The Hobie Adventure

Good day gentlemen, I thought I might share my Adventure with the Adventure with you. I 'm from the center of California. While I do love paddling and casting and casting in saltwater I spend most of my time in freswaterwhere I guide on rivers and lakes. I have a website with a small but growing group.

Hobie adventure: It’s a bicycle disguised as a kayak! That was my description of a Hobie. Pedal instead of paddle? No way I wouldn’t even try one. Narrow-minded? Maybe a little. I love paddling as much as fishing; I mean I use a Greenland Paddle for most of my paddling even when I’m in a canoe. However, while there’s no way I would ever give up paddling for pedaling, the option of both is one hell of an option.
Hobie Adventure so far. Made it out Millerton for a few hours Wednesday.
First thing notice I notice was the side handles that make it a lot easier to carry it or load it that’s a big plus in my book. The seats that Hobie supplies with their yaks have pegs on the bottom of them that right into two scupper holes located right on the hull where the seats goes. They’re actually tow rolls of them for seat adjusting, no more seat sliding back and forth, I always hated that. As far as weight goes it’s sixty lbs, that’s about average for most SOTs. In the 16 ft range. Once on the water I paddled it for a couple of hours. For me this was the real test because if it didn’t paddle well It’s not the kayak for me. I am not giving up paddling for pedaling. After what I felt was a thorough paddling test I think the difference between the WS Tarpon 160i and the Hobie adventure is slight with the Adventure being just a bit harder to paddle but more stable. I’ve yet to do a long paddle like about eight miles. For me that would be from Millerton lake up the San Joaquin River to Squaw Leap for some incredible striper and shad fishing that starts about late March. Sorry I’m getting off the subject.
Next the pedals or The Hobie Mirage Drive as Hobie calls them. A fact that opened my mind towards Hobie was those peddles can be taken and put back in-in a matter of seconds with just a twist of the knobs on each side of the opening that the drive goes through. The drives are easily adjustable. Also before you pedal you need to adjust the seat to where you’re leaning back a bit, like in an easy chair.
Next the controls for the rudder. The control for turning is a lever on your left side, nice and handy. The control lever for lifting the rudder out of and putting it in the water is located back behind you just a bit
back on the right side of the Adventure.
Once the drive was adjusted and I was pedaling through the water, it was pretty cool, weird but cool. The only thing I can compare it to is it’s like having an electric motor. The controls worked great. I pedaled around for another couple of hours. There was some wind and the water was choppy, but the Adventure handled well. I was in love! The fishing possibilities would be endless. Then I tried to lift the rudder out of the water so I could paddle back to the launch. The rudder wouldn’t budge, not a problem if you want to pedal but a big one if you want or need to paddle. I pedaled to shore once I got in shallow water I was able to lift the rudder out of the water with the lever easily. Once back in deeper water I had the same trouble again. I finally made it back to the launch. When I got home I called Hobie for some advice, nice folk. They told me about a particularly screw I would need to tighten and that the Adventures rudder system was new and they would help me fine tune it. I did what they said but I won’t know if works until I get it back on the water. Any Hobie owners had this problem? If I can get the rudder to work right, the Adventure will be my new favorite yak.
Hobie Adventure Part two.
The rudder problems that I was having happened were because the bolt that holds the rudder drum together was too tight not too loose. I loosen the bolt, now the rudder lifts out of the water just fine.
I’ve put enough time in on the water in the Adventure to where I‘m comfortable paddling or pedaling it. You can move at a pretty good clip when your pedaling, however you will get weird looks. The steering lever is located only inches from your left hand. The lifting lever is just a little behind you on the right side within easy reach. I have to agree with Pal in that you do have to experience the Adventure to really know what it’s like. The most accurate description
I can give you is it’s like using an electric motor.
With practice you’ll definitely have an almost hand free situation.
The Adventure has past the big test for me; I can fly fish from it.