Beach wheels - rubber or plastic

I need to get a set of wheels for use in So California for my h16.

I would like to buy used - where does one shop for used cat wheels?

Also, I heard somewhere that plastic wheels are much more difficult for moving a Cat on sand. Can anyone advise on this? At the cost for these, I don't want to buy the wrong ones.

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1980 18 foot class A Unicorn catamaran
1977 Super Sunfish (sold)
1979 Hobie (sold)
1983 Hobie 16 Hawiian Sunset (sold)
1981 Hobie 16 Tequilla Sunrise (sold)
2008 Hobie 16 (sold)
2023 Hobie 16
Founding member of the "San Dimas Yacht Club"
John

I can attest to the plastic wheels being difficult in sand. I own a pair. They came with my boat when I got it. They are fine on the hard packed sand, but you have to muscle up in the soft stuff. If you are primarily using them in the sand I would go with the rubber wheels. If they weren't so expensive that's what I would get to use in NC.

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James
86' Redline Hobie 16
Sail # 76909

They got you over a barrel. Rubber wheels are the best way to go as they are more versatile. Some folks have figured out less expensive ways to make their own beach wheels, and if you have the wherewithal and more time than money then give it a go. But, if you don't want to be bothered doing the research, sourcing the materials, and then hoping it works, you're stuck shelling out the money.

Used ones are hard to come by, but if you scour craigslist, pester dealers, and make friends in the local fleets you may save some money, but before you do all this, check the cost of replacement tires.

Avoid plastic: I made a beach cart for all of my family's beach stuff (we go to the beach a lot). For wheels, I used the hard, $45ea, 24" beach wheels people often use for home-made cat trax.

Disappointing. My cart, of 130lbs of beach stuff, with the plastic wheels, is as difficult to move across the sand as an H16 on rubber wheels. If had to guess as to why the 24" hard wheels are less effective than the 20" rubber wheels is it is probably that the rubber wheels deform, perhaps creating a virtual radius of well more than 24". Just a guess.

Peace,

Dan Peake
2003 H17SE

I suspect it comes down to sharing the load, the rubber tires put more square inches of tire on the sand than the hard plastic ones do, especially when you start loading up the rubber tires they flatten out on the bottom giving you even more area of tire on the sand to share the weight. If you double the amount of plastic tires you use I suspect the outcome would be different but the cost will go up substantially.

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06 getaway -- always remember, man with both feet in mouth have no leg to stand on.

check the wheeleez site, Hobie uses the small ones for the kayak carts, great on soft sand, not the best choice for hard surface.

By airing down a 4wd tire quadruples in footprint.

PF

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hobie Quest

I wonder which type work best on VERY soft (sugary) sand?

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'09 Adventure Island (SOLD)
2017 Tandem Island

Definitely the rubber (inflatable) tires! The softer the surface, the worse the hard plastic ones perform.

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Arie
H 16 107568

I have had both without any doubt get rubber tires
store them inside spray with silicone once a year

Definitely polyurethane Roleez (Cateez) wheels.