Question for the Hobie owners

How often do you find yourself using your paddle?  Ever?  I'm trying to decide if storing my paddle broken down, secured to the bow is a terrible idea or not.  With my current rigging plans, the paddle won't be easily accessible if I'm using the downrigger anyway, so I'm thinking I might as well just get it out of the way entirely. 

I never use a paddle.  I pull the mirage drive once landed, just do the quarter peddle to get into shore and coast (thanks for the help Sunday by the way). Usually I just roll it on its side and pull it out. When launching I'm standing knee deep anyway and hop in so the drive has enough water under it already.  I bring a paddle along with me I guess just because.  Been fortunate not to have it malfunction so far.

pretty often, though just for very short periods of time:
 launches/landings, suddenly finding myself in shallows/over crab lines/etc..., and once or twice when my drive broke down.

i'd say at least make it reasonably accessible. you never know when you might need it immediately. it's snapped into the paddle holder bungee flush alongside the kayak, and isn't ever in the way of anything.

To all my kayaker friends .. I was on the spit on Saturday and Sunday3/5-6 . I think I left my fishfinder on ground of the spit. If you find it please text me..[emoji24]

To all my kayaker friends .. I was on the spit on Saturday and Sunday3/5-6 . I think I left my fishfinder on ground of the spit. If you find it please text me..[emoji24]

might want to start a new thread for this, as i'm pretty sure it'll get buried and unseen here.

I use my paddle quite a bit. I may be over protective, but I always launch and land with the drive removed and paddle in hand. There have also been days where after repetitive days of fishing the legs just wanted a break so I paddle awhile. So I keep mine in the paddle holder, even when fishing the down rigger.

Thanks for the input, folks.  It sounds like my paddle-on-the-bow plan may not be horrible.  In fact, I think it will actually be preferable for how I am going to rig my downrigger and fish finder. 

I'm thinking a length of bungee between two pad eyes forward of the hatch will hold the paddle blades down, and the shafts will go into a pair of these (http://www.amazon.com/Shoreline-Marine-Kayak-Paddle-Clips/dp/B00BNTZFC0) aft of the hatch.  For quick manuevers, like sculling over to grab something off the water or grab a buddy's boat I can just use one half in a pinch.  For planned paddle usage, like a surf landing, I can just take the time to put it together.   

I only take my drive out in big surf. Once or twice a year. Hope out when I can see bottom in about 2ft of water, pull drives and rudder and drag it up.

I keep one of these leashed to my bucket. for easy access, handy for launching and landing:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Unimar-Telescopic-Mini-Paddle/7757573?action=product_interest&action_type=title&item_id=7757573&placement_id=irs-2-m3&strategy=PWVUB&visitor_id&category=&client_guid=9a45ed71-9989-4be3-a9f1-9297ae8f1857&customer_id_enc&config_id=2&parent_item_id=16651546&parent_anchor_item_id=16651546&guid=bc31aa69-8d48-4184-a8c5-d08c5696a768&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n

I'm in the 'pull the drive' and paddle in and out through surge zone group.   Only on really good flat days do I land or launch with the drive installed.   I haven't damaged a drive yet, but I do worry about coming in fast and grinding /dragging the drive fins across some of the rocky beaches.   I have only found the side mount to get in the way once or twice, but then again I don't fish a downrigger.

Hobie sells a t-handle that turns half of a paddle into a shorter sup type paddle.  That's what I use when I know I will not be too far from shore and just need to go a few yards to a ramp or need to back out of the shallows. 

My downrigger is mounted on the right side of my Revolution, and I store my paddle on the left side.  The bungied-down paddle doesn't interfere at all with fishing or climbing back into my kayak.



The primary time I pull out my drive and use my paddle is when leaving and returning to shore or going through a surf zone.  I'm a whitewater kayaker, so if I'm out on the water and the wind and waves come up, I pull up my Mirage Drive and paddle.  If I get hit by a wave or pushed into a surf when I have a paddle in my hand, I can instantly brace, scull, rudder, backpaddle, or whatever.  If I get hit by a wave or pushed into a surf when I'm pedaling, about all I can do is make jazz hands as I topple into the water.  If the wind and water look like they're really going to get crazy, or I'm about to go through the surf, I clip on my thigh straps, which greatly increase the control I have over my kayak when paddling (they don't work as well when pedaling).

There is no reverse with a Hobie drive.  I use the paddle when I need to back out of a tight area when fishing, launching etc.  You can reverse the drive, but that's a big pain....

Several of these paddles were handed out as prizes at ORC a couple of years ago. There were a lot of snickers, but I find this paddle to be very useful in close quarters maneuvering my Hobie, and for snagging anchor ropes and fishing lines:

http://www.kayakfishinggear.com/products/backwater-paddles-assault-paddle

I carry one tucked behind my seat - it is very handy.

I use my paddle every launch and when I beach I'm to chicken to leave the drives in I did it once at WG and they got full of sand and gravel