PEDAL VS. PADDLE

Propel kayaks provide another option for anglers

We call kayaking a paddle sport. In 10 years it may be more of a pedal sport, because another manufacturer has introduced a unique pedal-drive system to rival Hobie Kayaks' ground-breaking Mirage.

The newest pedal-driven version is from Native Watercraft, whose 12- and 14.5-foot fishing kayaks have achieved near-cult status among anglers.

The standard Native hull looks like a cross between a kayak and a canoe, with a shallow tunnel hull that gives them a nice turn of speed and lots of stability. Add the most comfortable seat in any kayak, tons of room for gear and easy access to tackle boxes, and you have the attributes that make Native kayaks so fishing-friendly that some purchasers last summer had to wait weeks for one.

But like other kayaks, you need a double-bladed paddle to make it go. Or at least you used to.

Native has developed a pedal-driven propeller that drops through a trunk in the center of a purpose-designed hull, like a sailing dinghy's daggerboard. It can scoot the kayak between fishing sites or maneuver slowly in tight spots, leaving both of the operator's hands free to fish.

Fishing at Lime Lake near Spring Arbor with Bruce Clevenger, a manufacturer's representative for several kayak brands, I was surprised how easily the 12-foot Native Propel drive maneuvered forward and backward to get in position to cast. Steering was done with a small lever under my left hand and it turns a rudder.

The Native Propel let me maintain a steady speed of 3.5 m.p.h. on flat water with little effort. Clevenger said some smaller paddlers found it hard to get under way from a stop with the original propeller, so the unit will offer 12 props of various sizes (smaller props start easier but are slower).

Something I didn't like was how the Native's seat rocked back and forth. The idea is to put the paddler into the same laid-back position as the rider of a recumbent bicycle.

I own a recumbent bike and have done lots of cycling. I'd want to lie back in a fixed position while pedaling the boat from place to place and move the seat more upright while fishing. That calls for a detent system to hold the seat firmly in whatever position you choose.

If you're too lazy to paddle or pedal, Native offers the ultimate no-sweat kayak -- an electric-powered version of the Propel built by Motor Guide, a big name in electric trolling motors for bass boats. The electric drive, called Volt, adds a lot of weight for the motor and battery, but people who opt for this system probably won't do much portaging.

The drawback to the Native pedal drive is draft. It sticks about a foot below the hull, and if you want to go into skinnier water you must unsnap a clamp and some elastic cords and lift it up.

With the drive up the Native can be paddled like any other kayak in 3 or 4 inches of water, and the Propel unit seemed very solidly made with little risk of damage if it hits something underwater at kayak speeds.

The Native Propel and Hobie Mirage 12-foot hulls are close in weight, the former 58 pounds and the latter 62. The Hobie is 33 inches wide and the Native 30. The pedal drives weigh about 7 pounds for the Hobie and 15 for the Native. Taking the lawn chair-like seat out of the Native is another 7 pounds you don't have to lift onto the car.

The Native 12 is a great boat for rivers and most lakes and would suit about 90% of America's kayak anglers. But that open, sit-inside hull isn't well-adapted to slicing through a big chop a couple of miles from land, or getting in and out in water more than knee deep.

I liked the Native Propel system a little bit better than the Hobie Mirage drive, but most anglers would adapt quickly to both. One big advantage for the Hobie is price, $1,750 for a 12-foot Mirage compared with $2,125 for a Native Propel (which is also $2,125 with the electric motor or a sail rig).

Each is about double the price of other good 12-foot fishing kayaks that don't have a pedal drive.

The bottom line is that the Hobie Mirage and Native Propel kayaks won't appeal to people looking for the cheapest price at a big box store. But any serious light tackle angler who gets into either is immediately going to think about buying one.

source freep.com

Below, Bruce Clevenger pedals a Native Watercraft kayak on Lime Lake near Spring Arbor. Clevenger is a manufacturer's representative for several kayak brands.

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Kayaking might soon turn from a paddle sport to a pedal sport thanks to new products like the Native Watercraft Propel pedal drive.