Hobie iTrek 9 (iTrek9) inflatable SUP/Kayak review

[@caroad2008]

2021 iTrek9 is a good investment. It appreciated 10% in 2022 already.

[@ericklein5878]

Thanks for the review. Got mine the other day. Like the kayak, the pump(s) not so much.

[@Dasato123]

I have 3 ideas on how you could maintain steering in 4 shallow water. 1) First, I’ve never seen one of these in person so this idea may be shot down immediately. It looks like the rudder is spring loaded. My guess is it acts like Hobie kick up fins when it hits the bottom but in this case just bounces along the bottom. If my assumption is true you could make a keel guard for the front of the rudder and just let it hit the shallow bottom and maintain steering that way since the rudder moves side to side regardless of its orientation. Noise might scare fish though. 2) The rudder is sandwiched between two vertical pieces of plastic I’ll call the housing. To the outside of this housing you could attach by glue, bolts or screws; I can’t say which unless I see it in person, a rudder that is longer in the horizontal. Leave you stock rudder in the up position in shallow water. The housing piviots even when the rudder is in the up position so this should work although you would probably find the steering handle harder to move since the longer rudder provides a leverage disadvantage to the steering controls. Another disadvantage would be that with the stock rudder down you’d have greater drag plus greater resistance in the steering control. On the other hand if you think it turns sharply now imagine how it would turn with twice the rudder surface area. 3) This one depends on your shop skills. You could make a “L” shaped replacement rudder. Your stock rudder is “I” shaped. I am calling the part of the rudder that is sandwiched between the two “housing” plates the shaft. Think of a rudder with a shaft that extends 3-4 inches under water then angles 90 degrees horizontally rearward. Like a “L”. I’d make prototypes out of thin plywood first to get the performance right. You could then make it out of sheet aluminum or plastic sheet like “King Starboard”. This method would have the advantage of not adding drag and still being able to retract the rudder if needed. The steering controls might still feel added resistance though. Wish I could illustrate these ideas with pictures but hopefully these descriptions are enough to illustrate my ideas.

[@fishhunter1566]

Thank you for taking the time to think about this and write this post. It has turned out to be a non issue really. I address it a little in my 4 mo review. I just leave it down and it kicks up as much or as little as needed. Thanks again.

[@mikeadams5111]

Great review and no music (big +)!

[@phillipjacobson4457]

There are some( flexible ) glue on short skegs available but once you glue them on, there on. I have a star rival. And I am considering installing these skegs to help with the little side to side tracking swing I get from paddling with a paddle. I am not sure how much the extra skegs will help out. I did swap the stock skeg for a longer shark fin 9" skeg. That drops into the clip style fin box and the longer one dose create better tracking. But I fish on lake over 300 ft deep. When I beach the board it can get in sand or rocks depending on depth of drop off in that area of landing. But 9" isn't bad. I can get in hydrilla weeds other boats cant.

[@fishhunter1566]

once i discovered i can just leave the rudder down and let it spring up when the water gets shallow, im not sure i need a skeg, but i thought hard about it initially

[@BoomVang]

Most cons are fixable, with cash or improvisation. Can buy 180 drive and sell yours, once the supply chain gets normalized. Can get a piston pump like a Sevylor which will be slow, or a pricey hybrid turbine/piston. May need an adaptor valve. Can improvise attachments for a larger beach chair or inflatable seat. More on Hobie forum.

[@fishhunter1566]

Ha! I suspect enough cash does fix most issues with most things. ;p I guess i might be insinuating that i shouldn't need to "fix" anything on a brand new boat...i.e., these are issues that should not be present on this current product and should be resolved for future versions. E.g., I already have a solid high pressure electric pump for a different product, but this "premium" Hobie inflatable product should not come with a $25 dollar electric pump (www.shaboomee.com/misc/bravo-electric-12v-car-charger-pump). Just one person's opinion.

[@BoomVang]

@@fishhunter1566 I prefer the simplicity and cheapness of non 180 drive and no hybrid pump. Hobie has only included manual pumps in the past and my dozen or so other watercraft have only come with manual. I have a new design of a manual that is revolutionary and easy, with a high volume piston wrapped around a high pressure one, but I haven't seen that sold separately. I have a hybrid electric only worth the trouble for my big 4 person inflatables. Hobies seats may be uncomfy since they are designed to fit in the bag.

[@arman757]

Saw one for the first time in a shop last week, first impression was paddle board with a seat and mirage drive

[@fishhunter1566]

that is accurate. I would have bought a regular paddle board, a seat, and a paddle if i could have found a very short and very wide inflatable paddle board. I couldn't at the time. Now, having used the mirage drive, i am happy i went with this.

[@snakeplisken4278]

Use the paddle to reverse or turn the mirage drive around. it works.

[@fishhunter1566]

i got a 180 spine and converted...

[@renharvey7984]

Thank you for this video! I would like to get a better pump like you have… could you help lead me on what one you got?

[@fishhunter1566]

i got a high pressure 12V pump from west marine, but there are many out there that may be "better" for one reason or another. www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--12v-electric-inflator-pump-4-3-cfm--19941368?recordNum=55

[@raychoi4994]

A question about single blade paddle? How easy is it to paddle it when you sit on the kayak? Thanks

[@fishhunter1566]

Not very... I use a kayak paddle.

[@ShazBookOwl]

Thanks for sharing. My question regards the deflating and repacking process. How does that go, e.g. does it deflate easy, fold up and fit well back into its bag? Cheers

[@fishhunter1566]

so i plan to nearly never deflate this thing actually. as such i don't have a lot of experience here. i have deflated it once. i found it to be slower than expected (expected air to rush out and leave a limp empty sup almost immediately). Did not happen. In fact, I ended up using the pump on the "suction" setting and sucking the air out. In the end though, with the suction mode, you can deflate this to contain almost zero air. Didn't try to put it back in the bag, but the bag does have a handy diagram of how Hobie thinks it should be folded on the inside of the bag.

[@ShazBookOwl]

@@fishhunter1566 Thanks for the heads up. Leaving it up, is probably a good strategy, if space is available. 👍

[@markiskool]

@@fishhunter1566 so much for carrying it on my Harley.

[@TC-yx1qt]

A year later.. if you could go back, would you buy this or the iTrek 11?

[@fishhunter1566]

Absolutely! I do a specific style of fishing and i also like to fly with it...it works very well for what i do with it.

[@raychoi9495]

How tough is the material? It only has one chamber. Will a fishing hook damage it?

[@fishhunter1566]

pretty tough. if you push a hook into it it will develop a hole and leak (or step on a hook laying on it). I regularly lay poles on it with a hooks attached it hasen't caused me any trouble

[@raychoi9495]

@@fishhunter1566 Thanks, I probably will get a I9 for small lake fishing.

[@j7pro629]

Hi, does this pedel has the reverse feature?

[@fishhunter1566]

it does not! I back paddle a lot in my traditional kayak. I miss the ability to slow/stop/backup on this kayak. I bough a mirage 180 spine...we'll see if it suits my needs

[@j7pro629]

@@fishhunter1566do you know if you can use other pedal that has the reverse feature with itrek, wonder if it'll fit?

[@fishhunter1566]

@@j7pro629 I believe it will and i'm gonna try. I'll post my results

[@reykennedy5716]

Just FYI, you can put the pedals in backwards to get reverse. I know it's not as convenient.

[@fishhunter1566]

@@j7pro629 So i bought a 180 spine, but also needed new fins and masts. It works well, but was a little spendy.

[@leopoldosilvarodriguez3781]

Price?

[@fishhunter1566]

not sure anymore really. but hobie thinks pretty highly of it for sure...

[@arman757]

You just said it felt like it was gonna role you off on higher speed turns but later on the video said it needs a taller seat. That doesn't make much sense

[@fishhunter1566]

the first comment was intended to illustrate the turning capabilites of the product -- very strong. I never turn it like that, but it is capable of turning in such a radius as to created perceptible forces. The second comment relates to stability. It is plenty stable to stand on, turn around on, fish off of, etc. It is plenty stable for a taller seat. I have a taller seat. If you were to achieve maximal pedal speed and then turn the rudder knob suddenly to maximum turning position, it would feel unstable. This is not something i have ever had to do. Stability has not been an issue for me on a higher seat in 14 mo of use.

[@ovidiustetco7698]

Have you figured out anyway to raise the seat?

[@fishhunter1566]

yes. with this --> www.aquaglide.com/product/ag-frame-seat/

[@ovidiustetco7698]

@@fishhunter1566 This looks great. Did you get it yet? Did you try it?

[@ovidiustetco7698]

@@fishhunter1566 I also really like the storage under the seat. Great find!

[@fishhunter1566]

@@ovidiustetco7698 I did. It works great. Aluminum/light. Gets me up higher. More storage. Was able to mount the hobie rudder control attachment without difficulty. Pedals fine from the higher seating position.

[@ovidiustetco7698]

@@fishhunter1566 That's great! I can't wait to get my iTrek 9. How much taller is the seat height of the new seat?

[@richardlavoy4]

Or at those prices you could buy a boat really, come on it's a toy👎

[@fishhunter1566]

The cost/weight ratio is definitely high at $2100 and only 37lbs. Sadly, can't put a boat in the back of my truck, or carry a boat through the woods with one hand, or put a boat in the creeks I like to fish. A boat gets me access to where everyone goes to fish -- this gets me where no one can go to fish.

[@franram7426]

@@fishhunter1566 Big boat = big problems Little boat = Little problems... Very little maintenance like a traditional boat with a motor. A motor requires registration. Hobie FINALLY figured out that WIDTH is better than length.... 40" x 9' is better than 34" x 13'

[@raychoi9495]

You much more for motor boat in the long run

[@franram7426]

@@raychoi9495 Not in my home. Parking at a ramp is expensive and in HIGH demand. Hundreds of "side of the road launch spots... Many more regulations for a motor boat. More maintenance... More money... I catch the EXACT same amount of fish out of both..... TONS. Sure.... You can't take friends in a solo boat. Life is a series of trade offs.... Kayaks DEFINITELY have their place. Boats too. If you pick kayaking.... Hobie is the BEST for almost every application..

[@SD-pi9co]

Boats are toys