Yesterday we tested three different “flipper” drives in the Prototype Pedal Drive Canoe. The first one is a generic copy of the older Hobie design that is no longer under patent protection. At less than half the price of a newer Hobie Mirage drive it’s definitely tempting, but there is a massive difference in speed/efficiency between this and the newer Hobie designs. It feels draggy and is significantly slower than the other models we tested.
Next up was the standard Hobie Mirage Drive with kick up fins. This drive was both faster and took the least amount of effort to pedal.
Lastly, we tested the Mirage Drive 180, which is basically the same mechanism with the ability to also go in reverse. I purchased this one with the turbo fins to get a sense of the difference in performance from different fin sizes. The turbo fins are noticeably harder to push so you end up pedaling slower for the same speed. Overall, the effort is similar it’s just a different cadence. The big fins give a little bit more push at the extreme top end, but this also comes at a cost of increased drag overall.
Between the three drives, I have zero interest in the original mirage design, it feels like it might actually take more energy to push than using a paddle. On the other hand, the newer Hobie design is amazing, just incredible speed for the effort. And between the turbo fence and the standard fence, I’m gonna have to spend a lot more time with both of them to decide which one I like better.
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