ONE of the hottest selling items at the recent boat shows in Melbourne and Adelaide has been the newly-released Hobie Mirage Eclipse, a new type of stand-up paddle board which marries Hobie’s well-known MirageDrive propulsion system from its kayaks with a stand-up board.
Hobie Cat Australasia national sales manager, Gordon McGillivray, said the response to the launch of the new board has been “extremely positive” with strong demand from customers at the Melbourne Boat Show where it sold out. Worldwide, the launch of the Mirage Eclipse has been Hobie Cat’s biggest release ever with millions of units sold in the US since its launch in April.
McGillivray said the appeal of the Mirage Eclipse is its stability; because users are propelling the board in a straight line using their legs, rather than switching from side to side with a paddle, they find it much easier to balance and stay onboard.
There are two models in the Mirage Eclipse range, the 10.5 and 12, which are 10.5 and 12 feet long and 33.5 and 35 inches wide respectively. It comes with adjustable handlebars, steering control via hand levers and a removable rudder that can be locked in place for use as a conventional stand-up board.
For more information head to the Hobie website.
