Mirage® Adventure Island

My partner shelled out close to $1600 for this boat. It's been worth it. The pedal drive is outstanding. We upgraded to a larger rudder and turbo ST fins. It carries camping gear with ease. The plastic it's made of is stiff and doesn't flex as much as other plastic boats. I got the 11' sail kit and made a furling rig. On very few occasions, when the wind has been about 10 mph and in the right direction, it's been a huge energy saver. I've been able to find parts (rudder cotter pin, bungee, mesh pockets) easily online. I've been in 3-4 foot waves/tide rips with it and you definitely want your paddle out to help brace. The sit on top rides higher and makes tipping easier, but I've never fallen out. I use a dry suit. The sit on top is great to jump off, cool down, and hop back in. It's great not having to bail water. The boat has been in use for 13 years and the mirage drive is still going strong.

The 2015 Hobie Adventure Island is a truly superb sailing vessel in my experience. Probably the most fun, stable, nimble, affordable, easy to rig & operate, open ocean capable, single seat trimaran on the planet ... No kidding.

Location: Nebraska... I know what you're thinking, where could you possibly be sailing it? There are a couple of medium sized lakes around here for use (under 1,000 acres) and for big water, my husband and I we each have one) we have gone to Stockton Lake which is a 25,000 acre lake and had a blast. Have upgraded the seats though to Atwood Centric SAS and are glad we did. You still get wet, but you're not sitting in the water.

I enjoy my Tandem Island, great boat. Before and after each sail I need to take the boat apart for storage. I have two akas out of the four that are very difficult to remove. Does anyone know what would be a fix to correct this. I don't want to put any type of oil or grease lubricant on them as it will attract sand and grit. I'm thinking its the spring releases not disengaging properly to allow the aka to slide out.

I just purchased a used Hobie Adventure Island. If you can imagine how small a Ford Fusion is, then believe that I was able to fit the Kayak and the mast on the roof racks and the amas, akas and everything else into the car with the back seats down and loading everything into the trunk. It took 20 mins to load another 20 mins to unload. Five minutes to assemble. I made a T-bar kayak loader to roll the kayak onto the racks with ease. I used a kayak cart to transport it to the beach.

Even with the weight of everything, I still managed fine by myself without problems. One thing to note is that there are alot of pieces involved, so don't forget anything.

Once in the water it is a whole new experience compared to just kayaking alone. I had a lot of fun sailing and tacking but you can do kayaking alone and its still fun. With the furling sail you can control how fast you want to go, even in high winds. The pedal power of the mirage drive makes it so simple. Even without the sails, the mirage drive can go fast against the wind. My pedal did break a chain, but had a paddle backup.

All and all it was such a fun experience. One day I plan to get a trailer and a truck or SUV with a hitch to get into the water faster. I find the Hobie Adventure Island the ultimate kayak for me.

We have both a 2008 Hobie AI and 2010 Warren 15.5 sail. Though similar in design, we found out they are totally different animals. We upgraded to the Warren tri because the Hobie seemed slow and heavy in light winds. The Warren was easier to car-top and transport when RV'ing.

For those looking for a strict sailing craft where performance is key, nothing can beat the Warren tri. In light winds, she is faster than just about anything out there, even the sailboarders and mega-catamarans. She is only 67 lbs including sails and amas, super light and very responsive. Acceleration is incredible.

In winds over 15 knots, we stick with the Hobie however, which rides drier. But for light air performance sailing and ease of car-topping (can launch anywhere quickly), I would splurge on the Warren tri if you can afford it. The cost is nearly double the Hobie tri however so watch out. That is probably due to the high cost of carbon fiber these days...

I've owned my AI for 2.5 years now and have traversed several Texas lakes, a few still rivers and two, 1 week stays at the beach in the FL panhandle. I couldn't decide between a fishing/recreational kayak and a sailboat, so I was delighted to find the AI. It was a little pricey for me, but after some fun on the lake I've decided it was worth it.

Never having sailed before, I found the in-store lesson and an afternoon playing at the lake to be adequate to learn to sail. The square top sail is very versatile and even works very well when partially furled in heavier winds. The mirage drive makes it a snap to come about when tacking into the wind. Just a few quick leg pumps and you are back under sail in a second. There is no boom to knock you in the head but that also means it is a little difficult to head straight down wind under sail. I just lean on the rope a little to hold the sail out or zig zag a bit (worth it not to have a sail boom on a kayak).

My most memorable outing was in Florida. With a south wind filling the sail, I made a few half hour passes parallel to the beach. Each time a pod of dolphins followed me, only inches from the amas! Wow!

The amas (outriggers) make the kayak extremely stable in heavy chop at the lake or in 2+ foot surf at the beach. (Search for online AI videos). You can even stretch the optional trampoline across the akas and take your favorite pooch along. These fold in for beaching or docking. For the timid, non-kayaker they make outings possible.

For those beach trips, the entire rig will car top if done properly. The sail can be shock corded to the rack as well, if put in the storage sleeve bottom first and bottom pointed forward. Or the mast and sail can be broken down easily to be more manageable. Requires a bit of brawn and brains to load onto a truck or large SUV.

On the lazy river, this kayak is just as fun without the amas and sail. Lots of storage with a big hatch in front to stuff a bulky bedroll in. It is a bit hard to turn around in tight areas and some portages are difficult due to the weight. Could be quite fun for fishing or even bowfishing with one ama.

Hobie warranty is absolutely top notch. I am very grateful for the free rudder design improvements I've received for my older boat. I've not managed to break anything yet though.

I rented the Hobie AI for a one-week solo touring trip in the Deer Isle Archipelago off Maine's coast.

The good:
The boat is very rugged and makes a very solid impression for the most part. The construction is very simplistic and everything is very easy to operate. The outriggers make the AI very stable platform that inspires confidence on choppy crossings. For landing on a dock or narrow passages, the outriggers can be brought right next to the hull. Carrying capacity is over 300 pounds. The whole rig can be disassembled by one person and can be cartopped on a midsize car. There are three modes of propulsion: paddle, pedal the Mirage drive, and sail. Paddling is not that simple because the amas get in the way. I could maintain a speed of 1.5-2mph while paddling the AI loaded to capacity. Pedaling is much easier, because you use your legs instead of your arms. I could pedal 2.5mph without straining and over 3mph with effort. The rig really shines when the wind picks up.

Sailing is very easy and speeds of over 5mph are easily possible with a fully loaded AI when the wind is right. The sail is very simple to operate and has no boom to watch out for when tacking or jibing. It's very efficient in light winds and can be furled around the mast within seconds when the wind gets too strong. This gives the AI a wide range of wind conditions it can be sailed in. Modes of propulsion can be combined, e.g. sailing and pedaling make a good mix in light winds. The hull is completely hollow and packs a lot of gear. You can leave amas, akas and sail ashore and just use the hull for your evening fishing trip around the island or something like that.

The bad:
The rudder lever is pretty small and feels a bit flimsy. It works well though, but I like something I can use my whole hand on rather than just thumb and forefinger. The ride is wet, especially when pointing upwind. A wetsuit is a must when the water is cold. The AI weighs 115 pounds completely rigged. That means you have to disassemble the whole thing to lug it up a beach by yourself or bring some kind of cart. I was able to carry the hull by myself, but the assemble/disassemble adds to the time you need to set up camp and break it the next day. There are no bulkheads in the hull. While this makes for great spots to load everything you could need it might give you problems once you develop a leak out on the water. Now with the two outriggers you still have three buoyant compartments, but I would not take the hull out alone on long crossings. I put some flotation bags into the hull, just for peace of mind.

All things considered, you get a lot of boat for the price of a composite kayak. There's no boat out there that is more versatile and more confidence-inspiring on those long, choppy crossings. A fantastic, well engineered touring machine. I'd buy one if I had the space to store it.