2015+ Hobie seat scupper assembly

I bought a 2015 Revo last year and love it, of course. Seems like a well deigned boat in every area. However, over the last year, I have wondered what is the purpose of the locking-valve assembly for the seat scupper. It seems like it would be better to just have an open scupper all the time, and for that matter, one on each side.
So before I remove this stuff and just leave the scupper permanently open, I would ask any of you esteemed members who have this style Hobie if there is any benefit to having the scupper closed to let the seat well collect with water or am I right in thinking this whole assembly useless. And by the way, I don't care about re-sale value.
Thanks a lot. This forum is really great.

If I were to make one complaint about the newest Revo 13, it is this little number right here.  This design element was needed to accommodate the vantage seat so I can't really whine too much because life is about trade-offs, after all.  The valve you see pictured is part of the "venturi" drain system.  If there is water sloshing around under the seat, pull up on the chord and lock the valve open, or just hold it. Proceed to move forward with enough speed and the water will mostly get sucked down into the scupper hole and out the drain on the bottom that points toward the aft of the kayak. Once most of the water is gone(I say mostly because it never really completely drains for me) release the chord and it will close the valve, keeping water from flowing back up the scupper when you stop moving.  It works well if you're not dealing with wind chop. Otherwise it tends to trap water under your seat until you feel like dealing with it.  So on days I'm dealing with lots of wind waves slapping over the side and into the cockpit, I tend to just lock it in the open position.

thanks Rawk!
So do you think removing the plug altogether would make water slosh up too much while sitting still?

I wouldn't remove it. You'll still get water trapped up there on sloppy days but on calm days you'll still have the option of draining it. It probably isn't too hard to put back in though when taken out.

MM, I took mine completely out and have not looked back.  It's a really crappy drain system at least for people who fish (does not drain while stationary) and launch off the beach.  I called Hobie about this, and they told me the boat was not really designed for surf launches. 

There will be a small amount of water in the carved out seat area below the water line, so your ass may get a little wet.  I use a little gel cushion on the seat and I stay dry and don't have to worry about taking water over the side.

I do hope they re-think that scupper system in future models.

It's A big pile of suckola! Remove it and forget about it. Stick it in a plastic bag if you want to save it for later. And no, it doesn't work anyway.

That damned valve does suck,  I think I'll take mine out as well.

While I can see why they would say it wasn't destined for surf launches, the Revo 13 works just fine in the surf in my experience. It's a little more tippy than the previous Revo 13, but meh.

Jeff, Do you think it's a bit more tippy just because of the seat change? 

Since removing the Venturi scupper I have not had any problems in the surf.  It was just odd for them to tell me that. 

The revolution 16 does feel fairly tippy to me.  Could be just my take though.  I would love to have a version that was an inch or so wider than the 13.  You would not give up that much speed I don't think.

Weighing in from the perspective of the Oasis here - I feel like the valve works really well for what it was designed to do, but it doesn't seem to have been designed to dump a lot of water quickly, which is what needs to happen during/after a surf launch. I have had 2 occasions now where I've gotten enough water under the seats in the cockpits to make the boat feel unstable, and it wasn't fun, and I didn't feel like it drained quickly enough. It did drain, though.

Another minus of this system is that the scupper opening on the bottom of the boat uses a shaped piece of plastic to promote the venturi effect and this means you can't use the popular "on PVC rails" method of hauling your boat upright.

Jeff, Do you think it's a bit more tippy just because of the seat change? 

Since removing the Venturi scupper I have not had any problems in the surf.  It was just odd for them to tell me that. 

The revolution 16 does feel fairly tippy to me.  Could be just my take though.  I would love to have a version that was an inch or so wider than the 13.  You would not give up that much speed I don't think.

Yes.  The new seat raises the center of gravity for the user compared to the previous models.

That's a bit of a bummer. The seat height (in the lowest position) was preserved for the Oasis and I don't notice any difference.

How much difference do you notice (between a 2014 and a 2015 in the lowest position)?

That's a bit of a bummer. The seat height (in the lowest position) was preserved for the Oasis and I don't notice any difference.

How much difference do you notice (between a 2014 and a 2015 in the lowest position)?

It's not huge, but I've noticed a difference.  That said, I still think it's plenty stable for me.

Compared to the oasis,  my revo 16 isn't really tippy,  just twitchy.  BUT when you add water under that seat the oasis is still stable, where the revo 16 is a roller unless you get it drained fast.

Anybody going to forward this thread to Hobie?