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 Post subject: New Model vs Old
PostPosted: Sun Jun 26, 2016 5:36 pm 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2016 5:21 pm
Posts: 1
Hi,
I'm getting ready to purchase my first Hobie mirage kayak, most interested in the Outfitter model, and trying to decide between brand new and a locally available used model. Can anyone tell me the differences between:
2009 Hobie Outfitter (tandem)
vs
2016 Hobie Outfitter (tandem)

I'm wondering what features have been added/changed since '09, and what I would gain by purchasing brand new?

Thanks


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 Post subject: Re: New Model vs Old
PostPosted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 3:21 am 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 5:17 pm
Posts: 679
Location: Auckland NZ
Others can answer in more detail but here are my thoughts
1. Seats have changed substantially - you should try both for comfort.
2. You should only go for an older boat that has the same click'n'go drive lock mechanism that the new boats have.
3. New boats have a better mirage drive that has reduced friction bearings - I haven't personally used one of these but they seem to offer the promise of being nicer to use than the old drives. There's nothing wrong with the older drives but... (Others with direct experience may be willing to chip in here)
4. Newer boats have steering in both front and rear cockpits - this is a boon for flexibility and harmony among crew members. In my Oasis the front cockpit is the place to be when soloing the boat which is only made possible by having steering in the front - it may well be that the Outfitter is also best soloed from the front (again can someone else fill-in here?), and/but if the older boat has only rear cockpit steering...
5. I believe that the Outfitter underwater profile has changed in the past few years - you would hope and expect that the newer design will offer improvement over the older design, but I am not sure which year the change came in... And bear in mind that a boat sold as a 200X may in fact be a boat from an earlier model year that was bought in 200X. Deciphering the serial number - scratched into the hull near the rudder - can determine what model year the boat is (search on the forums for how to decipher the serial number)
6. The biggest issue with an older hull is the potential for a below-the-waterline crack. These can be hard to spot and, depending on where they are, sometimes just about impossible to repair. A tiny crack can cause a big headache. It is a case of caveat emptor and you will almost certainly be out of warranty on an older boat. Do a search on these forums for tips about how to find a hull crack (the most effective way appears to be to put the boat on trestles, fill it to the waterline with water over a suitable surface and wait to see if any drips start falling, but even this hasn't been 100% successful). It is also important not to scaremonger by overstating the risk; I am sure most 2nd hand boats are perfectly OK (I have one myself) and most people selling them very honest, but if you end up missing a crack there is not likely to be much of a safety net.

Hope this helps and good luck with your decision.


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