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PostPosted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 6:03 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 5:24 am
Posts: 2
It all started when I took my 2009 Adventure Island out for a paddle and being new to the AI, found it harder and harder to get up to speed as time went on. I stopped for a walk around on the shore before jumping back on to paddle back and noticed my bag in the back was wet. I thought it was sitting a bit low in the water and this was confirmed when trying to pull the craft from the water back at my start point. It was half full of water!! :o

Getting home I set about finding where it was ingesting water and found, soon enough, a crack forward of the mirage drive starting on the seam weld on the vertical surface and extending to the hull set nut about an inch forward of the mirage drive hole. Having read on forums and spoken to workmates/friends about Hobies, I contacted a dealer based in SE Queensland. Although I am based in Perth I figured being a dedicated Hobie dealer he could tell me how to repair it, but after reading a few similar topics on this and other forums, it wasn't looking good for a repair. The Hobie Warranty manager then contacted my local Getaway Outdoors store who confirmed that being such a structurally critical area, there was not a lot they could do as far as welding goes. After contacting Hobie to thank them for the help so far and that I would just try my luck with local plastic welders, out of the blue the next day I received a phone call saying that Hobie would replace my hull. It would be a 2012 model 2nd hand model but it would float!! :D

A few weeks later I was told the hull was in and I could come and swap them over whenever I was ready. Well, if it was 2nd hand it was maybe used in a showroom but it didn't look like it had even been in the water. It looked absolutely freaking incredible! Hobie has been the most pro active, up front company I have ever dealt with, from dealers to waranty support to product satisfaction. It is good to see that customer feedback, product R & D and advancing material technology actually go in to releasing better and more innovative products every year instead of just releasing a new colour range or graphics scheme every year to keep making sales and making the company money.

I would like to thank Mal from Sunstate Hobie, Jim from Hobie warranty and Shane from Getaway Outdoors for all of your help and giving me an early Christmas present like I've never had before. Just thought I would say thanks and let people know what they are paying for when buying a Hobie - not just a great product, but also incredible service.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 5:14 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:58 am
Posts: 2893
Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
Another awesome reason why I love my Hobie, and rave to strangers at the boat ramp about how brilliant the company is.

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


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 7:32 pm 
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Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2008 2:32 am
Posts: 1807
Location: Terrigal NSW, Australia
You'll love the new bigger rudder on your new hull. It's a bit less convenient when manipulating the boat out of the water, but it improves the balance and handling of the boat enormously. Hint: Don't throw away your old crossbars and akas.

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 1:56 am 
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Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 5:11 am
Posts: 50
Brilliant outcome Toyhoarder...!!!!


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 6:57 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 5:24 am
Posts: 2
Yeah, I've always been happy to be a Hobie ambassador but even more so now, and I have the hull to prove it! I removed the crossbars and akas before the swap and am currently freshening up the paint.

I noticed the new hull, still covered in bubble wrap didn't have the rudder sticking up and thought I would have to strip my old one off but yes, when I unwrapped it that fantastic new design rudder was underneath, just waiting to be slotted in. So much more solid than the old design, very cool 8)

Hmm.. I wonder if Hobie can help with this weather now? :lol:


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 8:16 pm 
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Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:12 pm
Posts: 92
My TI just recently had the same fate.

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I am amazed that the only fix is to replace the hull! Going through heavy TI withdrawal!

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2012 Mango Tandem Island
and assortment of mods.


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 9:17 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:58 am
Posts: 2893
Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
Sharri, I am sure it is an easy decision for Hobie:-
* Muck around with plastic welding, with results varying according to the skill of the welder, the location of the fault etc etc, and maybe a question mark over the success of the weld, or
* Donate a bucket of plastic granules to the mold and spit out a brand spanking new hull (I realise that Hobie might actually supply a cosmetically flawed, but structurally sound, replacement hull rather than specifically mold a new one)

I know which alternative would allow me to sleep better, even if withdrawal symptoms are the price to pay!

(Perhaps it would be inappropriate to mention that I am going out tonight on my TI to catch even more prawns than I got last night - freezer space is the limiting factor. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: )

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


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 7:21 pm 
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Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:12 pm
Posts: 92
toyhoarder wrote:
Yeah, I've always been happy to be a Hobie ambassador but even more so now, and I have the hull to prove it! I removed the crossbars and akas before the swap and am currently freshening up the paint.

What was swapped between hulls. Or what wasn’t. Your choice, shortest list.

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2012 Mango Tandem Island
and assortment of mods.


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