Coke versus Pepsi, tastes great versus less filling, the People versus O.J.,in the history of debate there has never been a more contentious argument than kayak anglers bickering over pedal drives powered by fins versus a propeller.

Pedal Drive Performance: 4 Experts Debate Fin Versus Propeller

Pedal-powered kayaks come in two flavors: fins or props. To propel the kayak forward or backward, propeller drives, such as the Native Watercraft Propel and Old Town Canoes and Kayaks PDL, use bicycle cranks to spin a propeller.

Fin drives, like the Hobie MirageDrive, Pelican HyDryve and Vibe X-Drive, have pedals attached to vertical shafts and semi-flexible fins moving back and forth like scissor blades.

person on yellow fishing kayak pedals a drive with fins
The great debate comes down to personal preference. | Feature photo: Aaron Black-Schmidt

Pedal Drive Experts

To argue the pros and cons, we chose four experts, each representing a different drive. Two anglers use props and two are on a fin drive. Before they were famous, these pros chose a pedal drive. After years of hard fishing, they still defend their decisions.

Brandon Barton, Emerald Coast Kayak Fishing

Brandon Barton, Emerald Coast Kayak Fishing

Matt Charette, Vibe Kayaks

Matt Charette, Vibe Kayaks

Tim Moore, Tim Moore Outdoors

Tim Moore, Tim Moore Outdoors

Vinny Ferreri, Queen City Kayak Fishing

Vinny Ferreri, Queen City Kayak Fishing

Fin Versus Propeller Q&A

Kayak Angler: What is your experience with pedal drives?

BB: I have been fishing the Hobie MirageDrive since 2010 when I bought my first kayak.

TM: I’ve been running the Old Town PDL drive since the Sportsman BigWater was called the Predator PDL.

MC: I switched to pedal drive when I started tournament fishing. Between the Vibe Shearwater and the Makana, I have all types of water covered.

VF: I bought my first Native Propel Drive nine years ago and I’ve been on the pro staff for eight years. I’ve fished every model and currently use a Native Slayer Max 12.5 and Titan 12.

KA: How does the pedal drive improve your fishing?

BB: Hobie’s MirageDrive feels as easy and natural as walking. I can go for hours without getting tired.

TM: To maintain my drift line, the prop drive allows me to constantly adjust my position forward or back against the current and wind.

MC: When I enter shallow water, I push one pedal forward to open the fins flat against the hull to reduce the boat’s draft. I can flutter kick to continue to propel the kayak forward.

VF: Covering water quickly is a huge advantage on large lakes. I move from place to place at three to four miles per hour.

woman pedals an Old Town fishing kayak
Propeller drives, like the Old Town PDL, score points with instant reverse. | Photo: Courtesy Old Town Canoes and Kayaks

KA: What are the drive’s strengths?

BB: The back and forth motion of the fin drive is as natural as walking. I can do it all day.

TM: Instant reverse makes positioning the kayak second nature.

MC: The fins power through vegetation without getting tangled. I see my prop drive friends constantly clearing weeds from their drives.

VF: With the prop drive, my kayak draws about 14 inches of water, so shallow water clearance isn’t really an issue.

Kayak Pedal Drive Maintenance A Lesson In Kayak Pedal Drive Maintenance (Video)

KA: Tips for getting the most out of the drive?

BB: Go with the 360 Drive for total control.

TM: Maintenence is the key to longevity. I rinse the drive after each trip and apply grease to the shaft to prevent corrosion.

MC: I carry replacement masts and drive chains for on-the-water repairs.

VF: Every three to four months, I open the unit and lubricate moving parts. Otherwise, the unit is sealed against moisture and debris.

a hand reaching underneath the water to grab a fish beside a kayak equipped with a fin drive
Fin drives, like the Hobie MirageDrive, instantly go into shallow water. | Photo: Aaron Black-Schmidt

KA: Predict the future. What would you like to see?

BB: The future of pedal drives is 360-degree mobility. The Hobie 360 is a whole other animal. It gives me the ultimate response and control on the water.

TM: I would like to see a drive that can convert from pedal drive to motorized without changing kayaks.

MC: Future pedal drives will be more robust and weigh less. They will take a beating and keep going.

VF: More speed! I think designers will figure out a way to make pedal drives faster without expending more energy.

a woman and man paddle their pedal kayaks through tight quarters on a muddy river How To Choose The Best Paddle For Your Pedal Kayak

Cover of Kayak Angler Magazine Issue 50, Fall 2023This article was first published in the Fall 2023 issue of Kayak Angler Magazine. Subscribe to Kayak Angler Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.

The great debate comes down to personal preference. | Feature photo: Aaron Black-Schmidt

 

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Ric Burnley
Kayak Angler editor Ric Burnley has been kayak fishing since the dawn of the sport. In 2007, Burnley wrote The Complete Kayak Fisherman, with chapters on how-to make a PVC rod holder and glue a fish finder transducer to the hull. In 2013, he landed his dream job as editor of Kayak Angler magazine. Burnley is a regular contributor to Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Outdoor Life, In the Bite and other print and online publications. Burnley lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, adult daughter, daughter’s boyfriend and daughter’s two cats. Experience In 2004, Ric Burnley stole his first milk crate from behind a 7-Eleven and fashioned it into a gear crate for his Ocean Kayak Prowler 15. Many years and many milk crates later, Burnley has witnessed the rise of kayak fishing from a bastardized fringe element to a legitimate industry with millions of devotees. The journey to becoming an angler started early in Burnley’s life. His father, Eric Burnley, is a renowned outdoor writer and former fishing guide, so the boy grew up in the cockpit of a charter boat and in the pages of national magazines. After college, Burnley lost easy access to his father’s boat, but not his passion for fishing. Once he had exhausted the limits of land-based angling, Burnley decided to try out a new thing called kayak fishing. About the same time, Burnley was looking for extra work to pay for his expensive addiction. His father, editor of the Mid-Atlantic Fisherman Magazine, offered him freelance assignments for the weekly publication. That led to a position as regional editor at Salt Water Sportsman, publication of The Complete Kayak Fisherman and editorship of Kayak Angler. Meanwhile, Burnley and his partner-in-crime, “Kayak Kevin” Whitley were exploring the boundaries of kayak fishing. With the bountiful Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean as their playground, the two anglers were the first to target big red drum, cobia, trophy striped bass, monster black drum, sheepshead and many other species. Once inshore species were exhausted, Burnley loaded his kayak onto motorboats and fished for bluefin tuna, blackfin tuna, king mackerel and amberjack. All the while, Burnley shared his experiences and knowledge with anglers through print, photos, video, radio, seminars and online. Almost 20 years later, Burnley continues to fish obsessively and share the stories. His recent projects for Kayak Angler cover the latest trends in forward-facing sonar and remote-controlled electric motors. Over the past two decades, kayak fishing and Ric Burnley have come a long way from PVC rod holders and stolen milkcrates. Education ● Radford University: BA English; Virginia Teacher’s License. Highlights ● Other Interests: Mountain biking, traveling, hiking, surfing and skateboarding ● Day Job: High School English teacher at an alternative school for at-risk students Fun Fact Ric’s name is a contraction of Eric. Ric is named after his father, Eric Sr. To differentiate between the two Erics, Mrs. Burnley removed her son’s E. To this day, she writes the boy’s name ‘Ric, with an apostrophe replacing the E.

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7 COMMENTS

  2. If you are fishing shallow rocky rivers like the Shenandoah and upper Potomac would you recommend pedals or paddles?

    • River fishing is best with a paddle. Shallow rocks can wreck a prop or pedal drive. However, many anglers use motors and pedals on the river, you just have to be super careful to raise the motor or pedal drive in shallow water.

  3. I have a Hobie PA14 that has the MirageDrive 360. I also have a Texas Power Paddle electric prop in the rudder. Here in Hawaii all kayak fishing is offshore and on the open Pacific. Conditions can be anything from glassy to heavy swells and wild chop from brisk trade winds. Having the 360 drive is perfect in all conditions, including times when a large fish tows you onto shallow reef water. I love the 360. The electric TPP prop appends the 360 when conditions get rough or a large catch pulls me out to sea.

  4. Readers can make well-informed judgments based on their preferences and needs thanks to the post’s fair overview of the benefits and downsides of each propulsion technology. A helpful guide for anybody looking to purchase a new kayak or learn more about various forms of propulsion.

    • The paddle is for maneuverability in case you get stuck in a spot that is too shallow for the pedal drive. It’s also good to have a paddle in case your pedal drive malfunctions. Some people use the paddle in addition to the pedals to gain speed. I personally use it to stand on my Hobie Lynx & paddle board so I can spot wildlife. But, yes, on most occasions, I do not even use my paddle.

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