Hobie Adventure Update: Lumbar Issues and a Speed Trial

Just wanted to chime in and say how much I am enjoying my Adventure kayaks. I have now explored two new lakes and have taken lots of photos and videos with friends. One issue that became apparent after about an hour and a half of touring on multiple occasions was the emergence of "Hobie Excrutiating Lower Lumbar" (H.E.L.L) syndrome. I tried adjusting my seating position, but this didn't seem to help at all. Where the seat pad meets the seat back there is marginal support so I rolled up a beach towel and placed it there to accommodate my lower back. The addition of the towel placed me a little higher in the seat and forced me to set the pedals to position 7 from position 5 to maintain proper leg extension. Sitting a little higher in the seat also made the kayak slightly less stable but still very secure. On my next outing I toured for a couple of hours without any hint of soreness using this setup. I am now looking for a more permanent solution that doesn't involve the use of a towel (i.e., Inflatable lumbar support? Neoprene support tube/cushion?). Any ideas?

Also, I just purchased a new digital photo camera that takes high definition 720p video (Panasonic ZS-3). I felt I needed a a more feature-rich camera to capture all the fun I was having out on the water. Impulsivity mediated by an acutely compromised frontal lobe led me to also purchase a copy of Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 9 to edit the footage. Here is a brief video I created that includes a short speed trial with the standard fins.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arYJILJIQSo (Once in YouTube, select HD for the higher quality version).

Well - it's been 3 weeks since my kayaks arrived. My order included the Turbo fin upgrade for both Adventures. Unfortunately Hobie mistakenly sent the V1 masts with my upgrade kits so I've been stuck with the standard fins. My local dealer informed me that Hobie had been contacted promptly and that they were aware of the error. From everything I've read on these forums I know that Hobie is a great company to deal with. And I am still enjoying the kayaks immensely. However, it is hard not to feel a little discouraged by this error and how long it is taking for it to be resolved. Any suggestions?

Mike

We have two kits. One is packed with V1 and the other V2. They are under different part numbers. It is a simple reorder for the dealer to get the correct kit.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Thanks Matt! Yes - that is what I thought. Not sure what the hold-up is. I will have to contact my local dealer to see if he has a shipping date.

Mike

One catch I was just reminded of... the fins are out of stock, so kits are now on back order. We had to reject the last batch due to smeared black color in the gray areas.

Your dealer may simply be hung up on that. We have the masts if he orders just those for you.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Thanks for the prompt reply Matt! That explains why it is taking a while. I believe my dealer shipped the entire kit back.

Mike