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Hobie Outback stability problem
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=46109
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Author:  tstrammer [ Sun Dec 30, 2012 7:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Hobie Outback stability problem

Hi,

I have recently purchased a 2005 Hobie outback it very good condition. Since i have bought it i have used it between 8-10 times. I am 19 years old and weight about 150 lbs and have fairly good balance, but the kayak does not seem very stable to me, unlike what i have read. I found one forum that said it is made for someone that's about 200lbs, could this be a reason it does not feel stable to me? basically my question is has anyone else experienced this and tried to add weight to make it more stable?

Also, i have noticed when i get out of the yak to wade that it tips to the right severely, I've checked the hatch to make sure that nothing is in it and removed basically everything but the seat and it still does it, any suggestions to why it does this?

Thanks in advance,
Travis

Author:  stobbo [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 7:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Outback stability problem

Travis.

The outback is just about as stable as any kayak I have ever been in so I suspect it is just that you are not yet used to the way it feels....

The very first kayak i ever went in (a home made wood frame & canvas affair) felt really tippy to me but wasn't - i remember paddling about with my backside wagging like a spaniel because the kayak kept feeling like it was about to turn turtle and I kept trying to compensate involuntarily.

After a few days the wagging went away and now it only returns when someone pats me on the head or gives me chocolate :lol:

Enjoy - i wish they'd had Hobies when i started!

Author:  islandspeed2001 [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 7:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Outback stability problem

Kayaks are designed with two stability points. They are called Primary and Secondary stability. The primary is what you are feeling with normal use. You compensate for this by keeping your spine upright and letting your hips swing with the primary motion.

Secondary stability is when the kayak will actually flip when the primary is surpassed :oops:

If you will sit in your Outback and rock it back and forth, you will notice that it only rocks to a certain point. That is the primary.

Author:  dregsfan [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Outback stability problem

The Outback is probably one of the most stable kayaks Hobie makes, no matter what the paddlers weight is.

Author:  sailhoky [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Outback stability problem

How are you getting out of the kayak? Could you be putting your butt onto the gunwale (sp?), with your legs over the side, and then standing up? I'd look at where your weight is on the boat when exiting (and getting in?).

I'd also see how tippy it ISN'T when you're sitting in the kayak. Rock that baby! You'll probably fall over the side before the outback ever goes over. BTW, don't do this too far from shore in case you do fall out. :)

Author:  cnnashman [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Outback stability problem

I believe the older Outbacks had a little better secondary stability and the newer ones have better primary but i'm not positive.

I do know that if you lean just a little too far in the new ones you will go over lightning fast.

To the OP , even though your Outback may feel a bit unstable that's all it is, it feels tippy but once you try to push it to the extreme it doesn't flip as easy as the new design.

Your probably just not used to it, if the Outback doesn't feel stable enough for you then the only solution is a Pro A .

You can do what i do which is bring all the safety gear, flair guns, cans of food, whistle, air horns, a few gallons of water and all necessary electronics like a VHF radio .

You then just tie up to your dock and slowly allow more rope and more rope as you become comfortable . I have been using this technique for years and i have progressed to the point where i'm confident enough to allow 15 feet of slack rope between myself and the dock. I may strive for 20 feet at the end of next year.

It's not bad floating while tied off to a large dock, you just have to block out all external distractions like #1 the dock, #2 people yelling in you direction calling you a dumb a _ _ and an idiot and #3 forgetting that the water your floating in is (at high tide 2 1/2 feet deep.

Other than that it's like your out in the middle of the ocean, luckily i have only had to use the flair gun twice.

Keep up the good work.

Kidding you of course.

Author:  sailhoky [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Outback stability problem

Cnnashman, I'm laughing so hard I damn near have tears in my eyes!

Author:  rubone47 [ Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Outback stability problem

islandspeed2001 wrote:
Kayaks are designed with two stability points. They are called Primary and Secondary stability. The primary is what you are feeling with normal use. You compensate for this by keeping your spine upright and letting your hips swing with the primary motion.

Secondary stability is when the kayak will actually flip when the primary is surpassed :oops:

If you will sit in your Outback and rock it back and forth, you will notice that it only rocks to a certain point. That is the primary.


Cant speak about the 2005 but the newer outbacks have No secondary to Very little secondary stability. But they are a very stable boat and you shouldn't have a problem. The problem you might have if you push the limits of the primary stability, this boat will fold and roll over faster then you think Trust me I have done it. I like the outback and its my primary fishing vessel but just be aware that because of the extreme primary stability a person starts feeling like this boat is a tank and that he will never tip this boat.

Author:  Tom Kirkman [ Wed Jan 02, 2013 7:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Outback stability problem

You need to get past what it "feels" like to what it actually is. The earlier Outback (I have a 2005 model) is extremely stable. The rougher the water, the more it just rises and falls, unlike the newer model which will rock with the swells.

Many newcomers to boating have the wrong idea about "stability." Plop a 4x8 sheet of plywood on some flat water and they'll call it stable. But watch it toss them off the instant the water gets rough.

Your Outback is very, very stable. What you need to do is just relax and get used to it. Don't try to fight it. Let your lower body roll with the hull. With a few more trips in it you'll begin to view "stability" in a whole different light.

Author:  Jcanracer [ Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Outback stability problem

tstrammer, if you think the Outback is bad, try a Revo!
It took me a month to get used to it after coming from the Sport, which I feel is a similar hull design to the Outback but proportionately smaller in every dimension.

Author:  mmiller [ Wed Jan 02, 2013 4:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Outback stability problem

cnnashman wrote:
I believe the older Outbacks had a little better secondary stability and the newer ones have better primary but i'm not positive.


This is absolutely correct. Early Outbacks had a different bottom shape. The center of the hull was more pronounced and the outer shelves (secondary stability) could be out of the water with a light weight user.

We changed the shape several times over the years and settled on what we now have... which is VERY (Primary) stable. Now, some argue that a boat with a lot of primary stability can be a rougher ride since the boat basically sticks to the water. That means that when the sea rolls, the boat rolls with it. Some prefer to be able to balance the boat and roll into the wave which keep the cockpit more level.

Author:  cnnashman [ Thu Jan 03, 2013 12:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Outback stability problem

sailhoky wrote:
Cnnashman, I'm laughing so hard I damn near have tears in my eyes!






Glad you got a chuckle, from what i understand humors good for you and whats life without it. Boring :wink:

Author:  cnnashman [ Thu Jan 03, 2013 12:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Outback stability problem

mmiller wrote:
cnnashman wrote:
I believe the older Outbacks had a little better secondary stability and the newer ones have better primary but i'm not positive.


This is absolutely correct. Early Outbacks had a different bottom shape. The center of the hull was more pronounced and the outer shelves (secondary stability) could be out of the water with a light weight user.

We changed the shape several times over the years and settled on what we now have... which is VERY (Primary) stable. Now, some argue that a boat with a lot of primary stability can be a rougher ride since the boat basically sticks to the water. That means that when the sea rolls, the boat rolls with it. Some prefer to be able to balance the boat and roll into the wave which keep the cockpit more level.



Thanks for confirming Matt, i think the current design is great, i have been out in all types of conditions and i think it handles big wakes and the water in general very competently.

Once the OP has more time with his Outback i'm sure he will be very satisfied, now if he ends up with a P A and voices the same concern, it's probably hopeless.

Author:  Thinwater skinner [ Thu Jan 03, 2013 7:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Outback stability problem

The best advice I can give you would be: "Always keep your nose in the center of the kayak." Don't lean over the side with you weight. And as other have said, use you hips to rock with the waves, but your nose stays in the same place. Good Luck.

Author:  jervis_bay84 [ Thu Jan 03, 2013 7:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Outback stability problem

Tom are you referring to new comers like me who found the rev et al's primary stability too unstable to even carry out the most basic of tasks like open the hatch directly infront of you on the calmest of water?.

I had the pa 12 out yesterday in around a 2 meter swell, the thing was magic....going dead horizontal with the prevailing waves was no match to tip me over while happily going about my business on the centre platform preparing baits and jigs

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