waters. The Turbofins seem to hold up very well as long as you don't strike a submerged object with the tip.

Fortunately, the $28.95 price for a spare Turbofin isn't too bad if you trash a fin not covered by warranty.

PS It's a good idea to check that your mast is not bent whenever you solidly strike something underwater, whether or not you put a hole in your fin.

I would remove the shaft/mast from the mirage drive and make sure it rolls true on a flat surface. If not then the bend in the shaft/mast will place a bind on the rest of the moving parts of the mirage drive. Excessive wear and tear on the plastic parts of the total system.. Balance is the key to the performace and efficency of the drive.

I agree that for V-1 Drives, removal of the mast is the best way for straightening. Straightening in place risks cracking the sprocket.

The V-2 is a different matter. Straightening a mast off the Drive risks damaging the mast threads. Since the V-2 sprocket is stronger, it can safely withstand straightening in place.

Mast straightening with stainless sprockets can be done either way, but removal is more accurate. Be sure to replace the cotter pin retainer with a new one if you remove the mast.

Most bends are straight back and can be reversed by re-bending forward. Side bends are trickier but fortunately, rare.

The easiest way to check for bent masts is to measure the spacing between masts at the base or root. It should be within 1/4" of the same measurement at the tip. This would indicate weather both masts are parallel and straight.

Lateral alignment is checked by holding the pedals parallel (make sure they are in the same pin position and pressed forward in the drum). The fins should be aligned and straight up. Minor variations up to about +/- 5 degrees should be ignored. If greater, the problem should be analyzed before any action is taken -- it could be a bent mast, cable adjustment issue or (with stainless sprockets) a chain skip. Each requires a different remedy.

Thanks to all .... headed to the garage to fix my fins!

_________________
Jerry White

Paddle Fishing Articles

“Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after” ~ Henry David Thoreau