HOBIE WON'T WARRANTY MY DEFECTIVE HULL...

Hobie says no to my claim of a defective hull, why???

I have a 2014 outback with a defective hull, took it to the dealer they saw the problem and file a claim, after 46 days hobie said no... the problem is since brand new, is way under 2 years old... hobie sould do the warranty... i like the kayak but this hull is defective is leaning to the right while go strait and i found the problem ... so what is my next step???

Here are some pics of the defective hull...

left side

right side

difference between each side

here both side are the same

right side on top

left side on top



Here is the hand draw that i did showing where is the problem or defect... X on both sides are same, Y is different, is pretty simple and i'm sure you understand now what i talking about...

I believe the story was that the dealer did not support your view of it being a "defect". This could have been from storage or a number of things that can distort the hull.

These all come out of the same molds, so the bottom can not be as drawn when new. But, with Pressure against the bottom, you could have the same effect.

Noting a few things from the photos.

Difference is slightly more than half an inch?
As noted in your other thread, that isn't at all much considering hand shaping, and plastic distortions over time.

Brown pads? Non-standard (higher) seat?
Your balance by moving you butt a inch either way can change the balance of the boat. In a higher seat it is more pronounced.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

it is a defective hull this happen since brand new first time on water, brown pads are glue it no modifications at all... hobie should stay behind there product, i test all the hobies on a demo day and no one was leaning so is not me... hobie is going down...

@Cindygabe all of your measurements were from the top of the boat. I didn't see any that showed the hull differences from the bottom, which is what your drawing shows. Hobie is going to put the burden of proof on you to prove that the hull was miss formed from the factory and not something that you did (inadvertently or not). Also, when submitting warranty claims it would benefit you to remove any "modifications" that could be used against your claim. The brown pads tell Hobie that you are using an aftermarket seat (?), which may influence the stability of the boat.

_________________
2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

Actually being within a half inch is pretty good for a polyethylene rotomolded kayak. We have a tandem Island and if I store the boat incorrectly, the bow can raise or lower as much as 6 inches when I lay the boat on the ground depending on how I store the boat. You have to think of these boats as jello molds that conform to whatever shape the trailer or storage rack allows them to conform to. Especially in warmer climates like here in Florida, if I have my TI on the roof rack too long in the heat, both the bow and the stern sag as much as 3-4 inches. Also if you measure the length of the boat when it's warm with a tape measure, then measure it when the hull is cold, my boat is over an inch longer when warm, this makes the rudder steering lines so tight I can't steer the boat, of if they are adjusted when the boat is warm, then when the boat is cool the rudder lines are too loose to work (we have owned 7 Hobie kayaks now, and all of them shared the same effects on the steering between warm and cold weather, and the hull shifting around depending on storage method.
One winter we stored the boat on its side, and the entire side of the hull became flattened and was sunk in at least 2-3 inches from normal (really looked strange). To fix it we just laid the boat flat in our driveway on the ground in the sun and it all settled into it's original shape.
On our TI the hull distance from the twist and stow hatches to the bottom of the hull on my boat varies in depth as much as two inches, depending on how the boat was stored the night before, I discovered this when I tried to load some gear into my hull, sometimes it would fit in there and sometimes it wouldn't fit at all.
This is all pretty normal with this type of plastic and rotomolded kayaks.

If you get the opportunity to just let the kayak sit out in the hot sun flat on the ground in your driveway for a few hours, it should settle back into it's original factory shape again.
Hope this helps
Bob

Sounds like someone wants a new 2015.

_________________
All Fisherman are liars except you and me, but sometimes I wonder about you.

Another thing that I have came to realize with most Hobie kayaks (especially the shorter ones), is when not using the rudder and pedal drives and just paddling they don't track as strait as most canoes (I'm a long time canoe'er) and paddle kayaks because the lack the keel that most canoes and kayaks have to help keep them point a little straighter when paddling. This is not really a problem because we would much prefer to be peddling and using the rudder than paddling (we can go much further with the mirage drive pedal system using much less energy than we ever could with paddles) it's a fair trade to me. Another thing that we experienced is peddling straight is a relative term, in other words peddling in a straight line doesn't neccessarily mean the rudder is pointing straight back on the boat or that the rudder handle is pointed straight forward. This is an adjustment that we usually make by adjusting the rudder strings either to the left or the right so when the rudder handle is pointed almost straight forward, and the boat pedals straight, this doesn't neccessarily mean the rudder is pointing straight back. On most of our Hobies when peddling in a straight line the actual rudder is tilted to the left or the right slightly (this is just my own observations). Actually on most of our Hobies when peddling in a straight line, when I look down at the handle it is usually pointing slightly to the right. This is why I said pointing the boat straight is a relative term, peddling straight doesn't neccessarily mean the rudder is straight back on the boat, we get our visual reference from the water around us, not by looking at the direction the handle is pointed, then adjust our direction accordingly (usually often, we kayak via the brail method ( LOL)). All these boats are very sensitive to loading, just by shifting your own weight an inch off center to one side or the other can make you boat steer and run differently. Actually balance on a kayak is a thing that your body and muscles learn on their own, so after a while you don't even think about it, your body automatically reacts to balance changes from the wind and waves without even thinking about it. This is why you don't see too many newbee kayakers running in 20 ft long 12 inch wide super fast surfski's, it can take years to train your body to balance itself in that way, and the pro level boats take a tremendous amount of physical ability and experience, this is why we stick with what are called recreational kayaks (you don't have to be an athlete or expert kayaker to operate them (I will never be an athlete (just sayin)).
Hope this helps
Bob

i bought the kayak March 8 2014, put the first claim April 22 2014, took it the dealer and they said nothing was find... but the problem was still there... this year 2015 i was getting ready for the season and after reading and researching decide to put the jackson seat which i did not drill any holes or test it yet bought the rectangular hatch to put it... i was thinking is not the kayak is me... when i mark the lines to make the cut fot the new hatch notice this and yes is uneven which cause the leaning make sence now why is leaning to the right... did not make the cut and took it to the dealer ACK and they saw the problem and file a claim... what i want is my kayak to be stable... this is a defective hull since brand new back in 2014 when i bought it... i took the kayak to Ack March 26 2015 and may 11 2015 they say no to the claim...

i going to pick up my kayak today and will make a video of it with the problem just not on the water...

I know nothing about your particular claim, or your individual circumstances, and am not trying to say there is nothing wrong or right about you kayak (not my place). I was only trying to explain some of my own observations about Hobie kayaks in general from using them for many years, and that rotomolded kayaks in general though very durable (you can't break them), are not known for being high precision (no two are exactly the same coming out of the same mold, if your within an inch of something your doing well), mostly because of the materials being used (unfilled polyethylene) thats all.
Bob

Ditto. I was just making an observation based on the pictures that you provided. Definitely, video or pictures of the kayak actually listing to one side would help us understand the issue at hand.

_________________
2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

I went to get my kayak today but picking it up makes me accept what they said... so decided to leave there until the problem is fix... if was not a defective hull Ack won't put a claim, that simple...

All I can think is to sit down with ACK and Hobie and try and work it out. Heck, maybe ACK can work a deal on upgrading you to a newer kayak with a trade in on the old one. It sounds a little unlike Hobie to just write off an warranty claim. I haven't had to make one yet, but from what I've heard they are very generous with claims. So, something tells me that when ACK submitted the claim they did not convey the issue properly to Hobie.

_________________
2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

^This.
Also, reposting this thread on the an unofficial Hobie angler Facebook group isn't going to help your case either.