Hobie Outback vs Great White

Crazy! (sorry if this is a repost)
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/shark ... =sharkweek

I saw this on shark week last night. They think it's a 20'+ female that comes back every 2 years. Incredible! I did notice that they were hobies that were being fished out of the water. Makes sense though, since they are arguably the best offshore fishing kayak.

_________________
2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

I'm afraid to go back in to the water...I'm afraid to go back in to the water...

_________________
2012 Outback with sail / 2012 Outback / 2013 11' Revo / 2006 16' Adventure (no AKAs)

Hobie, any plan on making your Outback with Kevlar material?

I mean, I'm joking but at the same time kind of serious... because I'll be fishing
in SoCal where there are great whites..
What's your wild idea of making a shark's bite proof kayak?

Do you think me buying some Kevlar fiber and applying it outside of kayak hull using
some sort of epoxy will provide any meaningful protection?

Cheers,
Typicalman1

Great whites do seem to show a strong preference for Hobie's lol, you should be alright just stay away from the "Bean Hollow" area.

I like that line from the jaws movie "were gonna need a bigger boat".

I wonder if inflatable bladders could be designed, one down each side inside the hull, where even if the shark bites thru the hull, the bladders would prevent the boat from sinking.

Actually on my TI I had some left over 4lb two part urethane foam from a different project. I put some foam into a few baggies, threw them into the hull in some open unused areas. The foam goes off and completely fills that space.

The foam serves two purposes, 1: the boat is now totally unsinkable. 2: the expanded baggies inside the hull strengthen the boat considerably. I doubt if all the foam I added weighs more than 2-3 lbs.
Since the foam is in baggies, it would be pretty easy to remove if needed.
FE

There is no fact to a preference. Maybe more Hobies on the water would be the only thing. Great Whites bite everything they think is prey. All kinds of attacks have happened to all kinds of kayaks and other types of craft or objects in the water. Some (usually competitors of ours) try to suggest that the Drive fins are attractive. A great white attacks from deep below and wouldn't distinguish the drive anyway against the shadow of the hull. It would just be a big dark object.

Yes, stay out of the known great white areas specifically during Sharktober.

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

wow, brings back a couple memories.

Ryan