NEW! HOBIE MIRAGE i12s INFLATABLE PEDALING KAYAK New Model! Be the FIRST to Own This Innovative Kayak! Start Price USD 1,799.00 Current Price USD 1,799.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, June 28, 2008 End Time Tuesday, July 08, 2008 Location Sunny South Florida See more about 'NEW! HOBIE MIRAGE i12s INFLATABLE PEDALING KAYAK' Description Hobie Mirage i12s Inflatable Pedaling Kayakwith Paddle and Seat You are buying a Hobie Mirage i12s Inflatable Pedaling Kayak with Paddle and Seat This kayak is BRAND NEW. Colors available: (please specify at time of ordering). Presenting the all new i-Series—combining the Hobie MirageDrive within an innovative hull—its patent pending design will redefine how the world views inflatable kayaks. This 12 foot single is perfect for those who are short on room and storage. It packs nicely within its own rolling travel bag, so it can fit in the trunk of your car, on your boat, in your RV—you can even take it on the plane for your next vacation (airline charges may apply). Optional accessories include; a Sail Package, Cup Holder, Rod/Accessory Holder and Plug-in Cart. Powered by the Patented MirageDrive system, paddling meets pedaling. The Mirage has won several awards for its design. The single passenger Hobie Mirage i12s is kayaking, improved. Bringing speed and fun to a river or lake near you. Features: >> MirageDrive pedaling system <<>> Hand-controlled rudder with kick-up feature <<>> Self-draining cockpit scuppers <<>> 8" Twist-n-Seal hatch in forward storage area << >> Deluxe 4-piece paddle with on-deck storage location <<>> Hand pump << >> Rolling travel bag << Options:>> Plug-in Kayak Cart <<>> Sail Kit <<>> Anchor system <<  Kayak Specifications: Length Width Weight Mirage Drive Weight Capacity 12' 36 53 6.6 500 (ft) (inches) (pounds) (pounds) (pounds)     We are excited about kayaking and want to share it with you! Included with this purchase is a free kayaking skills class taught by one of our ACA Certified instructors here in sunny South Florida Buy in confidence. Adventure Times cares about our customers. SHIPPING: We carefully wrap and protect your shipment with expert care. Kayak can be picked up from our N. Palm Beach store location; or shipping is $79 to a nonresidential business address in the lower 48. Residential delivery in the lower 48 is $99.    If the kayak you are purchasing is in our inventory we can ship within 3 business days. Transit times vary based on destination.  If it happens to be out of stock please specify your color choice at time of  your order. We recieve new inventory on a regular basis and we will notify you when your kayak arrives at our shop. As soon as it arrives we will prepare and package it to ship to you. We are a highly knowledgeable kayak shop, and would love to answer your questions andevaluate your needs to help guide you into making the right choice.Please call or email us for any help. 1-888-KAYAK-FL Hobie Mirage Designer, Greg Ketterman Revolutionary new propulsion system Pedal driven Hands-free kayaking Adjustable mechanism accommodates a wide size range of pedalers Durable construction of injection molded plastics, anodized aluminum, stainless steel fittings Self-cleaning mechanism (resists wear from sand and other particles) Easily removable for transport and storage  How does it work?To better understand how the MirageDrive works under water, look at this picture directly below. In this image, the boat would be moving to the left.   See how the MirageDrive "sails" flex and take the shape of a propeller blade then reverse their shape on the opposite stroke. This sweeping action (versus a complete revolution as with a standard propeller) allows the MirageDrive to utilize large, powerful blades in a shallower configuration.You can also use very short strokes, with the blades against the hull, to propel the boat through shallow water. The blades can be "tucked up" against the hull for beach landings. The MirageDrive is easily and quicklyinstalled or removed, is lightweight,extremely durable, and fully adjustableto fit many sizes of pedalers. Let's get technical...Benefits of the Hobie MirageDrive mechanism... >>Eliminates drip from a paddle.>>The larger muscles in our legs produce more powerful propulsion versus a paddle kayak.>>Leaves hands free for fishing, photography or holding a drink.>>Correct paddle usage requires training and practice.>>Your feet rest naturally on the pedals, and can move back and forth quickly and effortlessly.>>The MirageDrive is quiet and creates no splash. PerformanceThe Hobie MirageDrive propels the boat easily and smoothly, and reaches hull speed with minimal effort. It also generates significant static thrust. In a "tug-of-war" between a single Hobie Mirage and a tandem paddled kayak, the Hobie Mirage won hands-down (pun intended). Check out the video below! EfficiencyEven we were surprised at the efficiency of the MirageDrive. In a test to compare the efficiency of the MirageDrive, we measured the heart rates of several kayakers at varying speeds in several paddled kayak models. In every case, the heart rate-or effort expended to maintain a particular speed-was three to ten percent less for pedaling versus paddling. Translation? The MirageDrive converts the effort of the human body into forward thrust more efficiently than a paddle! Allow us to explain.The MirageDrive creates less turbulence in water. This becomes apparent when you compare the wake of a Hobie Mirage to the wake of a paddled kayak. With each stroke of the paddle, you'll see two vortices, or whirlpools, on the surface of the water. These vortices are connected underwater, and there is considerable energy in these rotating masses of water. There are vortices in the wake of the MirageDrive, but since the MirageDrive acts on a much larger volume of water, they are much smaller and therefore contain less energy. To create forward thrust on the water, a boat must move water backward. It can either move a little water quickly, or a lot of water slowly. The key to efficiency is to move a lot of water slowly with the least amount of turbulence. The volume of water that the MirageDrive acts upon is approximately proportionate to the area that the fins sweep in one cycle, or about 226 square inches. The volume of water that a paddle acts upon depends on the type of stroke. A basic stroke would act upon a volume of water proportionate to the area of the paddle, or about 90 square inches. This is just a fraction of the area "swept out" by the MirageDrive, which explains the difference in efficiency. Why not use a propeller?>> Human-powered propeller drives are typically smaller and therefore less efficient. We compared the performance of the MirageDrive to a propeller drive, and found the MirageDrive to be faster and more efficient.>>Studies on tuna and penguins show that oscillating foils such as the MirageDrive are more efficient than propellers. Oscillating foils can make use of vortices that are naturally shed from anything going through the water to offset the vortices that would normally be generated by fins. This equates to less turbulence in the water.>>The MirageDrive fins "feather" into the flow when not pedaling and create very little drag; a propeller creates significant drag when it is not spinning.>>The back-and-forth motion of the pedals provides a long, smooth stroke. Pedals that go in circles on a boat have a much different feel than pedals on a bike. On a boat, there are portions of a circular motion that are more difficult, so the cycle is not smooth.>>The back-and-forth motion allows the pedals to be positioned much lower in the cockpit.>>The MirageDrive allows any length of stroke desired, and performs well with both short and long strokes.>>The pedals easily adjust to accommodate different size pedalers.>>The oscillating motion allows the use of a simple chain and cable system that is unaffected by sand and dirt, without the use of complicated seals.>>The fins shed seaweed because they do not make a full rotation.>>The MirageDrive fins fold up next to the hull for beaching and in shallow water by simply putting one foot forward. Place a Bid!