Excellent report on the improved and now fishable out of the box Oasis.
The dual steering is a great concept. I have thought about my wife being in the front of our new 2009 Oasis and if something happened to me back with the one steering knob. Or if I wanted her to control the yak while I fished, dozed off or went into a REM dream state like I do in my Lazy Boy.
However, many of our married friends have opted out of the tandem Mirages because they don't like their partner telling them what to do. The dual steering might be the beginning of more severe marital problems.
It is good that Hobie has enabled the 2011 Oasis to be fishable out of the box. Those of us, who flunked ship building, plastic reshaping/molding and general ocean going architecture appreciate this.
Love your broom handle to stand up concept. Hobie needs to buy out Freedom Hawk and use their stand up rail concept in the Sport and Outback and maybe as an extra in the new Oasis Tandem. My Fish Hawk 12 will arrive Monday. I will miss the Mirage's ease and capability, but I will enjoy pulling a rope to stand up and cast using the Freedom Hawk's system.
Last but not least, does Hobie weigh its yaks after they have inserted Helium Balloons?
My wife and I find it hard to believe that our Oasis without the Mirages, paddles and seats only weighs 69 pounds. A good sized Norse/Swede friend and his bigger brother took his new Revolution and Outback to our local river and had a great time until they tried to get the yaks back on the top of his Surburban at the end of the trip. If his good sized SIL hadn't been there to help, they would have failed.
My wife and I aren't frail seniors, and it takes both of us to turn over our Oasis without any gear in or on it on our trailer or off it.
Excellent report. We can recommend the 2011 Oasis to those without ship building skills, who want to fish from their kayak.
Note: This is the second in a two part series. Here's the link to part I: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=30980Just when you think you have the perfect boat (and right after you get it all customized), Hobie comes along with the next edition. If you think the former Oasis is versatile, wait till you see what the 2011 version can do!
General characteristics: The new hull has a finer bow, broader stern and less rocker. consequently it runs quieter, drier and with less pounding. Speed is in the same ballpark, with the 2011 Oasis appearing to be a tad faster (I'll have better information soon). Handling and rudder control are responsive and very similar to previous models.
Longer cockpits are a welcome addition. Dual rudder controls are huge, allowing either partner to operate the boat without having to switch seats. The solo versatility is also very cool. Side mounted cockpit handles are well positioned and comfortable to grip.
Here are some side by side pics of the two boats running together. The '10 pictured here pushes much more water with the bow (both boats are sitting about equally in the water here):
Looking at the stern profiles, the lower rudder mount on the '10 is not as clean but the broader '11 pulls more stern wake:
Stability: This boat was built for stability. Whether Hobie intended this or not, the flat decks open up some new possibilities: While I'm not suggesting that anyone stand up in their kayak, the Pro Angler might see some competition here!
Need a little more stability for unseen wakes or mischievous partners? A broom handle inserted in the sail mast hole makes a great steady stick. (I'm sure Hobie doesn't endorse this one!)
Caution: If attempting to stand solo, make sure you're leashed to the boat. If you fall overboard, even light winds will carry it away quickly!
Tandem pedaling: This front passenger is getting her first Hobie ride -- her grin says it all!
The boat accelerates well without much stern squat:
Here's a profile view showing access to the rod holders from the rear cockpit:
Solo pedaling: What happens when your partner doesn't feel like kayaking? Do you sit at home or find something else to do? Not necessary at all! The new Oasis has excellent solo manners from either cockpit -- the secret is in proper ballasting.
Starting from the traditional rear seat, here is an unballasted profile: The bow is subject to windage, stability is slightly reduced (no big deal) and the shorter water line length limits speed.
Ballasting with 55 lbs. in the bow regains a very credible profile and decent performance.
Here's a cockpit view:
Next, lets go to the front seat. Without ballast the nose is a little heavy and the rudder is somewhat on the high side, but not too bad!
Adding 30 lb. in the cargo well balances the boat nicely.
Here's the view from the boat:
Some general comments about turning: The boat tends to pivot about the fins (when down). Soloing from the rear, steering is quick with the bow cutting in and stern swinging out mildly. From the front seat (again fins down), the stern swings wide, steering is not quite as quick. Tandem, the turn starts out slower; as momentum builds the turn accelerates. The boat spins quickest with rear fins down, front fins up. Fins-up turns are slower in all cases. Nevertheless, both Oases have a nice turn radius with the large rudder (standard since 2010).
Sailing: If you're expecting a competitive sailer here, you'll be disappointed. Under sail power alone, the Oasis is probably best described as leisurely, with good stability for a sailing kayak and good rudder control. Add some easy pedaling to the sail and you can scoot around pretty well, in any direction, with or without wind.
Criticisms: As skua said, this boat pretty much addressed the few shortcomings of the previous Oasis model. The only things that come to mind are 1) the front forward bungee screws sit in a drainage channel and appear to be unsealed through hull installations. I noticed when hosing off the boat this was a minor source of leakage into the hull. A little silicon should take care of it.
2) If paddling from the rear seat your hands might rub against the grips, depending on your stroke style.
Summary: What can I say to sum this up except to warn you that this boat can be addictive! Too late for me though. With clean lines, efficiently used space, tons of features, loads of versatility, gobs of capacity and delightful manners, I've fallen under its spell.
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