Feedback needed re: Adventure Island
 

Hey everyone, I recently tried out sailing on my hobie revo and had such a good time I practically didn't fish. Since then I can't stop thinking about getting into an Adventure Island. It seems like the perfect fishing/sailing platform.

My impression is that I'll still be able to do all the same things I was doing in the revo, plus go further off shore, or sail around to the PL kelp.

The big problem is that I'm on a budget and only the older used boats are within my price range. So for those of you with experience on the AI or TI, what's your thoughts on them? Do you still own a smaller boat for getting out in a hurry if you don't want to fool with the bigger one? Do you miss anything? Or is the AI just as mind blowing as it seems from all the YouTube videos I've been watching...


:kayak-surfer:

AI
 

warburto...don't wait...get the AI...even the older boats are a blast to sail and fish from. I was out on Thursday trolling with the sail for some nice big 5 and 6 pound Bonito. There is a learning curve to get the sail released and rolled up each time you hookup a fish...kinda like patting your head and rubbing your belly...it take a little coordination and practice. It was really fun sitting on the trampoline with my feet on the ama (outrigger) and fighting the fish. The AI is so stable you can dance on the trampolines. I've got mine rigged out with a 7" Lowrance, bait tank, and all the regular fishing stuff...Rail Blaza makes a pretty good rod holder that mounts on the akas.
The downside is it does take a few extra minutes to set up and rig...but in my opinion it's well worth it...there's nothing like peddling out in the morning then hauling ass back in with the sail in the afternoon!
The other downside is that it's so much fun to sail that I sometimes forget I'm out there to catch some dinner...and I just enjoy sailing.
It's super easy to sail...I went out with my wife for about 15 minutes to show her how to operate the boat and now she wants to get her own AI...it's that much fun!
Yes I still have a PA and Outback to fish from with-out the set-up hassle on those days when you only have a couple of hours to fish....so I'd advise keeping that Revo if you can afford it.
I don't miss anything...there is so much room and stability on the AI.
OK...that's MHO...of the AI.
If you are in the Redondo/Palos Verdes area please let me know, and if it works out, maybe you can try my AI.

AI video
 

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uIq9awVId78" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

AI hooping'
 

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YBSRafge480" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

pics
 

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/P7010293.jpg

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/IMG_6760.JPG

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/IMG_6755.JPG

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/P1210228.JPG

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/P1210208.JPG

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/GOPR1325.jpg

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/P1210201.JPG

Well?
 

Well...?
Are you sold on the AI yet? :confused: :) :) :)

LOL, you were one of my original inspirations for even looking at them in the first place. Yeah I'm sold. Now it's just how much of a hole I want to dig in my bank account.

Thanks for the enthusiastic reply! Haha, still laughing about how many posts you put up.

lol after seeing Jim's AI I instantly had kayak envy.

So when you are primarily in sailing mode, do you just lock the peddles back, or do you remove them entirely?



One of these days I will have one also - primarily to sail with...

[QUOTE=Baja_Traveler;267362]So when you are primarily in sailing mode, do you just lock the peddles back, or do you remove them entirely?

You can just leave the drive in, it acts as a second dagger board. If you can swing it, I suggest getting a 2015 or 16 because of the increased volume, sail size and seat. Also the newer one is a bit more stable without the amas, I can even stand on it in calm water. If not, the classic version is still great and at it's core, is an adventure kayak so you can always use that by itself.

For fishing the AI with paddle(amas in the way?)/pedal/sail the AI is very versatile and even light enough to car-top. It's still a slow sailboat though, and I don't know why people would buy one if sailing is their main concern. Plenty of AI and TI submarine vids around. But, as an extended distance kayak it's pretty neat.

Pedals
 

One of the fun things about the AI is the pedal system...you can peddle out in the am when it's flat then sail back in when the wind picks up...the other is the acceleration you can get out of the peddles as you tack.
There are a lot of faster sail boats but none that are as easy or fun to fish from.

If you ain't got one get one
Then post more reports and pics on it
More people that get em and post
More people I get to live through

So that's why I never see small sailboats out on the bay... :rolleyes:

Speed isn't everything my friend.

But you are correct in that for what an AI costs you could pick up a very nice Catamaran if sailing was the only goal...

This is something I've been thinking about quite a bit. I used to sail a Hobie 16 with my old man and I keep coming back to the price. For the price of a used AI I could get a mint Hobie or other sailing cat. But when we sailed the cat, that was all we did, and I had to hang on for deal life because he liked to sail everywhere with one hull out of the water. Fishing off a sailing cat doesn't seem all that fun to me, and I would be very skeptical of one in rough seas.

The AI/TI seems like it would actually be a more stable platform (but not as dry) for fishing and travelling in mixed seas.

The big thing for me is that I want to do both. I want to sail AND fish at the same time. So far the AI seems to fit the bill pretty tightly. But the wifey is asking me why I don't just put the little inflatable sidekicks on my Revo and shut up already about the AI... She's no fun!

Well, it's been a crazy month. I ended up buying two AI's. First I bought an older boat that needed some work. And then right as I was finishing up the resto on the older boat, a newer boat came on the market that was exactly what I wanted, so I bought that too!

I'm going to be selling the older boat in a few weeks, after I take a bunch of friends sailing.

But here's a pic of the new boat. It's pretty sweet.

Sweet looking warburto.
Do you cartop or trailer it ?

I'm car-topping it for now. But it's a beast. I need a PVC crutch to lift one end of it onto the cradles.

I have the old AI with side handle, find it hard to car top alone sometimes.
How do you manage to handle it when there is no side handle?

I'm actually car topping a 2010 AI and the 2015 AI at the same time. I have two kayak cradles and all the amas go in the middle between the cradles. The backs of the cradles keep the amas corralled. Then the 2010 AI I can hoist by myself over my head and onto the car. But the 2015 AI I can't lift. So I made a 1 1/2" PVC bracket that fits over the end of the rack and goes to the ground. This allows me to wheel the boat over next to the car, lift the rear onto the PVC bracket, then (while holding the boat in place) move to the front and hoist the front into the front cradle. Then I come back to the back and lift the rear into the rear cradle.

It's not easy, and takes about 40 minutes to load both boats. Right now I'm wishing I had a trailer, but I'm thinking it will be simpler when I'm just running the boat in adventure mode (no amas or sail).

Wow...my back is hurting already reading that. Thanks.

What happens if you hook a big fish and he takes off around the AI- seems like the Pantoons will be a hindrance?

You can collapse the amas while fighting a fish. I prefer the TI, for in the back seat you can land a fish without collapsing the amas. Unless alone and a really big fish, then again collapse an ama.

Yes, it is. The newer AI's are supposed to be unreal. But the older TI's are also. It's nice to be able to take out an extra passenger or more storage space when solo.
If you got the space, look for an older TI, can always upgrade the seat to an Attwood, which I prefer over the newer Vantage seats.

I keep around a Revolution 11. Love it for short hops, easy to load in my car hatchback or truck. Can usually manhandle for launching.

Sorry, should have read the entire thread first. Congratulations. Yes, a trailer is your friend. When you getting a motor for that bad boy? :cheers1:

Interestingly enough, the two times I've been out with friends, they've had no problem keeping up with me in the older AI (2010). I was expecting to just smoke them, but the two boats seem to be pretty evenly matched in open water. But this might be because I'm a lousy sailor.

I'd been shopping for a while and really really wanted a TI, and would have settled for an older one too, but never saw one come up in my price range.

I had to sell my Revo 13 to fund the new boat, but I still have a little paddle kayak that I can use for dinking around.

The AI is a fun boat to sail. And with the ammas out its stable enough to walk all over. Dispite having basically no place to put your feet. As a fishing boat it's not great. Ive found when in sail configuration there is always some thing in the way. The best AI set up for fishing for me was to have just one amma n no sail.

Can't call it an actual negative cause it is what it is. But the AI is a massive rig when the ammas are on. Loading n unloading the rigged boat is a work out. And if taken down the set up takes a bit of time on the beach. Surf launch n landings can be anxiety inducing to say the least. I landed on a very crowded summer day. After waiting maybe 10 minutes for a wide enough gap to put the AI thru I ended up standing on the yak, blowing a whistle, and gesticulating to the rental yakkers to clear a lane.

The AI isn't the only reason the roof under my racks are completely rusted out but carrying that massive yak seriously over weighted the mounts. A trailer or full truck rack would be best.

Every yak has plusses n minuses. The AI is a great boat if you want to greatly extend your range. Not so good for surf launches. Just my opinions here. Mike

You're on point there, Mike. It's too much to car-top, but I'm doing it anyway until I can get a trailer sorted. So far I've been primarily sailing it, and fishing (trolling) as an afterthought. The sailing has been fun! We sailed from Mission Bay to San Diego Bay in 3 hours the other day. Rounding the point the wind picked up and the boats really started moving! The funny thing about sailing to weather is how wet the ride is. It's like having someone throw a bucket of water at you every 30 seconds. I was completely soaked from head to toe.

If and when I go back to LJ, I'm planning to run just the hull with no amas. Even one ama seems like too much gear to pack. I haven't had it out just the hull, but I'm hoping that it will basically be like an overgrown Revolution.

My daughter insisted I include a :wsb:

You're right about getting wet. Being so low to the water is feels like every splash ends up in your face.
The AI with no ammas is a good boat. It's long n fast, but not too stable.

I took my AI out at the shores 4 times. 3 of the 4 trips the wind didn't blow hard enough to give me the "free ride" back that I hoped for. The trip I did get to sail back was super fun. There was a good WSW blowing so I was able to run the fastest tack all the way back from the NW corner. The best part was that the wind direction allowed it to wrap around the point in to the cove. So I was able to keep on the same optimal tack thru a greater than 90° turn. About 1/2 way thru the turn I cleared the point. The wind actually increased while the chop was cut off. It felt like when you're water skiing around the outside of a sharp turn and going much faster than the boat. Never felt any thing close to it. Draw back was that a life guard chased me down on a jet ski cause I was to close to the swimming area. Mike

AI hooping'
 

Fishing while sitting on the trampolines with your feet on the amas is really comfortable and fun...landing a fish is a blast on the tramps. It's too much trouble for me to swing in one of the amas especially when trolling...it's enough work just stopping the boat and furling the sail while reaching for the rod.
Warburto...I like using the Rail Blaza starport holders and ama mounts for the AI they work pretty good for additional rod holders.
The trailer works great for the AI and the PA...
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/IMG_7742.jpg

I took both up to the Sierras recently and I used the AI with out the alas and amas for most of the trip...it paddled and peddled really well and...it turns on a dime with that big old sailing rudder.
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...0/IMG_7883.jpg
Without the tramps and the amas there really isn't a whole lot of room on the deck of the AI. I added the 1 1/2" Ram mounts to the front aka tube...one for the Lowrance 7" and the other for a Ram tube rod holder. It's really hard to get those Ram holders to tighten up enough for a good trolling hit but it's the easiest way to mount an extra holder.
The AI isn't for everyone but I've found it to be a fun and versatile fishing kayak!:cheers1: