Mirage® Inflatable 12

So, this was a great kayak. I got three great fishing seasons out of it. The only problem I had ,was that I could not keep water out of the bilge. I sent it back to be repaired once, the plastic hatch started to craze and crack, they covered it up with pvc cloth. These kayaks leak around the scuppers and the hatch. Water and sun eats away at the glue, if you can't dry it out proper. Some of the seams are only 3/8 of an inch. The kayak literally came apart at the seams after 3 years. All the attachments for the seat came off. Other than that, it was a great fishing kayak. Light and very stable, perfect for rough surf. Cheers, Brian

It took about 5 min. to inflate each and have it water ready with all our fishing gear. They were awesome on the water. Our friends with a fishing boat found a great place to fish about 5 miles up the lake, came back & towed us there (8 mph). This worked great! The kayaks were easy to get in and out of from their boat. My husband and I caught 29 trout in 3 days (limit 5 each/day). We also caught squaw fish and fed the osprey, eagles and blue heron all around us.

At the end of the day, we were out of the water, deflated, packed back into the rolling case within about 6 min. per kayak. Our friends were impressed at the versatility of these kayaks with the peddle paddle. They loved them. If you think they are just for the young and might be too much to paddle peddle to an hour or so, think again. I am 55, my husband 61, and we fished by trolling in these kayaks for about 7-8 hours for the 3 days we fished. I can not say we would have been able to do the same in a paddle only kayak. They were also easy to get out of into the water, and climb back up on from the rear of the kayak.

I would highly recommend these to anyone who wants a versatile kayak that can be used for many things, and them packs away into its own bag for easy storage into a truck or motor home.

I had the good fortune of reviewing kayak choices with the product manager for paddling for REI and the very helpful comments and advice from Hobie dealers in Olympia and Seattle. After trying to reward a major Texas dealer for their excellent website I was unable to purchase there because they "did not have the boat in stock and it would take 5-6 weeks to get it delivered". I turned to the local dealer 4 Corners Riversports (300 miles away in Durango. They checked with Hobie and assured me Hobie would drop ship the boat and accessories within two days of my order. I asked for a week delay because of visiting company and had the accessories two days after the order date and the boat a day later. 4 Corners was wonderful in addressing my questions and getting Hobie to replace a pump that was missing a part when the boat arrived.

I was very pleased with how quickly the boat inflated and at how easy it was to get back into its rolling case. On the shakedown I used the rolling case on campground gravel roads with no problem and used the accessory wheels to move the boat down a few steps and across bumpy terrain to the shore near our camp.

On two days of touring the Mirage Drive was flawless. It was easy to adjust, the rudder cables required no adjustment and I was able to glide past old sandstone and shale cliffs very quietly. A beaver moved from shore and I followed at a distance for a little while. Later two Osprey flew within 15' to check me out. The kayak was much less disturbing to any birds I came near than walking or canoeing would have been

The Hobie was rock solid, had plenty of space and a great front hatch. The problems I had were self induced due to my inexperience with the boat. It is not a speed demon but its speed was surprising. I found the standard fins and rudder to work well. I will see how that goes as my muscles adapt to the drive movement.

I am very pleased. The Kayak has met all my expectations and is well suited to its billing for lakes, ocean and slow rivers.