Hobie Cat Forums

Considering the AI for a fishing /sailing yak. Curious, how is the AI for launching/landing in the surf? I live on east coast, NJ. Would appreciate to hear your experiences.

Real surf conditions? I would be concerned if over a couple feet of surf. Especially coming back in. If the boat gets sideways it could cause some real issues. The main hull in the Adventure kayak mode... without amas... no problem.

_________________
Matt Miller
Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Hobie Cat USA

I think it kind of depends on how wet you want to get and also how shallow the water is.

Where I launch it is quite shallow which means I have to get quite a way out before the rudders & dagger can be dropped down & you can use the mirage drive, in a strong on-shore wind with surf it is very tricky as you tend to get blown back in. Really the only answer is to wade further out into deeper water & get in and out there.

Surf varies infinitely and can change nature quickly, the conditions on your return may be very different than when you departed, be careful.

_________________
Fair Skies, Max.

These guys travelled 420 miles down the east coast of Australia in 35 days in a group of AI's. It seems they landed on beaches every night and relaunched every morning, regardless of surf conditions. They are all experienced surfers. I don't know how they did it. Yakass is a member of this forum and knows them and has followed their journey. Hopefully, he might have some insight into how it's done.

_________________

I've not tried the AI in surf but I do a bit of surfing in the swells which can be quite large. Judging by the tendency to bury the nose and broach I wouldn't want to be taking it in very large surf. The boat has a kayak hull not a cat hull so the hulls don't drive through the waves when surfing the way surf cats do. I can recover from buried nose etc in swells (it's fun really) but would struggle in breaking waves. I think you could sail it through the waves but need to treat it more like crossing a bar and timing you'r entry rather than trying to surf it in. The three hulls mean it is still stable but the potential for damage if you got it side on would be high.

Thanks for all the input guys, think I'll be launching from bay-side to play it safe then. Can't wait to get my hands on the AI next spring & try out some great sailing/fishing.

As already said more than 2ft puts you in the Wealthy/Adventurous class.

A friend had a wave dump on his float during Launch and the downward water pressure popped his Float off the Forward Port side, of course the boat tipped straight over and he was lucky to recover it without too much damage, he is less courageous now.

_________________
Fair Skies, Max.