Hobie service and parts

[dsitka]

I have a cradle for my Pro-Angler14 I use for storage of the yak. I wanted to get another for my trailer because it is a hassle to move it back and forth. I started to look for the cradle last October. It was on backorder, with no estimate when it would be in stock. I wrote Hobie to get some idea what was going on with this part. They said they had no idea when it will be stocked. I know there are pvc pipe alternatives, but I wonder what is going on with Hobie, that they seem to struggle to stock parts. Even though they are not in stock they raised the price in the interim. Anyone else having a problem with parts? It would be a good knock off part, they are pricey.

[J.A. Veil]

I cannot comment on Hobie dealers, but do recognize that shipping of all sorts of goods made in foreign locations have been slowed down since 2020. To the extent that the parts you seek are shipped in from some other country, you may be stuck. I was affiliated with Native Watercraft for 8 years and learned a bit about their operations. They maintained an inventory of parts for their kayaks for a while at their factory in NC, but after a boat was out of production for a few years, they no longer made more of those parts to keep in inventory. A better place to look is with dealers that may have stocked up on parts in the past. And don't rely solely on local dealers. It may require doing some internet searching to find Hobie dealers in other states and contact them to see if they have the part you want. I suspect that dealers located in rural areas will have lower overhead and more room for parts storage.

Here are two examples I can share.

1) A few years ago I purchased a Native Ultimate FX15 kayak. When that kayak was first made, it came in solo or tandem configurations. For solo use, Native included a hard plastic cover for the bow area. When I bought my FX15 in 2020, Native made the boat only in tandem configuration. I converted the boat to solo seating and went looking for the bow cover -- Native did not have it any longer. I found just one vendor, a Native dealer in NJ, that had the now-outdated part in stock. I ordered the part from him and had it shipped to me.

2) My kayak fishing guide in the lower Keys had used Jackson Kayaks for a few years but decided to change to a different brand because the newer Jackson models did not fit the way he fished his local waters. I was getting to know him at that time, and I shared information about Native kayaks. He visited the only Native dealer in the Keys, and found that the owner had a large inventory of earlier model year but brand-new kayaks that were no longer being manufactured by Native. He purchased several of those boats to use in his guiding business. He later contacted that same dealer to find some parts that were no longer available through Native.

[dsitka]

Thanks J.A. I will be surfing the net, because I can't get any info from Hobie. I may end up fabricating an alternative.

[ski357]

Thanks J.A. I will be surfing the net, because I can't get any info from Hobie. I may end up fabricating an alternative.

You might be able to fabricate something just as good as Hobie for a fraction or about what they charge. Their parts are quite dear. An alternative avenue you may consider, especially since you already have a cradle is having it modeled and then 3D printed or have a custom prototype piece molded by a fiberglass shop. Sailing Specialty Inc in Hollywood used to do one off stuff, not sure if that's price point appropriate, but you might want to try it yourself. I've seen all manner of kayak cradles over the years and always felt the DIY rigs were stronger than the Hobie brand stuff.

[Slough Sleigher]

Thanks J.A. I will be surfing the net, because I can't get any info from Hobie. I may end up fabricating an alternative.

Easy fab to splash the hull front and back with fiberglass matting and back up with reinforced backer to support and anchor. I sold my wilderness radar after I searched over two years with no joy in finding a helix drive replacement prop.

[MD Dore]

I too have been having trouble with getting certain parts from Hobie, with the response being that Hobie has no idea when they'll be able to stock them. It's frustrating, but luckily for me, the things I have ordered are non-essential.

[dsitka]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have a problem getting Hobie to reply to my questions on what they would accept for storage and trailering, in terms of the hull warranty, if cradles are unavailable. I have not found any on the internet. It may come down to fabrication. I think a urethane casting with silicone barrier on the hull could be an answer. I am curious because with the other Hobie Kayak models, cradles are still available...same build materials. I find it impossible to get a handle on what exactly is causing this shortage on The PA line of yaks from Hobie. The price went from $275 to $295, even though they are not available. At what point do you just forget the hull warranty and rig it yourself?

[dsitka]

For anyone looking for trailer cradles for Hobie pro Angler 12 and 14 There are four available on Amazon. They may be ready to restock these parts, but I never got an answer from Hobie.

[dsitka]

Note, the new price point was $296 plus $10 shipping and State tax.

[dsitka]

OutdoorPlay.com is supplying these cradles. They sell through Amazon.