Ordering an '08 Outfitter

We are about to place an order with our local Hobie Dealer for an '08 Outfitter in Papaya. We have done a lot of research and a lot of reading on this Forum, and think that the Outfitter is right for us. We plan to use the Outfitter for touring on lakes and rivers, and wildlife viewing and exploring in the back country. We camp extensively with our Airstream. We intend to bring the Outfitter with us everywhere we go. The Outfitter will ride on top of our Suburban which tows the Airstream. The Outfitter will be on and off the roof on a very regular basis.

We would greatly appreciate opinions from this learned group on several issues.

1. Is the outfitter the right choice for our intended uses?

2. What optional items should be ordered? We are looking at the sailing rudder, drive well seals, safety flag, and plug-in wheels.

3. PFD recommendations. I'm looking for something with a couple of waterproof pockets. I want to carry a small camera and GPS. SuEllyn wants something as unrestrictive as possible. She's been looking at the Hobie High-Back.

4. Roof rack for the Outfitter is a concern of ours. Will the standard Suburban roof rack do the job, or do we need to get something different? We have done some research on the Thule Hullavator. It's kind of pricey, but looks like it could be worth the bucks in our situation. Does it work as advertised, and is it durable enough for constant use?

Any other recommendations regarding things that we may not have thought of would also be appreciated.

One more important issue that SuEllyn wanted to bring-up. We have noticed that many couples each use their own solo Hobie Mirage. Being newbies, we have leaned toward the tandems. Are we making a mistake?

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SuEllyn & Brian Mccabe
Florida Panhandle

welcome to the Hobie forums, always good to see people in your area on here.

The outfitter is a great boat. it will do everything you said and much more. The standard suburban racks work 99% of the time. I have the Thule hulavator on my truck and love it, it picks my revolution up w/o any problem.

The Hobie jackets are very nice but do not have any dry pockets, not to worry, Aquapac cases will do the trick, they have cases for just about anything you need to take with you. The high back mesh are one of our top selling jackets in the shop.

Plug in wheels are a must, sailing rudder defiantly make turning a snap, slightly harder to deploy and raise but worth the extra care. The 08's come with 1 gear bucket, you may want to get another gear bucket maybe even the Hobie safety gear bucket for the other twist 'n' seal hatch.

75% of the people who buy a tandem wish they would have bought 2 singles. Singles tend to be more stable, roomier and when your other 1/2 makes a mistake your not paying for it. Downside to two single: your going to spend a bit more outa the box, but wouldn't you rather spend a bid more and have a more enjoyable time on the water. they take up more room, you would need to get an after market roof rack to accommodate the2 kayaks. Will you be happy with the tandem, YES. Would you like 2 singles a bit more, more than likely.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

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Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
http://www.sunjammers.com
www.facebook.com/sunjammers

Just curious... Did you consider the Oasis? I don't see the word "fishing" in your description of what you plan to do. And "touring" (to me) means a faster boat. The Oasis will be faster than the Outfitter.

Brian C

If you normally pedal the same distances at similar speeds, individual boats will work. If there are large differences, you might find it better to use a tandem, otherwise one of you will always be waiting for the other to catch up. I pedal faster and for longer periods than my wife so a tandem works better for us.

Another question is how much gear you need to carry. Two singles will haul more than a tandem. Also, how much gear will you have to duplicate with two boats? The most important consideration is probably how you like spending your time together. In a tandem it's easier to carry on a conversation. While I pedal, my wife can kick back, watch the scenery, take photographs and just relax. It works for us.

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baysailor

We looked at the Oasis first. Then we visited our local dealer, Yellowfin Ocean Sports here in Santa Rosa Beach. We had a lengthy conversation with the owner, John Farmer. He said that he preferred the Outfitter because it is more versatile and more stable than the Oasis. He also told us that it is a newer design than the Oasis. He suggested the Outfitter for what we wanted to do with it. We don't intend to carry a lot of heavy gear with us.

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SuEllyn & Brian Mccabe
Florida Panhandle

Neither yak has a lot of room for gear (compared to the singles). And while the Oasis has been around longer than the Outfitter, the Oasis has gone through a redesign to update it. So both are very modern yaks.

I do agree with John that the Outfitter is more versatile.... But that's only because it's set up for fishing and the Oasis isn't. And like I pointed out, I didn't see the word "fishing" in your wish list.

As for stability, I think the difference between the two tandems is neglible unless you have a light total crew weight. In that case, the Outfitter does get the nod because of it's flatter bottom profile.

But....

If you want to paddle instead of pedal, the Oasis is superior. If you want a faster boat, the Oasis is superior. And if you have a high total crew weight, the Oasis is superior.

John has probably covered all these things with you. My comments are more for the benefit of those who might be reading the thread.

We've sold equal numbers of the Oasis and Outfitter. Customers on each boat seem to be equally happy.

Brian C

In our local market, 20 min from John, we can't sell oasis when there is a outfitter in stock. On demo's people always prefer the outfitter. this goes to show people in indifferent areas of the country like different kayaks, we sell outfitters 10-1 over the oasis.

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Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
http://www.sunjammers.com
www.facebook.com/sunjammers

Hi Brian and welcome to the forum. Several good points have been made here, and here's some more input.

Tandem vs. single: This depends on your personalities. If you tend to be competitive or prefer some personal space occasionally, singles can be nice. With a tandem, no one gets left behind, you can each have your own activity or pace and still enjoy being together. We have a tandem and really enjoy it. I go for the exercise and she listens to her books in tape, pedals and relaxes. With two Drive systems running one boat, it's easy to cruise along at an easy clip and see lots of scenery. The front seat in tandems can catch a little spray in chop and head winds. In cooler weather, you might want to look into a dodger for the front. If you're on the road, one boat is a lot easier to transport than two even though the tandem is a little heavier to load. As you know, tandems can be used solo also.

Equipment: Your list looks great. I don't think you need a safety flag, especially if you have bright colors, but it certainly doesn't hurt. I've never tried the dodger, but keep it in mind if there is a spray or chill problem. On pfd's personal preference comes into play -- read some reviews and try some on. Shop around -- there is something for everyone!

Oasis vs. Outfitter: We use the Oasis and are now on our second one (after 6 years using the earlier generation). We have also used the Outfitter. Once aboard and going, you don't notice much difference. The Oasis cruises a little faster, is a little drier in chop and doesn't pound or slap as much in chop and wake. The initial stability on the Outfitter is better, although both are plenty stable. They're both excellent -- pick the one that appeals most to you.

Transport: There is a lot written on this in the forums. When you buy, see if you can return it if you don't like it. What ever system you you end up with, you will learn to optimize it to your situation (using a step ladder, carpet strips, etc).

Here's another good discussion on the Oasis (formerly called "Mirage Tandem") vs. Outfitter: http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewt ... dem+single

Be sure and rig a tow line in case you need to tow anyone or tie up. I use parachute cord ("550" cord) -- small but strong. It's also great for securing gear tethering paddles, etc.

We all have our favorites, and as you can see, some of the dealers do too. It sounds like what sunjammers is saying is they won't sell an Oasis when an Outfitter is in stock. You should be wary if you suspect a dealer pushing one model without properly assessing your own needs.

Here's a local guy who owns both tandem models. Here he is on the Outfitter. He said he preferred the Oasis though because of its speed. Everyone has their own priorities.


On a user forum such as this, dealers can sometimes impart some valuable information, but IMO, if they're going to participate, they should take care to restrain themselves from promoting their own biases -- we users do a good enough job at that!

Moose Tags,
The above posts are correct as people have different ideas.
My wife was set that we wanted a tandem and our dealer had us demo one. Less than five minutes wife said this was not good. Biggest problem I had was hearing what she was saying. She bought the Sport & I the Revolution. We are both very happy.
I like the safety of two kayaks when it's just the 2 of us.
I would like to have a tandem at times.
Here is a link for an idea for transport. Don't know if it will work for you or not. Depends on your Airstream but a neat idea.

http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewt ... =motorhome
Bruce

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Everything before 60 is just a rehearsal!

Now ya'll have us rethinking the Outfitter, and leaning back toward the Oasis. We do have a couple of additional questions. Does the 2008 Oasis feature the Twist-N-Stow rudder. If not, is this a major down side to the Oasis?

Is a Dodger available for the Oasis and/or the Outfitter? SuEllyn gets cold very easily, and we plan to use our Hobie year round.

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SuEllyn & Brian Mccabe
Florida Panhandle

Both yaks are Twist N Stow rudder equiped.

I have minimal experience with the Dodger (probably because it's hot here we've not sold very many of them).

Brian C

p.s. Sorry about muddying the water on the Oasis vs Outfitter. From your initial post, I thought you might have eliminated the Oasis and was kind of curious as to why.

Well, SuEllyn and I both ordered our PFD's today, and SuEllyn ordered a dry shirt. We are in the throws of deciding between the Outfitter and the Oasis. At this point, the Oasis has nudged ahead. We are on the road with our Airstream tonight. We will be on the road all day tomorrow. This will give us time to make a final decision. We will call in our order to John at Yellowfin on Monday. We're gonna need a boat to wear those new PFD's in. We're going to be on the road for about two weeks. John told us that it takes 2-3 weeks to get a new boat in from Hobie. Our new baby might make it in by the time we return home.

If anyone has any final thoughts for us, please let us know.

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SuEllyn & Brian Mccabe
Florida Panhandle

Have a great trip!

Well, we finally made our decision and placed an order.

We called John Farmer at Yellowfin Ocean Sports in Seagrove Beach and ordered our brand new 2008 Hobie Mirage OASIS. We ordered it in Golden Papaya. We also ordered the sailing rudder, Mirage drive well seals, plug-in roller wheels, safety flag, and spare rudder hinge pins. We're hoping to get it in three or four weeks. We can hardly wait to get the adventure started.

Any tips for beginners would be greatly appreciated.

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SuEllyn & Brian Mccabe
Florida Panhandle