Once you’ve bought a Hobie kayak, you’re going to have thousands of different customization options at your fingertips. Which ones are worth the investment?
This is a quick list of the five most common upgrades our customers gravitate towards. We’ll break down the advantages of each.
A rigged Hobie Outback in Camo with the stow and fold cart.
1) Rigging
There are hundreds of ways to rig a kayak. We sell Hobie, YakAttack, and RAM Mounts systems to help you figure it out. Many of these brands are interchangeable. The first step is to find a mount system to build on to.
If you bought a Pro Angler, Hobie makes many H-Rail specific accessories. These just clip onto the H-Rail and are ready to go. They can be easily removed or adjusted. It’s a great place to start if you have a Pro Angler.
If you bought another Hobie model (or any other kayak for that matter) then you still have tons of options. Our suggestion is to start with a YakAttack Geartrac. These handy tracks come in a variety of sizes, starting at 4” long. This allows you to mount a variety of gear using their track system. Once this system is installed, you can add rod holders, paddle leashes, safety flags, or any slew of specialized gear. Yak Attack has a great Youtube Channel to help you rig the perfect kayak.
2) Turbo Fins
If you bought a Pro Angler, your boat came standard with Hobie Mirage Drive’s Turbo Fins. If you have a standard fins (ST Fin) which come standard with most boats such as the Revolution series or Outback, then you can easily upgrade to Turbo Fins. This means that each pump of the Mirage Drive drives you further. This is possible no matter what year Hobie kayak you own. The original fins and ST Fins can both be updated to a Turbo Fin. The brand new 2017 Mirage 180 Fins can also be upgraded to a Mirage 180 Turbo. Hobie will be releasing these in Spring 2017.
3) Sailing Rudder
For smaller boats like the Revolution series or the Outback, replacing the standard rudder with the much larger sailing rudder will make a marked difference. The larger rudder gives added maneuverability and finesse to your boat. A Revolution 13 with added Turbo Fins and a Sailing Rudder will go further with less effort, and react to your controls instantly. Many people consider this a must-have upgrade to get the full potential out of several Hobie kayaks.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=X8n5CQxjuGY
4) Plug-In Cart
The Plug-In Cart is another must-have essential, especially if you’re transporting your boat by yourself. The cart plugs into the scupper holes on the bottom of the kayak, allowing for easy transportation. The cart is available in a variety of wheel types. The two most popular are the rugged and the beach wheels. The large rubber beach wheels allow the cart to stay above the sand during transportation. If you’re mostly launching from hard packed or paved areas, the rugged wheel set is probably for you.
Recently, Hobie released a foldable wheel set. Check out their promotional video for more info on the super transportable wheels.
Shop our entire selection on our website.
5) Anchor Trolley
Pro Anglers come pre-drilled for this add-on. This simple pulley system allows you to stake out or anchor your boat in shallow water and adjust the point of contact to get a perfect position in the water. In the Puget Sound, the water is often too deep for a stake out pole or an anchor. Hobie makes a drift chute, however, that can greatly aid fishermen as they fight for good positioning. An anchor trolley is an incredibly simple install on a Pro Angler. Other boats require drilling, but this is easily done with rotomolded boats and a drill bit.
