Hobie Cat Forums

Hello - I am new to this forum, and new to kayaking, and need some advice. I am looking at potentially buying a used 2007 Revolution 13. Can anyone give me any advice about what to look for, and also, if there have been any issues with this model that have since been corrected in later model years? I sincerely appreciate any help you can offer!

Thanks, Bill

Hi Bill,

No issues as such, but the biggest difference between a 2007 and a newer model is the Mirage Drive.

In 2009 Hobie made some changes to the drive, and it has since been known as the V2 Mirage Drive. However, should you have any issues, parts are still available for the V1 drive.

Oatesy.

Bill:
We owned a 2007 revo, it is a great boat. There are a couple other minor differences between the newer model also. The rudder up/down lever is an older design, but is usually sufficient. There is I believe an upgrade kit available for the newer up/down system, but we never bothered to upgrade (the old system worked fine).
Same with the mirage drive system, there is an upgrade available to upgrade the drives to V2, but again we never bothered, nothing wrong with the old design.
When looking at the boat verify that the mirage drive is in working order, though they can be repaired quite easily.
The Revo is not known for hull failures as much as some other models, but it is important to inspect the area at the front of the mirage pocket for cracks (most likely failure point).
Scratches on the bottom are normal on a used boat, not much you can do to prevent scratches with the soft hull, but excessive scratches or very deep scratches can be a problem (though deep scratches can be repaired by the dealer, or someone with experience in such repairs). A heavily scratched and worn boat has less value, a used revo in good condition is quite valuable. I would definately put it in the water and make sure it doesn't leak (close inspection of the entire hull is important). My advise to anyone buying a Hobie is to take care of it, they hold their value quite well.
If the mesh pockets are badly faded (mine were), replacements can be purchased from Austin Kayak online or any dealer.
We had the sailing kit and sailing rudder on ours, and loved to sail (always carried the sail with us)
Good luck you will enjoy the boat.
Bob

Oatesy and Bob - thanks so much for your advice - I really appreciate it. I am either going to look at the boat tonight or on Saturday morning, but leaning toward Saturday, as I really do think its a good idea to put it in the water and test it out. My perception from talking to the owner is that he loved it, and used it often, so it is not one of those boats for sale that have been used once or twice. Since the Mirage drive system is mechanical in nature, one of my concerns are that it could be fairly worn, but it sounds like there are replacement parts available at a reasonable price.

Thanks again!
Bill

Check for hairline cracks below the waterline around the area of the drivewell - these cracks are not too common but do occur and if they do, while they don't look significant, they tend to flex during pedalling and effectively "pump" water into the the boat; they are also difficult to fix effectively in the drivewell.

The particular area to check closely is the drivewell especially the front of the drivewell where the drive rests on the boat hull.

I would also check the area around the scupper plugs in the cargo bay (especially if the boat has been used with a plug-in cart) and round the seat plugs in the cockpit for cracks just to be sure.

If the boat has the older screw-down knurled knob clamps for the drive you should check inside the boat to ensure that the 'cam columns', through which the cam bolts run, are not broken or cracked. If the boat has the newer click'n'go clamps you should be OK.

Hope this helps.

Thanks everyone. I went to look at the Kayak on Sunday, and it was not in as good of condition as I had anticipated, and the buyer was firm on his price. I ended up putting a deposit down on a 2012 demo Revo 11, going to pick it up this weekend! It seems well suited for my size (170 lbs), and for what I want to do with it (mostly touring).

Thanks again everyone for taking the time to give me advice!

Bill

No problem Bill.

Enjoy!

Nice buy!

_________________
A couple of Sports
3 Revo 13s