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 Post subject: AI vs Oasis
PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:02 am 
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Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 3:27 pm
Posts: 8
The AI tandem is my dream water craft, although I have never been in one. It would take me quite a few years to save the money required for the boat and trailer. I had the chance to rent a tandem odyssey before and I absolutely loved it, was amazed at how fast you can go even with just one person peddling. I see that you can add inflatable Ama's and a sail kit to the odyssey. What would be the pros and cons between this rig and the AI?

I also saw that you can add these same features to an inflatable. I would like everyone’s opinion on this as well as I live in an apartment so I would have to pay 100.00 dollars per month to rent a garage to store my AI whereas with the inflatable I would not have to buy a trailer or rent the storage.

Thank you to anyone for their insight.


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 Post subject: Re: AI vs Oasis
PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 8:14 am 
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Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:43 am
Posts: 483
Location: Long Island NY
There is no comparison between the AI/TI and the other Mirage Kayaks with a sail kit and inflatable outriggers added. That is not to say that you will not have fun and be able to enjoy the Oasis set up for sailing but it will not be anywhere near as stable as an AI/TI nor capable of of winds much greater than 10 knots (Im guessing here but I've sailed our Outback with the sail kit and outriggers and I wouldn't want to be out in anything much past a nice breeze).

... you could build up on the Oasis and see if you like it - buying some time for the eventual AI/TI purchase. Qho knows .. your situation may change by then

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Alan W.

Papaya AI2 to replace my well worn V1
TheTwins - His/Hers 2007 Papaya Hobie Adventure Island's (v1.00.01)
.. and a Hobie Outback SUV


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 Post subject: Re: AI vs Oasis
PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 6:23 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 6:50 pm
Posts: 66
I have a wavewalker pedal yak that I fitted with a Hobie sail used for $200 and rapidly found out big wind would knock me down so
I spent $345 on a Spring Creek Kayak Stabilizer kit (very well built). Sailed it twice was really fun. The minute I saw the AI on the water I had to have it. Sold a testicle. Have since sold the sail kit and have the stabilizer kit for sale to try and buy my boy back. I fish hard and am working my way up to sailing hard. Save your money and buy the Adventure Island. Better to buy a beater AI than jury rig the other hull.


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 Post subject: Re: AI vs Oasis
PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 6:31 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jun 17, 2013 5:25 pm
Posts: 387
Location: Jaco, Costa Rica
Just to clarify, the author is speaking of a TI, not an AI, although there are many similarities, there are also many differences, such as size and weight.

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Mark
Tandem Island- 2013
2 - Sports - 2014


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 Post subject: Re: AI vs Oasis
PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 7:01 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:58 am
Posts: 2893
Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
Strange, as he mentions an AI twice.

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker


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 Post subject: Re: AI vs Oasis
PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 8:50 pm 
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Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:26 pm
Posts: 69
My first hobie was an Oasis. I really loved that kayak, kids were quite small then and we used to go out fishing with me in the back, son in the front and daughter sitting in the stern. A real "family" kayak and we used it for fishing or put the anker and went snorkelling.

Then I bought the sail and the problem started...even with the tiny sail it was sooo much fun to ride the kayak without peddling (it sailed fine even without the inflatable ammas). Considering that the Oasis is not made for sailing and the sail is really small I was surprised how well this little thing performed in light winds...it even could sail upwind.

After 6 months or so using the sail on the Oasis I wanted to go farther out and sail faster so one day I went to my dealer, saw the TI in the showroom and bought it on the spot. (wifey wasn't too happy about it but that's another story...).

I still remember the first time out on the TI...it was only 5 knots wind but it felt like I was flying..(compared to the sailing on the Oasis) - I was literally "blown away"...

Since then never ever used the Oasis again and sold it after a year sitting in the garage...

So my advise would be - if you want a kayak to have some fun with the family and you are OK with exploring the shorelines in a 3 mile radius or so go for the Oasis. If you ever seriously consider sailing (which is sooo easy on the AI/TI) and foresee that you will spend much time on the water don't waste your money on the Oasis...get the TI right away - it is "another league". The ease to use it, the range and the comfort (if you have tramps) is amazing.

(..it seems most guys here who started with normal kayaks never used them again once they got an AI/TI...I guess that pretty much speaks for itself).

peace
Serbi


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 Post subject: Re: AI vs Oasis
PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 7:01 am 
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Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 3:27 pm
Posts: 8
Thank you for all your advise. I guess I should be saying TI as I would want to have the option to bring a family or friend along.

I would be going solo a lot on the TI and only having somone else with me about %25 of the time. Will I be greatly dissapointed in the performance of the TI vs. the AI? I had my teenage son with me in the front of the Tandem oasis when we rented it and I was still impressed with the speed even when it was only me peddeling the mirage drive. I was thinking that the tandem would not be too much of a hinderance for me solo.

I also would like to know if you can completley remove the Amas from the kayak. I have gone down the American River in Sacramento ,which is a mild rapids and would like to have the option of taking the TI and paddeling down the river.


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 Post subject: Re: AI vs Oasis
PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 7:15 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 6:29 pm
Posts: 2763
Location: High Point, NC
Under sail, the TI is a delight. It also pedals well in solo mode, with the only real difficulty being that in high winds the bow tends to want to blow around on you. It requires a little more speed to maintain directional steerage, which is true with all boats, the difficulty increasing as the boat gets larger/longer. But I do it all the time.

Yes you can remove everything right down to a regular kayak hull. Not sure how good it would be for river paddling trips, but it should certainly be doable.

Are you intending to get more involved in sailing? Or just pedaling/paddling? If the former, get the TI. If the latter, I might swing to the Oasis.


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 Post subject: Re: AI vs Oasis
PostPosted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 9:51 am 
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Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 3:27 pm
Posts: 8
Tom,

Do you recomend placing any balast in the front seat when going it solo?


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 Post subject: Re: AI vs Oasis
PostPosted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 4:07 am 
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Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
Posts: 3058
Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
We were long time kayakers before buying our tandem island. Our story is very similar to serbi's. once we got the TI the oasis and revolutions just sat for a year or two unused until we sold them. We also sold our sea ray powerboat, and sunfish, and only have just the TI now. We are out every weekend all year round on the TI. We think of our TI as our SUV, and use it for everything. We are campers and have traveled all over the country with kayaks on our roof for a very long time now. In reality the TI is easier to load onto my roof than our oasis was, I think because it is longer, it is easier to load, I cannot tell the weight difference between the boats, as a kayak the TI is maybe 10 lbs heavier it seems, which is not noticeable to me. However as a kayak the TI is by a large margin Hobies best and fastest kayak, way faster and better than our old oasis was in my opinion. When solo in the TI it is much better to be in the front seat, it was designed this way and all your sailing controls (ie.. Centerboard, harken cleats, furler, etc) are only usuable from the front seat. And the boat is balanced perfectly ( no need for any ballast). Make sure you get the trampoline option, with the tramps you can hike out when sailing. In the back seat you are completely trapped back there, and you always have the sail control lines trying to take your head off. Plus as Tom mentioned when it's windy and your in the back, the bow is way out of the water, and it's hard to steer.
Another big thing for us is since this is our family boat, you can easily carry 4 adults on the TI, with the tramp option (we do it all the time). The two seat oasis kayak has a weight capacity of 550 lbs , the 2 seat TI kayak has a weight capacity of 600 lbs, plus it is much bigger ( and faster) with much more storage when adventuring and camping in kayak mode. Now the only reason hobie doesn't increase the weight capacity with tha AMA's and tramps is because they do not want to step on their sailing line of boats ( that's really obvious). It takes at least 300 lbs of weight to sink each AMA, and each tramp is rated at 200 lbs. Because both the AMA's and the tramps are removable, their weight plaque cannot be changed which reads 600 lbs an 2 passengers ( the kayak itself weight spec). Think about it the TI is the largest boat that Hobie makes, bigger than even the getaway yet has the lowest weight and passenger capacity. If you look at all the videos of families on TI's you will see what I'm talking about.
Everyone has different needs, as kayakers we have owned 7 Hobies now, and loved every one of them, Hobie by far makes the best boats out there, I consider the TI to be the ultimate boat for our many needs as a family boat and of course all of this is just my opinion, and our specific needs.
As far as economics go our sea ray was $60k plus $5k per yr maint and storage( not including fuel), our revo's were $1800 ea (x2), the oasis was around $2400, and I think the sunfish was around $5k. You can add all that up, or just get a TI for $5500 and replace all that other stuff with a boat that does all the same stuff we did with all the other boats combined (true story). It was a bargain for us, comparing to what we spent already.
Hope this helps
Bob


Last edited by fusioneng on Thu Sep 05, 2013 7:14 am, edited 3 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: AI vs Oasis
PostPosted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 6:34 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 6:29 pm
Posts: 2763
Location: High Point, NC
I generally try to trim the boat with a little gear in the forward seat. I might put my cooler or a drybag or box with some supplies in it up there. I believe it does help when pushing into the wind under pedal power.

Of course, it's not hard to get up from the rear and move to the front if you run into a situation where the wind is strong enough to blow the bow around. In that case the boat operates better from the forward seat. But, I hardly ever sit up there I find the boat sails great from the rear seat (I can access all the controls easily) - it's drier and easier to watch the telltales on the sail without straining your neck.


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 Post subject: Re: AI vs Oasis
PostPosted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 8:52 am 
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Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 3:27 pm
Posts: 8
Wow, Thank you Bob and Tom, now I am even more determined to get this boat. Now I just need to learn to fish!


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