Used Hobie Buying Advice?

Well, just having been a yak owner for less than 4 months, I'm starting to look at picking up another.  My two boys are interested in joining me fishing, and I'd like to have a second boat anyway that gives me some versatility.

That said, I'm pretty much convinced I need to be pedaling rather than paddling.  Been looking at the Adventure quite a bit, and like the sleek hull and efficiency it offers.  I'd spring for a Revo 16, but I don't think funds are going to allow a new boat.

What do you guys recommend insofar as what to look for when buying a used Hobie?   Are there things to look out for on the Mirage drive? 

How many years can one expect the hull to hold up?  I know the sun is killer on boats, and that proper storage is pretty critical to the life expectancy of plastic, but what do you look for to try and reason out whether a given boat has been cared for properly?

Some examples of what I'm looking at include an 08 Adventure for $1650, and an 06 Adventure for $1250.  Each comes with some extras, but those hulls have a few years on them.  Any concerns with something this old?

Any words of wisdom will be appreciated.

Pre-2011 (or was is 2010??) Hobies are notorious for cracking the plastic in the drive well.  Somewhere around 2011-ish they redesigned the drive well and seem to have eliminated that cracking problem.  Do a search on here and you'll find a few members that have posted up photos of the cracks theirs had developed.  I think fishesfromtupperware had a fix for the leak in his that actually held up for a while, until he had to give that boat back to Hobie, but most repairs don't last.  Not all Hobies got those cracks though.  Not sure if it was a marginal area and some had slightly thinned sections there, or what, but that's one area I'd check out very carefully and pass if there's any indication of cracks initiating. 

Some older Hobies also had issues with the pedal arms failing in fatigue.  Contact Fungunnin for his "rock solid" arms if you have any questions about the pedal arms on the one you buy. 

Those are the main issues I recall from this forum.  I'm not a Hobie owner yet, so hopefully some of those folks will chime in and add other areas of concern, or correct anything I've written above.

I'm pretty sure it was the pre-2008 hobies that were most notorious for the drivewell cracks. "Outbacks with serial numbers A3753 through F2853; Adventure with serial numbers D0001 through D1875" were the ones issued free drivewell reinforcement kits.

I recently bought an '07 Hobie Adventure. Prior to pulling the trigger, I spent some time on the phone w/ a Hobie staffmember, who essentially said that "If it hasn't already cracked, then it probably won't, as the bad boats went bad pretty quickly." I'm not sure how true that is, but I'm hoping for my own sake he's correct.  Of course, polyethylene gets more brittle the older it is, so take that for whatever it's worth.

That said, ask to take it for a test paddle/peddle and thoroughly inspect the scupper are drivewell areas, both front and back for any possible cracks. Bring a flashlight.

Last thing -
This is what the improved, reinforced drivewell looks like - notice the "lip" extending down to the hull - http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b7d731b3127ccec241d1c4192000000010O00AbMmzFizcN2IPbz4M/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

and this is what the non-reinforced, earlier drivewell looks like - notice there's no "lip" -
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b7d731b3127ccec241bf57198400000010O00AbMmzFizcN2IPbz4M/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

This is a good time to be shopping for a used Hobie, because many Hobie owners like the lawn-chair style seats which are available for the first time on several 2015 models, and have bought 2015 kayaks and are selling their previous kayaks, which often are only a couple of years old.  So you can reasonably hope to find a used Hobie kayak which is only a couple of years old at a fairly reasonable price.

However, there seem to be more Revolutions on the market than Adventures.  I suggest that you try out a Revolution, compare it to the Adventure, and talk to experienced Hobie owners about the differences between the Revolution and the Adventure.  If you decide that a Revolution would be satisfactory, you'd have more used kayaks to choose from.

Many Hobie owners have reported breaking one or more pedal arms during normal usage of their Mirage Drive.  Hobie claims to have fixed the problem with respect to its 2015 drives, but if you buy a used Hobie, consider investing in a pair of Fungunnin's "Rock Solid" pedal arms.  I bought a pair, and am glad that I did.

When inspecting a used kayak, it can be hard to locate cracks just by visual examination.  Some cracks are barely visible until you push on them and make them open up.  There's no substitute for taking the kayak out on the water, or filling it up with water from a hose, to see if it leaks.

Sunlight will deteriorate and fade a kayak, so ask the seller how and where the kayak has been stored, and be less excited about a kayak which has been stored outside for many years than a kayak which has been stored inside.

Don't worry about buying a kayak just because it's old, unless it's been stored outside.  Plastic kayaks last for many many years.

Don't worry about scratches on the bottom of a used Mirage Drive kayak.  You need to keep a Mirage Drive kayak away from rocks to keep from busting the drive, so Mirage Drive kayaks get only a fraction of the scratches which whitewater kayaks receive, and whitewater kayaks handle years of being pounded and ground over rocks with no problems.  Look for major dings which suggest that kayak was dropped or fell off a vehicle, but don't worry about dings unless the kayak has actually cracked.  Plastic kayaks can handle tremendous abuse.  For example, if a whitewater kayaker lands on a rock when going over a waterfall, or a kayak full of water smashes into a rock in a rapid, the kayak's nose may get "snow-coned," i.e. get a bowl-shaped depression bashed into it.  With some heat and pressure, the depression will pop out, and the kayak will be good for years of further use.  For example, shown below is a picture of a friend's kayak after it got snow-coned when he took a nasty swim in a Class V rapid on the Bolanos River in Mexico.  After about a week, the nose popped back into its original shape.

I would not pay $1650 for an '08 boat. I don't care about the condition. You can get a far better kayak brand new for a little more change. I agree with what everyone else has said as far as testing the boat out and filling it with water to test for leaks.

I'm pretty sure it was the pre-2008 hobies that were most notorious for the drivewell cracks. "Outbacks with serial numbers A3753 through F2853; Adventure with serial numbers D0001 through D1875" were the ones issued free drivewell reinforcement kits.

I thought they had additional problems that weren't fully resolved until the 2010 or 2011 model year.  Maybe I'm mis-remembering, but a lot of the drive well cracks were showing up well after I joined up here, which was about 3 years ago.  I seem to recall making the decision to not buy a pre-2010/2011 Hobie once I finally got the money together for one as a result.

You're correct. I believe they went through two different drivewell redesigns - around '08, and later, around '10/'11 or so.

1650 is definitely too high.  You can get a brand new revo 13 for that price or maybe $100 more if you talk to the dealer.  They can't advertise under the list price,  but they will work with you on a fair price for a 2014 boat.

I bought my 07 Addy for $700. The hull cracked within a year of me owning it. A replacement hull cost about $600 and I had to pull some strings to get it.
I would not pay more than $1000 for a used pre 2011 hobie.

Thanks for all the good info fellas. 

1650 is definitely too high.  You can get a brand new revo 13 for that price or maybe $100 more if you talk to the dealer.  They can't advertise under the list price,  but they will work with you on a fair price for a 2014 boat.

The Adventure appeals to me due to it's length/speed/efficiency.  Same for the 2015 Revo 16.   The county I live in is surrounded on three sides by the Columbia, and there are about 140 miles of it inside the county borders.  There are some massively long stretches between access points, and there are two areas that are over 2 miles wide.  While it isn't the Pacific, there are a lot of places to look for fish.   Is the speed/efficiency/storage difference between the 13' and 16' quite significant, or am I splitting hairs? 

Based on what I'm hearing, it's unlikely I'll go for anything older than a '12 or '13.  And given the asking prices I'm seeing for the used Adventures, I am leaning towards just biting the bullet and springing for a '15 Revo.  It looks like the Mirage drive got some updates, and a new seat that seems to be looked on rather favorably according to early reviews.  And really, who doesn't want their new boat to be new!   (that's it, keep typing dummy, and your next mortgage payment will bounce like Flubber).   

Every dealer site I can find has them listed at $2399, and the one dealer in the Tri-Cities told me that Hobie sets the price.  Do all dealers sell for the exact same price, or will some dicker a bit?  I'm not overly enthused about waiting until fall/winter when the clearance sales start, and it's a crap shoot as to whether any will be left in stock by then anyway. 

It looks like all of the discounts offered to NWKA members by the couple of vendors that sell Hobies exclude boats.  Am I reading this correctly, or do some honor the discount?

Thanks again for all your input.

Based on what I'm hearing, it's unlikely I'll go for anything older than a '12 or '13.

The models from 2013 on include the transducer pocket, which I think is a major advantage.  If you are considering a pre-2013 model, think about how you are going to mount your transducer.

Hobie sets the MSRP. You won't find a 2015 model at a lower price,  but you can find a 2014 model with the older seat design for cheaper.  Side note,  the adventure never had a transducer pocket,  that didn't start until they renamed it the revolution 16 this year.   That said,  through the hull transducer in an older kayak works just fine.   Speed

Revo 13 vs adventure (revo 16) speed difference is noticeable,  but not a huge difference. 

Call around to some ships and ask what 2014 boats they have available,  and at what price. You'll likely be pleasantly surprised.   I definitely would not pay 1650 for that old of an adventure 16.

Oh,  and the revo 13 definitely has more space for rigging than the adventure/revo 16 does.  Revo 13 can fit more in the center hatch as well.

I've owned both,  and the only reason I switched to the revo 16 is for long days offshore trolling for salmon. The revo 13 worked just fine for it last year, but by the end of the trip I was slowly falling behind my buddy in his adventure every time.

Oh,  and the revo 13 definitely has more space for rigging than the adventure/revo 16 does.  Revo 13 can fit more in the center hatch as well.

I've owned both,  and the only reason I switched to the revo 16 is for long days offshore trolling for salmon. The revo 13 worked just fine for it last year, but by the end of the trip I was slowly falling behind my buddy in his adventure every time.

The difference between a Revo and addy isn't that noticeable for most water. In my opinion, the trade off of the additional size vs increased efficiency of the the addy only makes sense if you spend a lot of time offshore, like Lee does. For most the Revo is going to be a better all around boat. They will also be easier to find used, as they're far more common. I think you have the right idea looking at the 12-14 boats.

I think I've pretty much resolved myself into plunking down the coin for a new Revo 16.  Used 13's are out there, but for what they're asking price is it makes a lot more sense to me to go with a new yak.  I prefer the 16 anyway, and I can always splash the Cuda in waters skinnier than the Columbia.   

I have a few queries in to some dealers, but stock on hand is looking dismal. Two have indicated it looks like May before they expect any new stock.