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Color....a practical question
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=46653		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  dboddy [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 9:16 am ]
Post subject:  Color....a practical question
So I'm at that point where I need to decide on color. I have read through many of the posts regarding the speed advantages of each. My question addresses a more practical concern for my situation.

Living and boating here in Florida presents a problem with regard to how much heat a color will absorb while in the sun. I know that, while underway, this might not be much of a consideration. But when sitting on a beach or parked out in the sun for a few hours, I'm concerned with a couple of potential issues. First is the surface temp of the boat itself. I would think that the Dune color would absorb the least amount of sunlight and remain relatively cool to the touch. The second concern would be about how much the hulls expand and contract due to heat.

Would love to hear from some other owners in the sunshine state or other hot climates. :)

Thanks!
Author:  Kal-P-Dal [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 9:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Color....a practical question
The only color for me is yellow (or Golden Papaya in Hobie language) but I know that some bugs & insects are drawn to this color.
It has been no problem for me ...yet! But one day I will be at the wrong place at the wrong time and zillions of bugs will admire my Hobie AI as much as I do. Close.

God Luck with choice of color!
(Golden Papaya is noticeable faster than other colors) :D

br thomas
Author:  KayakingBob [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 10:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Color....a practical question
Yellow (Golden Papaya) is much cooler than the red in direct sun and can be seen from a much farther distance on the water here in Hawaii.
Author:  fusioneng [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 11:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Color....a practical question
dboddy:
Our first Hobies were a red Oasis, and a Yellow Revo, I picked red thinking you could see it better on the water. The red turned out to be very hot in the Florida sun and Dune was not yet available when we bought out boats. It was also much easier to see my wifes yellow revo out in the water. When we traded in the Oasis and bought a TI, we picked Yellow. Probably 90% of the Hobies down here are yellow. If you want something different pick Dune, but they are harder to spot out in the water not sure how important that is though, a drunk powerboater in a go fast cigarrete boat will mow you down at 100 mph regardless of your boat color, though you might have a chance to get out of the way with the faster yellow boat.
I'm not sure about the yellow color attracting bugs, up where we live (Sarasota, Orlando (central Florida)) there aren't enough bugs to worry about, when you get down into the Glades it might be different.

Chekika is king of the everglades (highly respected by all), he can give us an honest answer on the color/bug question once and for all.

Living near Orlando you might want to pick a color that Gators don't like, I heard of a 21 footer caught in Winterhaven a couple weeks ago. (see topic viewtopic.php?f=48&t=46582 ). If they think anything like bulls red = bad
Bob
Author:  augaug [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 1:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Color....a practical question
dboddy wrote:
The second concern would be about how much the hulls expand and contract due to heat.

I'm not sure that this is too much of a problem. On my Bravo, when I pop the hatch, or open the drain plugs, there is often a huge rush of air due to the expansion of air when the boat sits sealed up in the sun. However the Adventure Island, Revolution, and Oasis kayaks have never had a real problem with expansion or contraction due to heat.

My Bravo is white, the Oasis is yellow, and the other two were red. The Bravo is the worst, but I think that's because the rudder lines, and their tiny holes into the hatch allow the kayak hulls to breath just enough to deal with the issue. After realizing how much pressure can build up in the Bravo, I always loosen the drain plugs on that boat, but I've never worried as much about the kayaks. If it's going to sit in the sun for the day, I'd loosen the plugs or pop a hatch, but if you're in and out of the water for a day, I wouldn't worry too much.

If it were me, I'd buy the color that appeals to you the most.

I've always liked the look of the red boats the best, but the Yellow Oasis that I have now is definitely more visible from a distance than the red ones were. It makes my wife feel safe. Safety is 99% people, and no more than 1% boats, so don't let a bright color fool you into thinking that it's going to keep you safe.

Personally, I like the Dune quite a bit too. It looks more mature, less "toy" and more "boat" to me.
Author:  stringy [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 1:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Color....a practical question
Roadrunner posted a very interesting color comparison here:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12581&p=69904
Actually if you search for 'color' and author 'Roadrunner' you'll get lots of great color info. 8)
Author:  NOHUHU [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 1:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Color....a practical question
KayakingBob wrote:
Yellow (Golden Papaya) is much cooler than the red in direct sun and can be seen from a much farther distance on the water here in Hawaii.
RED is going to be the hottest by far, but it will also sail and fade faster. It has to do with red molecules vibrating faster and attracting more electrons/fish/supermodels/ etc. Live fast-die hard, and all. :wink:

If the biting bugs are truly attracted to heat (our exhalation I believe) then you may get more bites with red and yellow. So just splash on more bug juice.

Recently, we measured the body temp of the RED TI at >130 deg in direct Hawaiian sun.

We have no interest in measuring other colors.

Hope this helps.
Author:  Chekika [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 2:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Color....a practical question
Geez, NOHUHU, how can it be helpful? You only talked about red.

Keith
Author:  NOHUHU [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 2:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Color....a practical question
Let's just say RED is sizzling hot, and more than some can handle.

Maybe this will clarify:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9h2U41dX18[/youtube]

Ladies, approach RED Hobies with caution. Be careful where you sit! :twisted:
Author:  Tom Kirkman [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 2:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Color....a practical question
I have a red AI and a dune TI. I like both but prefer the dune.
Author:  DogsLife [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 3:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Color....a practical question
I have a red TI and Dune AI. I prefer the Dune. Something in Watertribe that we call STEALTH...
Author:  dboddy [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 5:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Color....a practical question
Thanks for all the replies..."most" were helpful. :) Looks like the yellow wins out this time. The Dune was located much further away and the yellow, which is closer, came in at a lower price. Either way I'm super excited. Been waiting a long time for this day. Pickup is Thursday.

Gulf coast...here I come!!! :)
Author:  augaug [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 7:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Color....a practical question
dboddy wrote:
Either way I'm super excited. Been waiting a long time for this day. Pickup is Thursday.

Gulf coast...here I come!!!

Pick up day is always a fun day! Congrats on the new boat, you'll love it!
Author:  TIDALWAVE [ Wed Feb 27, 2013 8:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Color....a practical question
:D Some friends of mine prefer the dune color. They feel that it makes their Hobies look more 'professional'. Almost all monohull sailboats come in a white/dune color.
I bought Papaya/yellow. I liked the 'flash'. I owned both a red and a yellow Ford Mustang. I preferred the yellow color and so did my friends. When I down sized from my white monohull to my Tandem...I chose yellow including the fact that it would be more easily seen if I had the sail furled.
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