The good news is that Hobie's gurus/engineers are constantly looking at their products and making changes to improve their yaks or like in this case changing/reducing their specs on their yaks for our safety.
The bad news is the change in weight load limits puts the Sport for many of us into a no buy category.
It seems that there is a market for a Hobie Mirage that is bigger than the Scout and smaller/lighter, stable and easier to handle than an Outback or Revolution for those of us who fish and would pack a day's gear and tackle on a Hobie Mirage that could handle us and our gear and still be light enough to get on/off or in/out of our pickups or our SUVs. Like an 10-11-12' footer weighing about 60#'s or less with the fishing necessities like rod mounts built in.
This market will increase in size as the boomers get older, less spry and feel the limitations of decades of over abuse of their bodies like bad shoulders, backs, hips and knees.
The continuing increase in gasoline prices and the impositions of those in charge of rivers, lakes and ocean shores, who do not like humans and as a result of their dislike, restrict shore access and boat fishing will increase the demand for fishable yaks.
Most of us will not be out in the ocean fishing for Marlin, but we have lakes and rivers where the mirage can be the difference in an enjoyable day from beginning to the end at home versus a paddle only yak.
I would be more than willing to 'beta' test any such yak.
mmiller wrote:
Quote:
changed the way we determine capacity
Yes... testing is done. Yes, it is a somewhat arbitrary. Someone has to determine stability and acceptable waterline under load. That thinking likely changed as I noted.
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FAQ
Shouldn't rated capacity be determined by actual testing?