Let's get an expert opinion.
 

If you are lucky , it take both to tango. :grouphug:

Question for all the paddlers with rudder systems. How beneficial do you find the rudders?

I'm 175lbs and love my PA12. I started off lazy. :D

no but have peddled one on more than a few occasions. Room is nice but is not really needed .know PA owners that want a smaller one way way easier to transport in smaller launch points can put a revo over my head with ease nobody can say that about at PA unless your Lou ferrigno

If you are willing to go fishing with a greenhorn I would like to go with someone who knows what they are doing so I can learn.

Or Bert Vega :D

I like the room and at my height and weight a revo just wouldnt work for me. Outback was pushing it. PA12 why not just get a 14? Been out 10 miles and done 30 miles in a day. It was tuff but could do it back to back days and I am not a spring chicken.

Rudder is essential for some hulls, and not necessary for some. For long distance offshore paddling it is extremely beneficial. Many hulls will "broach" when they get going too fast on a swell which means they want to turn sideways. It can be very difficult to go diagonally downswell. Do you find yourself needing to paddle repeatedly on one side when you're going down wind?

215#here and the revo suits me just fine the nose of the revo cuts really well through big swell unlike the PA been side to side with buddy's on those 15 mile round trips the PA does keep up well but at trolling speed who cares

Do they make add on rudders for some yaks, since you can't use a hand tiller when paddling you would have to have foot rudders with cables going back to the rudder for steering. I could see where that would help after fighting a following quartering wind the other day

I'm a peddler (Revolution) but thinking about picking up a 15' trident for surf launches. Just curious about the rudder system.

The revo are super nice and fast. Just not the yak for me. My PA is a aircraft carrier compared to it. I am heavier then 215#. The revo 350# capacity didn't give me a confident feeling with bait tank, gear and a few blue gill. Would have me right at or over that mark. I not to concerned with speed. We are in yaks after all.

I owned a Revo 13 shortly and while quick and fun, its just not made for someone my size I'm 6'5" and 220lbs. I now own two PA14s and while not the speed demons the Revo was I have done plenty of 20+ mile days back to back with no issues. (Disclaimer) yes I do trailer my PA14s now but just for the ease of leaving it fully rigged and ready to go at a moments notice, before that I would put in in the back of my pickup with ease by myself so although its not a lightweight I don't think its to much weight for a single person in reasonable good shape.

No not everyone pedals, but ALL of us piddle!

I've never paddled a trident, but just from having a prowler i think a rudder would be really good to have. You can always pull it up if you you're not going far or playing in shallow surf.

That's right, you can actually play and have fun in the surf... side slips, cut backs, pulling out the back, you can even get barreled like this :kayak-surfer:

Maybe I'm doing something wrong but my trident 13 doesn't seem like something I'd want to "play" in the surf with and as I understand it, it's one of the better boats for the waves. This is coming from an experienced surfer too.

I'm 150 lbs and love my PA. Also love my scrambler for quick after-work harbor runs and my Trident 15 for surf launch & landings

Really I love surfing my yaks in some nice surf. San O is one of my favorite spots for it too,
Of course all my gear is back on the beach or below deck before I start 🏄

sent from my thumbs on my G4

Paddle AND peddle
 

Since we're on this topic of paddle vs pedal, is there anyone that does both simultaneously? I've never tried it (because I just recently purchased my PA12), but I was wondering if you kept the rudder up, and you paddled and pedaled simultaneously, what would the outcome be? Obviously, an increase in speed would be a byproduct, but what about longevity? Do you think you could get to locations farther out offshore? Do you think it would help maintain stamina, or exhaust you faster? Do you think you could do both without the kayak tracking to one side or the other? Just curious if any of you guys that own a kayak with a mirage drive has ever tried this?

LOOK at CWC new video posted today, Wade is doing both at the same time and at a pretty good clip with his wife aboard.

Paddle and Pedal
 

Coming back from fishing Cabrillo Harbor, the wind and chop was so strong I had to do both in my outback. (standard drive) It was exhausting, but was the only way to make any headway. About 3/4 of a mile. If I stopped I would get pushed back. Not fun.