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PostPosted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 5:55 am 
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Hi Hobie experts!

Out of all the Hobie boats available, which one would you consider the best choice considering this wish list: :?:

1. launch in small surf (1-3' - and breaks hard on the inside)
2. durability - keeping it on the beach 24-7
3. easy to sail (family boat for all ages and abilities)
4. light enough to haul up and down the beach on cat trax - single handed would be nice

we've been looking at the Hobie Wave and the Hobie Island Adventure Tandem... any thoughts?

we have a Hobie 16 now but since my back injury :cry: - it really has become a beast to move up and down the beach for launching - beach nourishment has created a wonderful dune line to protect our family beach house against high surf and threat of hurricanes but it's a struggle to push the 16 back up the beach after sailing.
I'd like the option to be able to launch a Hobie by myself but still have the option of bringing along 1-2 people (including children and pets). am I asking too much? :lol:


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 8:31 am 
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The TI is lighter then the wave, according to the specs sheet but has less capacity. 245lbs (wave) vs 190 (TI) and the H16 weighs 320lbs.


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 8:08 pm 
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Location: Charlotte, NC
we were out on our 16 Sunday, in very light breezes, and sailed over to a Hobie Island Adventure Tandem to check her out. They were using sail and peddling and kept up with us close hauled for a while (with just the wife in front peddling after a time 8)). My son and I both agreed we'd a closer look at one if we had the chance.

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 2:47 pm 
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Location: Memphis, TN
abbynormal wrote:
we have a Hobie 16 now but since my back injury :cry: - it really has become a beast to move up and down the beach for launching - beach nourishment has created a wonderful dune line to protect our family beach house against high surf and threat of hurricanes but it's a struggle to push the 16 back up the beach after sailing.
I'd like the option to be able to launch a Hobie by myself but still have the option of bringing along 1-2 people (including children and pets). am I asking too much? :lol:


Hard to think of a better beach boat than the Hobie 16. There are lighter (high tech) boats but not durable like the H16 so you wouldn't want to leave them on the beach anyway.

Have you got a good set of beach wheels? These things make rolling a Hobie 16 a one person job, even uphill on soft sand. New ones are expensive, but worth it.
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 4:12 pm 
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YES, I agree the Hobie 16 is the best beach Hobie! I've sailed most of my life in the Atlantic Ocean! Yes, I have the exact same Cat Trax... and, yes, they are awesome in soft sand.

Let me clarify: my problem is that I suffered a back injury which prevents me from being able to move my 16 around like I used to... instead of going solo, I have to have not 1 but at least 2 friends help with moving and launching my 16 on the beach. Don't get me wrong, it's a blast to sail with my friends but I miss my option of being able to sail solo, which I did alot... and I can't anymore :(

If I could move a Bravo or Wave by myself and sail solo... albeit, lose the performance of the 16, believe it or not, I'd be extremely happy. I think it would be alot better than not being able to sail at all :( (an option I just can't handle right now).

Also, I have to disagree with you about the durability factor. I've owned Hobies all my life... from the 14 Turbo to numerous 16s. The fiberglass is not very durable. I've repaired the decks of many hulls (epoxy injection) through the years. The rotomolded hulls are alot more durable... my neighbor has a'99 Wave that's been on the beach since he bought it new and the hulls are still solid.


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:46 am 
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Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada
I've sailed friends 16's in my youth and I still want one for the speed and excitement but my wife and I just went through a year of a Bravo and now our first year with a Wave so I thought I could add some relevance to specifically those two. The 16 is a near perfect, all round boat but I get your incentives as we had much of the same priorities, albeit it for different reasons. In the next year or two, I hope to own both.

Our goal was to enjoy relaxed sailing in our bay, get over to the beach across the bay and occasionally go out through the channel to the ocean to other nearby beaches. It also had to be Super fast to rig and get in the water (under 10 minutes) so we would not feel any hesitation in going out in the limited evening windows after work.

I also wanted to go stupid fast when opportunity allows but not if it sacrificed the first few items as keeping it quick and simple to get on the water was priority one.

The Bravo was perfect for all of those. It was our first choice because I wasn't sure I could drag a Wave on our particular shore solo. Bravo's are super easy to move around with a bit of muscle power. However, depending on your back. you may want to consider a dolly. In relatively bigger winds, I found it a bit finicky. It was probably just inexperience with it and that would have smoothed over eventually but I found it very sensitive to gusts and super reactive to tiller movement (which is a not necessarily a bad thing when you get used to it.) I also found that I stayed in the Bay when there was a bit of a surf on the Ocean side.

Year two, and it made sense to use trade it for a Wave. We got tired of telling friends and family that they don't fit on the Bravo but most importantly, after getting a chance to pull a visiting neighbor's Wave up on shore myself, I realized that I could manage dragging it solo with a bit of sweat involved. Tying an additional carrying line across the front crossbar for better leverage made a big difference.

NOTE: I wouldn't recommend a Wave as a solo drag at all for someone with a bad back. However, a dolly or a beach sliding solution could resolve that easily.

In short, I have recently tried both. The Bravo is super at what it is advertised to do. In comparison, the Wave lets you bring friends, is much more high wind and/or ocean friendly for the average sailor and is still relatively easy to move around on the shore. Thrills come quicker in a Bravo as a bit more bravado (excuse the pun) is needed on windy days. You need a lot more wind on a Wave before you start to feel like your pushing it's limits. It's super forgiving in most conditions but you can still have a thrill if the wind picks up.

I think with a back issue, you are probably looking at a dolly for either boat to be solo drag safe, so I'd recommend the Wave out of the two because you mentioned it will be a family boat.

Wow, long rant as I wrote it in pieces in the boring parts of a conference call. Hopefully relevant to you though.


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:59 am 
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WOW! THANK YOU! :wink:

Your post was very relevant and not boring at all! You basically answered all of the questions I had regarding the Bravo and Wave.

Experience is the best knowledge! Happy sailing :D


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 10:25 am 
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That was a perfect post-I'm in much the same boat (sorry...) trying to decide what boat would fit our needs best. I love that there are a lot of very reasonably priced 14's out there, and being as cheap as I am, I am still considering a $700 H-14....BUT....I need to be able to take the wife and kid out, and I understand the 14 really would be over taxed with two, much less the three of us. I really like the thought of the more boyant Wave hulls, and the boomless sail. The more I think about it, the more I think I'll really be much happier long-term with a Wave, even if it does cost 5 times as much for a used one. I believe the Wave would be easier to launch, rig, and recover solo, able to sail solo, or with 3 on board easier, and overall be a much more family friendly boat with the bigger tramp space, no boom, etc-Is that the general consensus here? (Again, I'm cheap, so feel free to talk me into the 14!)


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 5:40 am 
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I did it! Unfortunately, I had to sell my 16 :cry: but she went to a nice family :D and I bought a Bravo (used but NEW condition)!

So easy to sail solo now, and I can even lift the boat with my bad back. Of course, it's nothing like the 16 but I can sail solo again!!! This little cat will be fun :D

Thank you, Hobie, for offering all shapes and sizes of boats!


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 5:55 am 
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Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Congrats Abby!!
You will have a ton of fun, I have no doubt.


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 6:49 am 
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THANKS Murph_PEI :D


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