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FINALLY got to try the Torque! I received the Outback and Torque Thursday, put everything together, charged the battery, and my son and I took them out in OSide Harbor today.
The Torque was a ball; after all is said and done, I am ecstatic with the selections (Torque & Outback); LOVED the Torque drive, the rudder system, and the feel of the boat. It's sleek and glides through the water very easily while paddling (no power), then paddling under full power is sort of cartoon-ish (remember the 60's episode where Popeye was paddling a canoe after eating spinach). The only slight negative observation I would make is that it is definitely a wet boat. It sits very low in the water and every significant wave came over the bow; outside the harbor we were in 2' waves with 3' - 4' swells and an occasional "big boat" wake. So you're sitting in water all day, in contrast to the super-dry Outback.
The Torque turns on a dime, is VERY maneuverable, and the drive allowed me to stay in one spot while fishing despite a pretty strong surge. Surprisingly though, my son could move faster, in 30 second spurts, in the Outback with the Mirage drive than the Torque on full, and I haven't even installed the turbo fins/rudder yet. It was very stable, but not stand-able, except in the calmest of water.
I know there are plenty of purists who only paddle while fishing, but clearly, the Torque drive made fishing ENORMOUSLY more enjoyable. We were on the water for 4 hours and probably used only 30% of the battery while using it about 70% of the time. I haven't yet installed any electronics or add-on accessories but I love the layout of the cockpit and adding these things will be a breeze.
Overall, ecstatic with both boats!
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