long time fan of Hobie here
i've boasted about quality and durability since 2009. I've has the Oasis, (2) Outback, Eclipse (4) all bulletproof
last year, i got 2 new iEclipse's. One ok, second fell apart. The plastic disintegrated at pedals, the center deck cracked. Glued seams came undone. The pedals seized...all on a brand new board. My dealer in Toronto called, emailed Hobie many times. No answer
The dealer finally ended up taking it back and giving me an Ace as Hobie didnt have any new iEclpses's to send.
The Ace is solid and lighter than Dura or conventional Eclipse. It has the same rubber as iEclipse with single thumb lever. Seemed ok at first but steering was wrong. I swapped cabled and went out again. I felt something wrong with the steering handle as it felt loose and clunked. To my horror, i saw the steering post wiggling and twisting the deck. Turns out the center deck that holds the post of the steer arm is hollow. Yes, hollow. So the plastic is cracking and would split apart very soon. Defect of major proportions. My dealer called Hobie immediately but again, they didn't respond. Since it was a year of Hobie ghosting me and the dealer, I demanded a full refund. I had to threaten BBB and small claims court. The owner of the dealership was exasperated with Hobie. But in the end gave back my money.
I purchased a 10 year old Eclipse 12. Love it. It's bulletproof and more fun to drive, faster than ACE or iEclipse.
On forums i've talked to a few people that bought used Ace's. They ended up filling the the steer post deck with liquid plastic So, old Hobie's are still King. Do not buy the ACE or older iEclipse inflatable made in 2022.
Hobie, what the hell happened to you?????????? :
