Dear Hobie: Please make a PA with an almost watertight hatch

My 2013 Hobie PA 14 has held up well after more that 3 years of offshore fishing trips and I love it. I realize that the PA was not originally intended to be taken 2 miles out in the ocean, but we have offshore kayak tournaments here in South FL with 120-170 kayaks and a large percentage of them are outbacks and PAs. I think Hobie should acknowledge that reality and consider making a more water tight front hatch. I want to buy a new PA14, but the leaky front hatch still seems to be an issue for offshore anglers even with the latest 2016 model. The larger rudder and retractable skeg seemed to be customer driven design changes in the latest model. Please listen to this customer and make a more water tight front hatch in 2017 or develop an add on kit. This little masterpiece of a boat should be able to take a few splashes over the bow without the owner having to break out a hand pump.

I went with my 2016 PA14 last week about 3-4 miles into the sea with waves , splashes and what not, didnt see any water in the front hatch.

Have had waves over the bow in the Shenandoah with no water issues as well


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I was getting a lot of water in the front hatch liner before adding Trim Loc Hatch seal around the liner. One of the forum members - sgvarn - pointed it out to me, and it has made a world of difference. Dry as a bone since I installed this back at the end of April. See my old forum post below.

http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=57345&hilit=front+hatch

Here is a link to the Trim Loc Seal I purchased from ACK.

https://www.austinkayak.com/products/1559/Trim-Loc-Hatch-Seal-Foot.html

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

Hi STLKayak,
Your post in the other thread say you used the side-glued seal, but the picture you posted looks like the top-glued to me. Can you clarify this?
Thanks!

I just checked my old order from ACK and I definitely purchased 10' of the side glued seal. It is hard to tell which is which from their website.

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

I'm going to give the trim seal another look. I tried putting the trim seal around the hatch but I couldn't close the hatch. I do have a 1/4" neoprene liner on the inside of the hatch that may be the issue. I'll try trimming that to see if it fits.

I agree that the trim seal does look like top glued. Are you sure they didn't accidentally send you the top glued. Do a quick google images search.

This is the one I ordered, the one I wanted, and the one I received. The order says, and it includes a picture, that it is the Trim Lock side glued seal, not the top molded.



It is the first two images on the ACK product page for Trim Loc...

http://www.austinkayak.com/products/1559/Trim-Loc-Hatch-Seal-Foot.html

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

On the ACK site it says:

Q: Which photo is side glued and which is top molded?
Asked on May 22, 2016 by stephen b. in AZ

A: First tree pictures is top glued and the last one is side glued.
Answered on May 25, 2016 by ACK Customer Service

Based on your pictures and their description, I think what you got was the top-molded.

Well then lucky for me! It was the one I wanted. I felt it would provide a better seal in parallel with the existing factory seal on the Hobie. My original premise for adding the seal was that I was getting a LOT of water in the liner, none in the hull. Thinking the other "whatever it is called " would make closing the hatch harder and not seal as well for my need.

As it is, closing the hatch takes a little more effort and it is significantly tighter than with only the factory seal. I think the other seal would cause the hatch to sit up too high, and might actually promote more water inside the kayak.

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

I love my Pro Angler 14 but with that said after paying over $3000 for a kayak the hatches should be watertight. I've owned $500 Wilderness System kayaks that had perfectly dry hatches and we owned for many years. Shouldn't be adapting and adjusting on such an awesome watercraft. This should not be a unatainable feat of engineering. Have to agree with Dude on a Kayak on this one.

If you can make a Pro Angler go in reverse you can build dry hatches.

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Just a Kid to the End

Devils advocate: My last kayak was a Jackson Cuda 12 - by all accounts it was an awesome kayak. It had a 9" front hatch that had a Tupperware tight lid. I swear that thing actually sucked water into the hull thru that front hatch. They only had to seal 9" diameter! I could fit my girlfriend in the front hatch of my PA14! It is like opening the hood of my SUV. I wish it were more water tight from the factory, but $20 of gasket has made it work pretty darn great for me!

Rebutal: Hobie, for gods sake $20 in a gasket sealed this thing pretty well. You made reversible fins on a mirage drive, have your engineers make a better gasket! But leave the size the way it is... I have never actually tried to fit my GF in the front hatch...but I like having the option.

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

We're working on a slight modification to the front hatch liner that allows it to better match the outline of the cutout and create a better seal. No ETA on this change yet, but most likely sometime this fall. One option for creating a tighter seal is to remove the hatch liner.

Also, we offer an Adjustable Hatch Latch kit (part no. 84501921), of which I recommend purchasing two. One for securing each side of the hatch lid. One end of this strap kit will thru-bolt to the hatch lid, the other to the kick board in front of the Mirage Drive well.

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Howie Strech
Parts & Accessories Product Manager
Hobie Cat USA

Here's how one of our Fishing Department Team Members has their hatch latch straps installed (4 straps used in this case really seal it up):

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Howie Strech
Parts & Accessories Product Manager
Hobie Cat USA

I can see how that owuld help but I have noticed that if I push down on the back of the lid the front will raise up. So it makes sense that 4 straps would help the issue by keeping the front ofthe hatch down. This is one of those times when owners look back and wonder if Hobie knows it's a problem than they should offer the straps up as a fix. I know it's not a recall but it is reengineering to solve a known problem on a very expensive kayak. The Hatch Latches should almost be free. Almost!

I would not want to remove the hatch liner, I use it all the time.

All things in life are a work in progress, there are those companies that step up and make certain the customers are best served when there is a recongizable problem. Hats off to those companies that know how to step up to the plate. Top notch customer service is the best advertisement for a company.

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Just a Kid to the End