I 11S input - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Saba Slayer · 04-05-2018, 10:18 AM

CCA CAL and Hobie gave away 2 of the i11s Mirage Drive inflatables last year in our Battle of the Bays tournaments...so I got to play around with them a little and we also had a contest at the Hall shows to see who could inflate the kayak the fastest...57 seconds was the best time with most around 1 min. 15 sec...so... as you can see it's pretty easy to inflate and assemble. Andy had a brand new i11s out last Saturday at his Demo Day.
It's really fast with the Mirage Drive and I believe it comes with the new 180 drive...
It's a rigid inflatable flat bottom boat which also allows it to be stripped down of the Vantage seat and Mirage Drive and a fin attached to the bottom and it can then be used as an SUP.
There are a few cool aftermarket methods for adapting the under-seat area for a fish finder, transducer support, pole holders, and battery storage.
The fitted hull weight is 36lbs and the fully rigged weight is about 65lbs which is about the same weight when everything is in the wheeled storage bag.

Hashem is a new owner of an i11s so he might be a good source to PM on the boat.

Good Luck

NICKWORN · 04-05-2018, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saba Slayer

CCA CAL and Hobie gave away 2 of the i11s Mirage Drive inflatables last year in our Battle of the Bays tournaments...so I got to play around with them a little and we also had a contest at the Hall shows to see who could inflate the kayak the fastest...57 seconds was the best time with most around 1 min. 15 sec...so... as you can see it's pretty easy to inflate and assemble. Andy had a brand new i11s out last Saturday at his Demo Day.
It's really fast with the Mirage Drive and I believe it comes with the new 180 drive...
It's a rigid inflatable flat bottom boat which also allows it to be stripped down of the Vantage seat and Mirage Drive and a fin attached to the bottom and it can then be used as an SUP.
There are a few cool aftermarket methods for adapting the under-seat area for a fish finder, transducer support, pole holders, and battery storage.
The fitted hull weight is 36lbs and the fully rigged weight is about 65lbs which is about the same weight when everything is in the wheeled storage bag.

Hashem is a new owner of an i11s so he might be a good source to PM on the boat.

Good Luck

I was one of those contestants, but being slightly buzzed from the $12 IPA's kept me around the 90 second mark. LOL

Mahigeer · 04-05-2018, 01:22 PM

I love mine because I can take a kayak to Catalina via Catalina express.

Having said that and being an honest person here is my take on it. Time will tell if I am correct.
It is portable. After spending nearly $1100.00 on Thule Hullavator to lift my Outback on the roof of the new 4Runner, I am not satisfied with the unit. The Thule I mean.
The i11 will fit in the back of SUV.

The setup which is inflating and setting up took me about 2 hours in hot sun in Catalina the first time. Thus, I stayed overnight on the pier, so I could fish the next day. Then deflate, clean and packed next day for the return home. I am not fast or as young as others perhaps.

For now I have to store it deflated in the bag between trips. That concerns me if the bends will eventually crack. I was advised by Shane of Hobie to perhaps cover it when in Baja when not used to reduce the heat from sun rays.
Not too much can be added to the kayak to make it like the other fishing kayaks. The less is more applies here.

I bought about $3-4 hundred Dollars’ worth of raffle ticket at the two CCA events last year trying to win the first prize, which was the inflatable. However, some member here gave me the evil eye and I did not.

I did win bunch of other cool stuff including a rod, but not the kayak.
Thus, I bought a used one from Andy. It does come with the 180, reversible Mirage drive. I like it since I can use it in my Outback as well.

Good investment I would say overall. The high seat keeps the angler dry too.

Hashem

captwoody · 04-05-2018, 04:17 PM

Thanks for the replies, I wanted to go to demo day but I ended up buying a house in Escondido and could not make it. Good news I go from 70 minutes to beach to 25 minutes. I am originally from SD so glad to be moving back.

cris · 04-05-2018, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mahigeer

I love mine because I can take a kayak to Catalina via Catalina express.

Having said that and being an honest person here is my take on it. Time will tell if I am correct.
It is portable. After spending nearly $1100.00 on Thule Hullavator to lift my Outback on the roof of the new 4Runner, I am not satisfied with the unit. The Thule I mean.
The i11 will fit in the back of SUV.

The setup which is inflating and setting up took me about 2 hours in hot sun in Catalina the first time. Thus, I stayed overnight on the pier, so I could fish the next day. Then deflate, clean and packed next day for the return home. I am not fast or as young as others perhaps.

For now I have to store it deflated in the bag between trips. That concerns me if the bends will eventually crack. I was advised by Shane of Hobie to perhaps cover it when in Baja when not used to reduce the heat from sun rays.
Not too much can be added to the kayak to make it like the other fishing kayaks. The less is more applies here.

I bought about $3-4 hundred Dollars’ worth of raffle ticket at the two CCA events last year trying to win the first prize, which was the inflatable. However, some member here gave me the evil eye and I did not.

I did win bunch of other cool stuff including a rod, but not the kayak.
Thus, I bought a used one from Andy. It does come with the 180, reversible Mirage drive. I like it since I can use it in my Outback as well.

Good investment I would say overall. The high seat keeps the angler dry too.

Hashem

I'd love to hear more about your catalina trip with the i11s Hashem!

Mahigeer · 04-05-2018, 09:08 PM

Well,
Ever since the Mole was closed to hooping for lobsters due to MLPA, I wanted to find a way to hoop around the Avalon with kayak.

The Catalina Express does not allow kayaks on their ferries. The kayak rentals are not available at night. The boat rental is closed during winter months.
Even in summer they are available at night.
Sending a kayak to Avalon is costly and not practical.

I therefore bought a kayak (and found this site), so I could go hooping on the mainland. So far I have not done so due to safety concerns.

However, when I saw the i11S I had a new way to fish the Avalon. I have rented kayak at Avalon one time. It was paddling a cast iron tub with an anchor dragging behind it. Very heavy kayak. It was a very bad experience.

So far I have been to Avalon once with the i11S and plan to go back very soon. I wanted to post some pictures today, but had trouble uploading pictures again.

I will try to post a report when I come back.

monstahfish · 04-07-2018, 09:44 AM

These are great boats and I have taken them to florida, aruba and a few other places. I've actually had one out in 25kt winds and 3ft chop with no problems. That part of the benefit of the flat open deck is the water washes right off. Another really cool feature is how shallow it can go I pedaled across a 8in deep flat while others had to walk their kayaks across in florida, but that doesn't really register around here.
You don't have to worry about it cracking while folded, it's made for that. The biggest concern is warping the well or blowing a seam which are easily preventable. This can happen with leaving the pressure very high for long periods of time in high heat or putting too much pressure in. One example would be keeping it inflated at full pressure then strap it to the roof(adding even more pressure) of their car under heavy tension, then leave it in 90+ degree heat in direct sunlight. It specifically states in the manual not to do this. I would also put the mirage well plug in when not using it just for an extra factor of safety. You can leave it out in the sun during trips but it's not meant to be left out for weeks at a time. I would recommend reducing the pressure when not using it then just give it a quick top off when you're ready to go.

Saba Slayer · 04-07-2018, 10:00 AM

GREAT ADVICE...

Quote:

Originally Posted by monstahfish

These are great boats and I have taken them to florida, aruba and a few other places. I've actually had one out in 25kt winds and 3ft chop with no problems. That part of the benefit of the flat open deck is the water washes right off. Another really cool feature is how shallow it can go I pedaled across a 8in deep flat while others had to walk their kayaks across in florida, but that doesn't really register around here.
You don't have to worry about it cracking while folded, it's made for that. The biggest concern is warping the well or blowing a seam which are easily preventable. This can happen with leaving the pressure very high for long periods of time in high heat or putting too much pressure in. One example would be keeping it inflated at full pressure then strap it to the roof(adding even more pressure) of their car under heavy tension, then leave it in 90+ degree heat in direct sunlight. It specifically states in the manual not to do this. I would also put the mirage well plug in when not using it just for an extra factor of safety. You can leave it out in the sun during trips but it's not meant to be left out for weeks at a time. I would recommend reducing the pressure when not using it then just give it a quick top off when you're ready to go.

04-05-2018, 10:18 AM	#1
Saba Slayer Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Palos Verdes Posts: 1,871	i11s CCA CAL and Hobie gave away 2 of the i11s Mirage Drive inflatables last year in our Battle of the Bays tournaments...so I got to play around with them a little and we also had a contest at the Hall shows to see who could inflate the kayak the fastest...57 seconds was the best time with most around 1 min. 15 sec...so... as you can see it's pretty easy to inflate and assemble. Andy had a brand new i11s out last Saturday at his Demo Day. It's really fast with the Mirage Drive and I believe it comes with the new 180 drive... It's a rigid inflatable flat bottom boat which also allows it to be stripped down of the Vantage seat and Mirage Drive and a fin attached to the bottom and it can then be used as an SUP. There are a few cool aftermarket methods for adapting the under-seat area for a fish finder, transducer support, pole holders, and battery storage. The fitted hull weight is 36lbs and the fully rigged weight is about 65lbs which is about the same weight when everything is in the wheeled storage bag. Hashem is a new owner of an i11s so he might be a good source to PM on the boat. Good Luck __________________ Jim / Saba Slayer

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04-05-2018, 01:22 PM	#3
Mahigeer Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,910	I love mine because I can take a kayak to Catalina via Catalina express. Having said that and being an honest person here is my take on it. Time will tell if I am correct. It is portable. After spending nearly $1100.00 on Thule Hullavator to lift my Outback on the roof of the new 4Runner, I am not satisfied with the unit. The Thule I mean. The i11 will fit in the back of SUV. The setup which is inflating and setting up took me about 2 hours in hot sun in Catalina the first time. Thus, I stayed overnight on the pier, so I could fish the next day. Then deflate, clean and packed next day for the return home. I am not fast or as young as others perhaps. For now I have to store it deflated in the bag between trips. That concerns me if the bends will eventually crack. I was advised by Shane of Hobie to perhaps cover it when in Baja when not used to reduce the heat from sun rays. Not too much can be added to the kayak to make it like the other fishing kayaks. The less is more applies here. I bought about $3-4 hundred Dollars’ worth of raffle ticket at the two CCA events last year trying to win the first prize, which was the inflatable. However, some member here gave me the evil eye and I did not. I did win bunch of other cool stuff including a rod, but not the kayak. Thus, I bought a used one from Andy. It does come with the 180, reversible Mirage drive. I like it since I can use it in my Outback as well. Good investment I would say overall. The high seat keeps the angler dry too. Hashem

04-05-2018, 04:17 PM	#4
captwoody Junior Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: murrieta Posts: 15	Thanks for the replies, I wanted to go to demo day but I ended up buying a house in Escondido and could not make it. Good news I go from 70 minutes to beach to 25 minutes. I am originally from SD so glad to be moving back.

04-05-2018, 09:08 PM	#6
Mahigeer Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,910	Well, Ever since the Mole was closed to hooping for lobsters due to MLPA, I wanted to find a way to hoop around the Avalon with kayak. The Catalina Express does not allow kayaks on their ferries. The kayak rentals are not available at night. The boat rental is closed during winter months. Even in summer they are available at night. Sending a kayak to Avalon is costly and not practical. I therefore bought a kayak (and found this site), so I could go hooping on the mainland. So far I have not done so due to safety concerns. However, when I saw the i11S I had a new way to fish the Avalon. I have rented kayak at Avalon one time. It was paddling a cast iron tub with an anchor dragging behind it. Very heavy kayak. It was a very bad experience. So far I have been to Avalon once with the i11S and plan to go back very soon. I wanted to post some pictures today, but had trouble uploading pictures again. I will try to post a report when I come back.

04-07-2018, 09:44 AM	#7
monstahfish Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 423	These are great boats and I have taken them to florida, aruba and a few other places. I've actually had one out in 25kt winds and 3ft chop with no problems. That part of the benefit of the flat open deck is the water washes right off. Another really cool feature is how shallow it can go I pedaled across a 8in deep flat while others had to walk their kayaks across in florida, but that doesn't really register around here. You don't have to worry about it cracking while folded, it's made for that. The biggest concern is warping the well or blowing a seam which are easily preventable. This can happen with leaving the pressure very high for long periods of time in high heat or putting too much pressure in. One example would be keeping it inflated at full pressure then strap it to the roof(adding even more pressure) of their car under heavy tension, then leave it in 90+ degree heat in direct sunlight. It specifically states in the manual not to do this. I would also put the mirage well plug in when not using it just for an extra factor of safety. You can leave it out in the sun during trips but it's not meant to be left out for weeks at a time. I would recommend reducing the pressure when not using it then just give it a quick top off when you're ready to go.