What does the lack of new TI info today mean?

Mark:
I'm pretty sure Hobie bit off a little more than they can chew this year, and are severely overloaded internally. I own a small industrial design/engineering company and am in manufacturing, I mostly work with much larger firms (Hobie is a very small company). I understand what it takes to design and get things to market (that's what I do). I also know really good design when I see it and admire Hobie very much for what they do (as an engineer). In my eyes the best just keeps on getting better. As an example their new vantage ct seats though I have not seen one yet, from my trained eyes is a huge engineering accomplishment in injection molding, and for them to be able to incorporate across their whole line is huge in my eyes. Even though I haven't seen one up close, or even sat in one, I understand the manufacturing complexities of such things and admire what Hobie has done.
Same applies to the new mirage drive, as an engineer I admire the mirage drives design and almost bullet proof implementation, ( I have literally thousands of miles on all of my mirage drives and have never had a failure). With the new design an additional ten percent performance increase may seem small, but from my standpoint and knowledge I consider this to be another giant leap. The best just keeps getting better.
The boat you ordered totally sight unseen and on blind faith lol (the 2015 TI), I consider to be Hobies flagship product, where pretty much every kayak owner I have met aspires to own one (based on my own experience of people walking up to me out of the blue and admiring my TI, almost without exception they all say 'man I wish I had one of those'. From my eyes Hobie invented a totally new market segment with their adventure line of boats. Believe it or not I even have people roll down their windows at stop light and tell me my boat is the coolest thing they have ever seen.
I'm confident you will be very happy with what you are getting. I suspect the thread you started, and your inquiries forced them to show their hand (I'm glad they did). I suspect the will set a record now on pre-ordered boats (ordering and buying sight unseen) now we know what is coming (thanks to you).
The really cool part about my TI is underneath it's a lock stock TI right off the showroom floor with zero modifications to the boat itself (besides dropping a small plate behind the mast for additional strength (which is removable)). If I ordered a new TI tomorrow I could have all my stuff on it in about an hour (exactly what I did on the last two new TI's I bought). You can probably tell that I want the new one pretty bad (lol), now even more so (based on a photo shopped picture (lol)).
Bob

Cheez Bob I kinda now feel like Henny Penny aka chicken little. Especially if I caused them more (art) work. LOL

Oh well, the picture relieves all my fears and hopefully everyone else.

I don't see the "Lowrance-Ready Built-in Transducer Mount" on the web page... Did I just miss it?

Thanks!

The web page got updated several time yesterday, first there was nothing, then a little more, then more. You have to scroll down to see the new mirage drive, the vantage seat an the transducer mount stuff. It mysteriously updates every few hours. I'm sure the double bungys will be on there as soon as the art guy realizes he forgot them.
Cool stuff
Bob

Pretty much the same sentiment here. I feel that if any design change issues pop up, Hobie will make it good. I've read of many such cases on here. Even my old AI got a free rudder deployment upgrade from Hobie, so my mind is at ease. I would have been fine with the current seats etc. but since the wife has a case of "sissy butt", she put up 30% , and we went with new. + I wanted Ivory & blue any way.

You guys and Hobie get all the kinks out of the new 2015 design, so 2016 will be perfect and I'll be ready to buy. My only concern with the TI is pulling that darn thing up the steep sandy shore on landing, out of the swell. Would have to be very conscientious of the tides with the TI, for landing purposes. Guess, as one guy, I would have to tear the TI down to just the hull, to get to the trailer. Would love to pull the trigger now on one of these babies, but I'm going to stay pat with my 2014 AI for another year and let the kinks work out on the 2015's. Besides I should get at least two years out of the AI before I move on. Be looking forward to your guys reports on the new TI and AI.

_________________
Mark
Tandem Island- 2013
2 - Sports - 2014

bit disappointed they haven't chosen to revise and beef up
the rudder and pin design. as we all know they fail when you least expect it and nobody wants to be changing them on the water . i was hoping for some kind of spring up mechanism that you can clip back into place...

Might be repeat info, but I came across this today. First I have heard about much larger amas on the 2015 TI

2015 Tandem Island Update
Each ama on the 2015 Tandem Island is much longer and more bouyant vs the 2014 Adventure Tandem Island which had smaller shorter amas.
Reshaped, reverse angle bows.
Elevated seating via the new Vantage ST Seat.
Lowrance-Ready Built-In Transducer Mount.

https://www.strictlysailinc.com/2014/09 ... rovements/

_________________
2015 Hobie TI Dune

You have misinterepreted the information, please see my other post.

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

That is a reference to the Adventure Island... not the Tandem.

Very little is changing about the Tandem Island hulls and over all design. The majority is cosmetic to match the bows of the AI, Vantage seats and Lowrance-ready feature, GT drives. Other minor tweaks like removing side handles and slight change to the sail foot for head clearance. Nothing really structural (besides the seat areas).

Production is still estimated to start in December.

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

They fixed the link with the correct info now showing - the larger amas are only on the new AI, not the TI- (those will only get a refresh with a reverse angle - not longer)
https://www.strictlysailinc.com/2014/09 ... rovements/

_________________
Jacques Bernier
http://www.hobie.com/
http://www.facebook.com/HobieCatCompany

Seriously?
So it's true. No handles on either AI or TI?
No mention of the remote draining scupper.
Is the TI getting that?

I strongly suggest you don't remove the handles on the TI, there was never any issues with the handles on the TI, anyone who car tops a TI really has to have those handles to be able to manipulate the hull. Removing the handles would be a for sure show stopper for me.
Bob

Remote drains are another change... goes with the CT seat area change.

Handles were not included on the new AI to reduce splash. Accessory handles are simple enough to install, but I'll review further with Engineers to see what their thinking was / is.

The handles are really best for pulling the boat over. Once upside down, you have to move your grip to gain balance, so a fixed position handle can never be in just the right spot anyway.

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

The handles are also great for grabbing while pedalling, hiking out from the seat and assisting in loading onto a dolly cart. Where they are now is a great position. The only negative is splashing and I'm prepared to put up with that for the sake of keeping the handles.
I have to ask if those who make these decisions are actually regular users of the AI/TI?
I'm beginning to wonder?