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When Hobie introduced the peddle drive to kayaks, they released the genie in the bottle. Several other manufacturers either have peddle products currently available or about to be released.
This month's Popular Science has a page devoted to kayak fishing which features something called the Mariner 12.5 from Propel. It is a peddle kayak with a propeller. Unlike previous models from this manufacturer, this is not a glorified canoe with a peddle drive. It is a sit-on-top kayak that they claim is designed for fishing, although probably for lakes and rivers, not what we do.
The propeller drive has some advantages such as being able to go in reverse. It would probably be a real pain in the kelp, however. Having never had the chance to try this technology, I can only guess.
I have a Revo and am very happy with it. That said, Hobies are not without a few warts. I look forward to other manufacturers pushing the envelope a bit which will lead to improvements in technology that everyone can enjoy.
Bob
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