V2 Turbo mirage drive steel mast broke
 

Hobie kayakers , consider yourself blessed if this never happened to you yet.

9am this morning, 4 miles out in La Jolla, my twin turbo power engine mirage drive broke. ( see picture)

Maybe I should buy a spare mirage drive just in case.
Paddle a Hobie kayak four miles back is no joke, and no fun.

Some will said just have a spare mast on kayak, well , not easy !
I have to use vise grip at home and spent a lot of effort just to have that broken piece out.

In picture you'll see the other rod also develop some pin holes around the stressed area, that mast is about to go soon..

That's why you bring extra parts...in your case a sprocket and a mast and tools.

Is that mast hollow? I can't tell from the picture.

From experience, lol...if you accidentally bend a fin rod, seems easy enough to just bend it right back. But you've stressed the hardened steel rod and it could break off entirely at the wrong time. Save yourself the headache and replace it as soon as you have the chance. Jim

This 2012 drive never bent before, always taken out b4 landing, always rinse off at the the beach.

Salt water + 4 years+ my super strong legs = broken mast :D

Time to put together a repair kit...it's like having a spare tire for your car

Not hollow, solid stainless steel. $23 plus tax plus shipping each single mast.

:auto:Good idea, mast with sprocket pre installed.
Just need to hammer out the spine rod with all the needed tools.

And wish the sea is flat , you don't spill the "Glide Technology" ABS rollers all over the place....

That mast rod was damaged before hand. It just happend to break all the way through while you we're on the water. First time I have heard of someone breaking it. Especially so high up near the spine. I've never had one break like that, or anywhere. But plenty of crank arms. Glad Hobie finally resolved that issue from 2014.

solid stainless with pitting, looks like a manufacturing flaw to me.

stainless can pit with sand and salt build up. not in the manufacturing process. it was just wear and tear. i would asume you put in 30 days a year?

i just installed the turbo fins, and i put a little anti seize marine grease mix down the mast as i had light rusting.

Yep. If you have any kind of pitting it creates a weak spot, then the constant minor flexing as you pedal creates a crack at the weak spot...the crack propagates until failure occurs. I think I will check mine for pitting.

Yes, I put in more than 30 days a year in salt water.

To be safe, I think inspect your mast every year for pitted/rusted area is a good measure, replace them if you found them near the same spot I broke mine.

Unless you have a Hobie Adventure/ Revo 16, all the rest is not really designed for paddle, especially Pro Angler 14.