Not your ordinary Kayak questions - advice needed please

[Hatetangles]

Hi all ,

I've just bought myself a Hobie Compass kayak (yet to pick it up) and i have a few queries i was hoping someone could give me guidance on ,

1.I'm car topping it on a Mazda CX 5 , would you think it would be necessary to have a tie down from the bow of the kayak to somewhere under the bonnet?

2.lets say the wind is minimal, what do you think is the max safe speed to be driving with it strapped while on the freeway without it being ripped off the roof? (god please forbid that from happening!).

3.I haven't decided on the cart type yet, the Trax 2 sand cart has been recommended I I don't like it because it looks big and bulky), I will be fishing around Westernport area around the Flinders /Shoreham possibly Balnarring side and plan to also go along the beach near Portsea pier , maybe Black rock area, maybe Altona area, Princes Pier pylons, maybe Philip island area etc, I cant see myself walking it that far from the car to the water, I was thinking the Hobie Trax 2 Sand is overkill? so i was leaning towards the Hobie heavy duty cart if i can get away with it? because mainly its less bulky, but i will go off advice given.

4. Rod holders. i have no idea about which ones to get. I think its safe to say i would want at least 1 for each side, from what i can tell the Railblaza Rod Holder 2 with round star port is the way to go ?

5.I would like to be able to trawel using the 2 built in rod inserts at the back. My query is would anyone know how good a fit that will be when the rods are in ?i wouldn't want any play /and or risk having the rods fall out, would i need to buy some rod holder tube extensions?

6. I was reading the manual online, and the manual recommends a safety leash for the mirage drive, i guess for when you take the drive out and use the paddle, so you dont lose the drive (pretty good idea actually) what sort of leash and how to connect it i wonder ? perhaps the retailer could better show and answer that one for me,

That's all the questions i have for now ,
any advice would be well appreciated as i am just starting this kayak fishing journey of mine so this is all new to me !

[Sebb]

1. If you got proper roof rack and to secure it, you don't have to. But better/safer if you do.
2. Few times I drove my car with one and two kayaks on the roof rack, freeway doing 100kmh for 2-3 hrs and okay. Depends on how secure it is I guess.
3. The one that's like a baloon is good for sand, even in such short distance. Other wheels can dig into the sand and you'll end ip dragging instead of wheeling. And it's tough. But the baloon wheels aren't as good on hard ground, e.g. asphalt from/to the car. I personally think the baloon is better because it is extremely hard when using other wheels and dragging into the sand.
4. Few options, but railblaza and scotty are common. You cam change siff accessories etc with the same port thing.
5. Its not a boat, you wont be bouncing up and down that hard, the rods wont fly out. You won't be out when its super choppy anyway. My general rule is offshore wind, less than 20kmh.
6. Any leash or specific for them. Always good idea to be ready. Practice first with someone, and start simple (dont bring too many stuff), practice re entry. Learn wind and forecast etc. Be careful of wind change, Melbourne is famous for it. Have proper live vest, etc. Do some research on safety.
If you're planning to anchor, do some research on anchor trolley, and how to anchor. Clip anchor is also good for lile princess pier pylons, instead of the usual anchor, you just clip yourself to a pylon.

[mazman]

For point 5 the issue isn't rods coming out of holders and more so reels getting a lot of salt spray and rods in an area where it is more difficult to see them and reach them

[Hatetangles]

1. If you got proper roof rack and to secure it, you don't have to. But better/safer if you do.
2. Few times I drove my car with one and two kayaks on the roof rack, freeway doing 100kmh for 2-3 hrs and okay. Depends on how secure it is I guess.
3. The one that's like a baloon is good for sand, even in such short distance. Other wheels can dig into the sand and you'll end ip dragging instead of wheeling. And it's tough. But the baloon wheels aren't as good on hard ground, e.g. asphalt from/to the car. I personally think the baloon is better because it is extremely hard when using other wheels and dragging into the sand.
4. Few options, but railblaza and scotty are common. You cam change siff accessories etc with the same port thing.
5. Its not a boat, you wont be bouncing up and down that hard, the rods wont fly out. You won't be out when its super choppy anyway. My general rule is offshore wind, less than 20kmh.
6. Any leash or specific for them. Always good idea to be ready. Practice first with someone, and start simple (dont bring too many stuff), practice re entry. Learn wind and forecast etc. Be careful of wind change, Melbourne is famous for it. Have proper live vest, etc. Do some research on safety.
If you're planning to anchor, do some research on anchor trolley, and how to anchor. Clip anchor is also good for lile princess pier pylons, instead of the usual anchor, you just clip yourself to a pylon.

Thanks Sebb for the advice & sharing your experience! I have done a bit of research on trolley anchor systems but I'm not getting the anchor trolley system just yet , i will hold off on that for when i believe it would be beneficial based on target species and fishing location /tidal flow etc.
I like how you said the kayak is not a boat ! especially when every hobie video I've watched and even the retailer referred to it as a boat which i thought was a bit over the top (must be a US thing LOL).
Any recommendation for storage when not in use ? Im planning to sit it on 2 x padded tressels in the garage away from sunlight which i watched a video on and was suggested that was all good..

[Hatetangles]

For point 5 the issue isn't rods coming out of holders and more so reels getting a lot of salt spray and rods in an area where it is more difficult to see them and reach them

Thanks Mazman , yeah i was thinking about that actually, will i actually be physically be able to turn around and grab the rod out of that pocket ? you would have to think so ? although when i inspected the kayak it did seem like the seat was forward of the halfway mark....Il be well disappointed if i cant reach em...wait and see i guess

[Sebb]

Thanks Sebb for the advice & sharing your experience! I have done a bit of research on trolley anchor systems but I'm not getting the anchor trolley system just yet , i will hold off on that for when i believe it would be beneficial based on target species and fishing location /tidal flow etc.
I like how you said the kayak is not a boat ! especially when every hobie video I've watched and even the retailer referred to it as a boat which i thought was a bit over the top (must be a US thing LOL).
Any recommendation for storage when not in use ? Im planning to sit it on 2 x padded tressels in the garage away from sunlight which i watched a video on and was suggested that was all good..

Haha yeah, US thing to call kayak aa a boat.
Low wind and low tide means no need for anchor, hence no need for anchor trolley.
But when you get anchor one day, make sure you get anchor trolley too. Make it easier to have the anchor up front or rearm never anchor on the side. You'll get side swell and can flip, etc.

I put mine in the garage. Wheels on. Bench and or rubber mats from kmart. That's it. Not sideways btw.

And if you're getting a net, get long handle net. Makes it easier to net, because you don't have to bend the rod too much.

[Tim399]

I agree with both Mazman and Sebbs advice.
Personally I prefer the Scotty rod holders, I have found them to be very rigid and easy to adjust. I have had a ram style holder slip downward when getting a run from a large snapper, nearly pulling the rod out of the holder once the holder angled downward. This may have been user error in my early days, with the drag set fairly tight. After changing holders to Scotty I haven’t had any issues. I still use a ram holder for my sounder.
Tethering the seat is also worth considering, I have seen someone roll a Hobie and lost the seat due to it not being clipped in properly - a $600 part to replace. Just to make this more confusing be mindful of how much equipment you tether, as getting tangled in tethers if you roll the kayak will be less than ideal. For this reason I run cheaper combos on the kayak that won’t hurt so much if I roll it and lose them.

[Hatetangles]

Thanks Sebb for the advice & sharing your experience! I have done a bit of research on trolley anchor systems but I'm not getting the anchor trolley system just yet , i will hold off on that for when i believe it would be beneficial based on target species and fishing location /tidal flow etc.
I like how you said the kayak is not a boat ! especially when every hobie video I've watched and even the retailer referred to it as a boat which i thought was a bit over the top (must be a US thing LOL).
Any recommendation for storage when not in use ? Im planning to sit it on 2 x padded tressels in the garage away from sunlight which i watched a video on and was suggested that was all good..

Haha yeah, US thing to call kayak aa a boat.
Low wind and low tide means no need for anchor, hence no need for anchor trolley.
But when you get anchor one day, make sure you get anchor trolley too. Make it easier to have the anchor up front or rearm never anchor on the side. You'll get side swell and can flip, etc.

I put mine in the garage. Wheels on. Bench and or rubber mats from kmart. That's it. Not sideways btw.

And if you're getting a net, get long handle net. Makes it easier to net, because you don't have to bend the rod too much.

Will do thanks again !

[Hatetangles]

I agree with both Mazman and Sebbs advice.
Personally I prefer the Scotty rod holders, I have found them to be very rigid and easy to adjust. I have had a ram style holder slip downward when getting a run from a large snapper, nearly pulling the rod out of the holder once the holder angled downward. This may have been user error in my early days, with the drag set fairly tight. After changing holders to Scotty I haven’t had any issues. I still use a ram holder for my sounder.
Tethering the seat is also worth considering, I have seen someone roll a Hobie and lost the seat due to it not being clipped in properly - a $600 part to replace. Just to make this more confusing be mindful of how much equipment you tether, as getting tangled in tethers if you roll the kayak will be less than ideal. For this reason I run cheaper combos on the kayak that won’t hurt so much if I roll it and lose them.

Thanks Tim, il certainly check out the Scottie holders!

[Andrews]

Surprised I missed, this post - I also picked up a Hobie Compass in late Aug, and can share my experience so far!

I run a smaller car, a Kia Rio with Rhino Rack roof racks. I ratchet the kayak to the roof racks facing upwards, then excess straps are tied to the grab handle on the inside of the car. This was the recommended tie down by the dealer, they advised that a tie down to the bonnet was not necessary. I drive a very short distance at low speeds, rather than a highway, etc.

I have the Hobie Trax 2 which the sand wheels, this works great on the sand - though I'm covering such a short distance <100m.

Initial experience is that I like the railblaza rod holders, but can't comment on the other options with limited experience, etc.
I run one either side of the kayak.

I couldn't recommend tying this down highly enough, they're not only for safety but also security.
- Mirage Drive, on the backside of the mirage drive there is a loop section which is an anchor point. I have mine tied down with a small stainless carabiner connected via paracord to a bungee loop which is cinched down with a cable tie to the front plastic cleat. This gives me enough movement remove the drive, and place it on the kayak while secure.
- Seat, double aluminum carabiners connected with paracord, clipped from the back of the seat to the bottom pad-eye loop.
- Paddle, hobie leash from the middle of the paddle to the underseat pad-eye loop.
- Rod Leashes, testing these out soon, running from around the reel mount with carabiner to either of my BerleyPro pockets. Seeing what is the best for movement mounting (attached on closest edge, or furtherest away from seat) for mobility and the bungee not getting in the way.

Storage
The dealers AWS and SHL recommended storing face up, with a padded material placed under.
I went to bunnings and picked up those solid rubber home gym mats x4 and have them under the kayak. Seems to work well and is a big tougher than other materials.

Net
I went the Berkley catch and release telescopic, needed the extra length. Need to test that it floats, if not mod to float.