Stand-up adventure-seekers, take note: The company behind the Hobie Cat sailboats, kayaks, and more has created the Hobie Mirage Eclipse, a stand-up pedal board. That’s right, you propel yourself across the water via your own foot power.
Available in two models, the Mirage Eclipse 10.5 and 12, the pedal board incorporates Hobie’s MirageDrive. This is the same underwater fin system found on Hobie’s kayaks. Two foot pedals connect to the Mirage Drive, letting you go as fast or as leisurely as you wish. You can beach the Mirage Eclipse, too, since the fins fold against the board. Shallow water makes the rudder kick up, too. (You additionally can lock it in place, letting you use the pedal board as a traditional stand-up paddleboard.)
With traditional paddleboards, you steer with arm movements. The same is true of this pedal board, but done differently—and less strenuously. An aluminum handlebar has calipers to the left and right. Squeeze the right one, and you head right; squeeze the left, you go left. Equally helpful, the handlebar adjusts height to suit kids and adults. It can go from 36 to 43 inches (about 0.91 meter to 1.1 meters).
The Hobie Mirage Eclipse comes with bungee cords to strap gear aft—and plenty of room back here to take along your favorite pet, as you’ll see in the video below. Other accessories include a cup holder and a phone mount.
Suggested retail price: $2,499 for the Mirage Eclipse 10.5, $2,599 for the Mirage Eclipse 12. Both come in yellow and blue.
David
So people aren’t required to wear a PFD while riding these things?
Cal
I didn’t see anyone without a PFD , everyone has the new PFD belts on. Was someone missing one?
John
I’ve got one and I enjoy it. It’s quite a good workout and keeps me in good physical shape. Definitely something I’d recommend to everyone.
Effie Mitchell
I would like to know everything about the pedal board…. Prices…
Diane M. Byrne
Pricing varies according to country, so visit the Hobie website, linked in the article, to find out if a retailer is near you.
Gheorghe florian
In Romania de unde pot sa cumpar ?
Diane M. Byrne
Check the company website to see if there are distributors in your country.
Tom
They’re not cheap. Around $1,800 for the 10.6′ version, or about a hundred bucks more for the bigger 12’0 one.
That said, they’re super stable and surprisingly fast and easy to manoeuvre for complete novices. If anyone’s interested we did a detailed breakdown of the one we’ve been using here: https://hydroflex-surfboards.com/hobie-mirage-eclipse-review/
I’d say they’re well worth it for anyone with less mobile or older customers for whom a regular stand up paddle board would be a non-starter.
Liz
Does the 10.5 and the 12 foot use the same fin?
Diane M. Byrne
For full details, contact Hobie.