To Turbo or not to Turbo

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I am heading into the third season riding my beloved Revo. I know it may sound lame but for the first two years I got by using the stock Hobie fins. Fortunately, Santa took care of that problem this year.

Most people dump their stock fins right away. I don't have a good excuse for waiting so long but that is now old news. Today was my first day out with the turbo set up and I have some observations to share.

When many people talk about the benefit of using turbo fins, the conversation usually centers around the increased speed they supply. This is true. I can go about two, maybe three MPH faster with the turbos than with the stock fins but that is not the whole story.

With the stock fins I could peddle at full speed for miles without getting too worn out. With the turbo fins, the energy consumption when going hard is much higher, more like running uphill or against a strong wind. I can go faster but probably not farther. As I get used to the more powerful engine, I am sure that I will adjust somewhat.

From my experience, the real beauty of the turbo fins is how easy they make slow cruising. I peddled around for hours today holding a pace of about 2 MPH and never got the slightest bit tired. It was a different story while doing my sprint tests, however. Trolling, even against a current or strong wind will definately be easier with the turbo setup.

So should everyone get the turbo fins? I would say the answer is yes for anyone who fishes or cruises the ocean or other large expanses of water. For small water activities, the benefits may not be worth the extra $80 bucks. As for me, I am a happy camper. I should have done this long ago.

Bob