2015 Seat Issue

Greetings all, I'm new to this forum, new to sailing, and a new 2015 TI owner. So far I love the boat and have been enjoying it thoroughly. I've been out on it about a dozen times so far on beautiful Lake Champlain in Vermont. Each and every time I go out I have to plan time for the many people who compliment the boat and want to know more about it. I've even had a huge sailing yacht come up from behind me in the middle of the lake and everyone on board was giving the TI the thumbs up.

My only gripe is very minor but I would like to try to fix it if I can just the same. The 2015 seats are awesome: super comfortable and highly adjustable. The only problem I have with them is that when I'm peddling, the right side of the seat where it attaches to the mounting bar flexes up and down, just a bit. This is no big deal except for the fact that it creates a grating squeaking sound, kind of like fingers on a chalk board. After a few miles of this it gets quite irritating. I carefully checked to see that the seat was properly mounted and it was, both sides were firmly attached. So then I checked the other seat in the front of the boat and it does the exact same thing, so I ruled out a possible defect with just one seat/mount. The problem occurs due to two plastic surfaces rubbing together during the flexing, so I lubricated both surfaces with a silicone lubricant safe for plastics. This worked well and the squeaking was greatly reduced. However after several more times out the squeaking has now become more of a clunking probably due to the seat flexing a little more than before. This is as annoying as the squeaking. Again this is a minor problem and one which does not affect the operation of the boat at all, just the overall enjoyment. I don't think it qualifies as a warranty problem, it's more of a design issue than a defect. And it's not just me that it bothers, two of my passengers have mentioned it without any prior input from me. If I can just fix it the boat would be that much more enjoyable.

So my question to anyone owning a 2015 TI or AI is are you experiencing the same thing? If so have you found a way to resolve it? Any insight would be appreciated.

Is it possible to get some video of the issue?

Remove the seats and check the bar is locked solidly left and right.

Install the seats and be certain they are locked to the bar left and right. Should be very little movement if properly locked.

The fabric contact to plastic can squeak. A spray of dry silicone fixes that.

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

I do not notice any flexing of one side of the seat when pedalling. As Matt has said, lift straight up on the front of the seat to make sure you have engaged the lock on both sides. I still have to do two or three tries before getting both sides latched securely when I install the seats.

-CC

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2015 TI
2009 AI (sold)
Lake Travis, Ladybird Lake, Rockport/Aransas/Padre Island
Texas, USA

That sounds to me like the seat isn't correctly positioned on the support bar, and this is easy to get wrong if you haven't been shown the trick to getting it right each time. If you look closely you can tell if it is seated correctly. Install the seat, then look underneath... is the semi-tube neatly positioned on the support bar, or is the seat sticking up at one end a bit? If the latter, there's your problem.

To install correctly, use your fingers and thumb to press the semi-tube onto the support bar (as opposed to just placing it on). You'll find that if you press them together, when you swing the seat back it will fit perfectly and the seat should remain steady

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Kayak Fishing Specialist: SLH
https://slhobie.com.au

I have the same issue with my new AI.

Yep I've struggled, epically I might add, at the boat ramp trying to get those damn seats to lock in. One side will, but not the other. Take it off, try reseating. Now it's the opposite side that won't lock in place.

Maybe I need to revisit the dealer for a refresher lesson in how to install the seats.

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

_________________
2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

Place the seat into the seat well.

Be sure the seat is at the aft wall. The seat will settle over the bar at the front.

Be sure the seat is centered on the bar.

Press down and aft on the front of the seat.

Lift the rear of the seat to about 30 degrees. Until you feel a "click" as the seat frame engages the bar fitting at each end.

Lower the aft and pull up of the front to check that front, left and right, are locked in.

Attach the lanyard at the back of the seat.

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The outer ends of the bar has flat surfaces and just to the front is a key (lump?) that engages the seat frame recess... key way.

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

Thank you for the replies but I assure everyone the seat is 100% properly secured. When I purchased the boat back in April I thoroughly read the manual and even carefully viewed the Hobie video on how to properly mount the seat and practised again and again until I had it down cold. Neither side will lift up when pulled and the seat is very securely mounted. The mounting bar itself is also securely latched and the problem occurs at all seat heights. This is definitely not a issue caused by improper mounting.

As I stated in my first post, the seat flexes up and down only very slightly when pedaling, and only on the front, right hand side, but it's enough to cause the squeaking sound. If you lubricate it with silicone it then causes a clunking sound as it flexes which is just as bad. It is not a functional issue, the slight flexing causes no malfunction at all. My only issue is with the noise. Sailing can be rough and tumble but calmer wind and water sailing/kayaking is usually very peaceful. So listening to a constant, repetitive squeak or clunk can be very irritating and take away from that peaceful experience. That's the only reason I want to find a solution. Both my front and rear seats do this so I don't think it's a defect of any kind.

I will try to take a video, I don't have a Go Pro or other waterproof video camera so I'll have to see if I can borrow one from someone.

In the meantime if anyone has or finds a solution or can offer any suggestions please post it here. Thank you.

My seats don't make a noise that I have noticed.
I put a wrap of velcro around the center of my seat mounting bar to keep the seat from coming off accidentally. You might be able to do the same thing on the loose side to keep it from moving and squeaking. Maybe try silicone grease rather than spray lube. It's a lot thicker and more likely to stay put. It's available from most plumbing places or home brewing stores.
If there's a great deal of clearance between the two parts that are squeaking maybe a strip of gaffers tape or something similar in between would quiet it down.
These are bandaid fixes, if there's a big difference in how loose the seat is on one side it sounds like a part tolerance issue.
I'm sure my dealer would replace whatever was necessary to fix it.
Chris

Thanks Matt! Worked like a charm last weekend.

_________________
2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

Awesome!

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

There is some possibility that the seat is not the issue. If the hull area where the seat feet contact the hull is a little low on one corner, then this could be the culprit.

I'd shim the offending foot with a couple piece thickness (or whatever thickness it takes) of Gorilla or duct tape so that everything sits flush and give it a try. If that fixes the issue, then you can move forward with a more permanent repair/fix.

Thanks, you may be on to something, I'll definitely look into this.

I took the boat out today and noticed that the problem gets worse the higher the seat is adjusted. I prefer one down from the highest position but the flexing/creaking/clunking is least noticeable in the lowest position. It also depends on how you pedal. If you pedal slowly and gently the problem is much less noticeable than if you pedal with more force and movement. This may be why some people notice the problem while others don't. I'm a tennis player so my legs are strong and I pedal with a lot of force. My son is even stronger and when he pedals it's even more noticeable.

The wind was dead calm today so my son and I pedaled for over seven miles. The longer the boat is pedaled the worse the problem gets. I now carry silicone grease on board but it only lasts a few miles before it wears off. If I can't find a permanent fix I may try to lock the seat in a single position to reduce the flexing.