Just wanted to share some info with everyone since I am not sure Hobie has volunteered the information. I don't know how widespread this issue is, but there was a batch of seat buckles made from inferior materials that shipped with some 2014 Mirage Kayaks. The plastic molded piece has slightly different geometry and the metal clip is made from a low grade steel that rusts very quickly. The plastic part has a different shape that makes it very difficult to attach the buckle to the attachment points on the kayak. It is pretty easy to identify these buckles and my Hobie dealer was able to get me free replacements for my kayaks. I attached a picture showing the poor quality buckle (one new, one used for a few trips) and the correct buckle. You can see the subtle difference in the mold geometry by the size of the small protrusion I circled in the picture. Just wanted to spread the word in case any of you guys have rusty buckles!
