I took out a yellow Hobie kayak today and had a blast pedaling around Tempe Town Lake for a nice joyride!
I was surprised how much easier a Hobie is to pedal (with your legs) than a regular kayak is with oars (using your arms). This system was great because I wasn't tired or running out of steam while cruising around in the kayak. I had a PDF strapped to the back of the kayak, but I wasn't planning on doing any swimming! Lucky for me the kayak was very stable and I didn't feel like it would tip over at any point. I think I would have had to stand up and do the Macarena*(not recommended) to end up in the water. But I would highly suggest being careful with your cell phone in the kayak because my only fear was dropping my phone in the lake! Maybe bring a GoPro, if you have one and strap it to your head for the best footage.
Some cool aspects:
-Bob from Southwest Kayaks, was so kind to transport the kayak to the lake and gave me some instruction on how to pedal. Then, I was off to explore!
-It was easy, fun and I got to sunbathe for a bit, too.
-I saw some ducks and wildlife in the lake. A fish even jumped out of the water nearby where I was pedaling.
-Now I want a kayak.
This was really fun and if you have been interested in trying kayaking in Tempe or Lake Havasu, look into Southwest Kayaks! The Hobie Kayaks are really awesome and easy to use and yes, even kids can do this!