Looking at a Hobie Wave vs Hobie Getaway

Hey Everyone,

I'm looking at getting either a Hobie Wave or a Hobie Getaway this weekend, I have two that are available in my area with my budget. First off I have spent the better part of a week reading and watching videos about the Wave and Getaway but I'm still wanting more opinions. I live around several lakes, but the winds are always between 6 ~ 10 mph which I realize is on the slow side for wind. I do have a wife and two kids that I would like to have out with me but I'm also new to sailing as well. I've read that the Getaway can be a dog to sail in low winds but I can't seem to find what the minimum wind for a Wave is.

I've spent a good portion of my adult life around lakes, but most of my experience has been with wake boats and jet skis, many many jet skis, however now that I'm a little bit older with kids, I'm wanting to get into something that my entire family can enjoy. I have gone sailing just a handful number of times at the lake I normally go too, but each time I did it was a blast, no smell of gas and two-stroke oil mixing, just the wind and the boat working together. Admittedly I was not the one sailing but started the interest for me.

What I'm trying to decided at the moment is do I go with the Hobie Wave which from everything I've been reading is easier to sail solo and to learn with our do I jump immediately to the Getaway but it seems more complicated to sail as this would be my first time. The biggest benefit to me for the Getaway is the larger boat and the 1000lb weight capacity, however the single sail on the Wave I think would be easier for me to learn, though feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on that!

Also note that I will be putting an electric motor on Hobie regardless which I get, if anything just so my family and I can go out on the lake and enjoy the water regardless if there is a good wind or not.

Any advice would be helpful!
Thank you so much!
Grant

We are a family of 4 have & have jet skis as well. We got the Getaway. Plenty of room, you won't feel cramped as you might on a wave. room for cooler etc. Get the wing seats, kids will enjoy going out on the trapeze. They will have fun diving off & they just offer a lot of added comfort as well. 6 mph is light but will move the Getaway, 10 is good.

With a family of 4, the wave will be small with the 4 of you on it, especially if you add a motor mount and battery. The Getaway isn’t much more complicated, the jib will take about 10 minutes to figure out the basics of how to use it. The Getaway is heavier and will take a little longer to setup, so solo it will take some planning to raise the mast. If you sail solo most of the time, I would vote Wave, but with a growing family the Getaway will fit better.

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Scott
Hobie 18 w/wings
Hobie/Holder 12 Funseeker
2 Hobie Waves
Tandem Oasis Kayak
Hobie 16
Southern California

Thank you so much for the feedback Steve C and Smfinley! This actually makes me choice much easier, I'll go with the Getaway. There aren't going to be many opportunities where I can take out the boat solo, I'll almost always been with at least one other person.

I need to read up on the trapeze, I've seen it a handful of times, but I've never done it myself and I'll need to figure out what is involved to set that up.

Thanks
Grant

I've had H17s, sailed, and sailed with H16s, and have had a Getaway for 9 years.
The 16s are a little faster in light winds, but at 15 mph, they run even with my Getaway. It's certainly not a dog. In light winds, set the mainsheet hook all the way back to get maximum draft in the sail. It makes a big difference.
How old/big are your kids? I originally bought a H17 as a "family boat". As the kids grew, we were just too much weight for it. I expect the same would be true of the Wave.
I solo the Getaway all the time. No problems at all. The jib makes tacking a whole lot easier than a cat rigged boat like the H17 or Wave.
IMHO, the Getaway is the perfect family boat. I wish they had made it in 1990, when I bought my first H17.

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Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks