Hobie IEclipse Pedalboard Learning Curve

Mirage iEclipse | Hobie

  Sooo fun, but it is a lot of work to have fun....😁

So, it looks really easy on the youtube video, BUT, as much as I love it, and it fits in the back of my Hatchback WITH my Sea Eagle inflatable kayak-it is a little bit of work until you figure everything out.  YES, there is a manual with it, and you hardly need it, but some things are a little hard to figure out.

I, of course, wear my pdf, and a hat when so hot and even a netting on the hat for the pedalling running into nats or sqeets!

On the back, I put an emergency paddle, a rescue throw pillow, and an anchor, in case I want to stop and take pics.  My camera around my neck.

Here are the steps to get to this point.

1.  Throw the things out of the back of your car

2.BLOW UP THE BOARD...... now I used this board twice this year, but I couldn't remember how I blew it up.  It comes with a pump the kind you stand up and pump by pushing up and down.

But... that seemed to be going nowhere...then there was an electric pump... I had two, I don't know if one came with it, but it didn't have the right end to put into my cigarette lighter or the right knob to lock into the pedalboards inflation inset.  So I tried using my other electric pump from the cigarette lighter, but it wouldn't lock into the Pedalboard.  

3.  Your Board is hard as a rock after inflation.  I don't know what order I was supposed to do, but this worked.  Put the handle bar parts together and then put them in the hole that is in front of the pedals.  Sometimes this is not easy.   The first time, I could not get the handlebar all the way down in the hole.  There is a lock mechanism - plastic dial that is to lock over the notches in the handlebar so that it doesnot pullout when you are out there pedaling.  Well I couldn't lock it in, and then I couldn't pull it out because it was jammed in the hole.   I know I shouldnot have gone out without it locked BUT I WANTED TO JUSTIFY MY PURCHASE!... I WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE FUN..... SOOOO  I went anyway.  AHHHHHH!   that part was fine... but...   so this time I got it into the hole...used the pump to blow out any debris, mud, dirt or whatever might be in the hole so that it would not go down easily and then turn the dial or plastic lock so it would hold the handlebar in place while pedaling.

The black plastic filler will have to be taken out before you can put your pedal controller into the hole, but that will be one of the last steps.

4.  You can see where I had to put the top of the handlebar into the middle piece and then you shove it in to your height or pedaling level and the lock with the open lever you see here.  I have an additional water bottle holder on the handle bar so I can stay hydrated.  The right handle has a button to slide on the turning lever piece that connects to the back of the pedalboard.  Much like when you put your paddles together for kayaking when you have the paddles that break down into pieces.  The turning handle piece slides on and the button slides into the hole on your turn piece.

5.  Slide the right handle on until it snaps in place.  The cord has a number of places with a little ball that goes over the cord and locks the cord in place and the turn paddle slides down into a slot and snaps in place with a little red notch.

6.  Keep the turn paddle up until you get to the water. It goes up and down in place and rotates to turn the pedalboard once you are in the water and want to point in a certain direction - right or left or just straight ahead.

7.  You will have put the things you want to take with on the back and turn the pedalboard sideways to slip the wheels into the holes to take the pedalboard to where you want to put it in the water.   This is the hard part.  

Which comes first the chicken or the egg... You can't put the pedal controller in the hole until there is water under the board.  You can't take the wheels out until the board is over the water.  I had a similar problem with sliding the tracking fin into the big inflatable kayak I had. So this is where you are going to be standing in the water somewhere, taking the wheels out of the bottom and putting the pedal controllers into the board hole.  AHHHHHHHH  If you can figure an easier way to do this.  I guess, a beach putin is easier, but still you have to lift the board up to take the wheels out and put the pedals in.