is Dune a safe color?

Ok, long story short I'm going to end up with an Oasis The AI will have to wait a year or two

My question is this: I was going to get the papaya (yellow, for people used to names that are meaningful because it is visually easy to see...very "safe" color...but I personally like the Dune more. I also think the yellow boat may attract more insects/bees etc when in marshy areas.

Is Dune a safe color? Is it popular? Will yellow attract more bugs? Is Yellow significantly "safer" (visually easier to spot)?

Thanks as always!

If you like the dune, get the dune. 99% of safety on these boats has to do with the person sitting with his or her feet on the pedals!

As far as yellow attracting bugs. I've been told by those who would know that lighter colours keep bugs away, and darker colours attract bugs. So whether you get dune or yellow, I would assume that you'd be ok for bugs.

Speaking of bugs, I hate them! And this is a great Canadian company that makes UGLY but crazy effective bug shirts.
http://www.bugshirt.com/

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My 2010 Oasis is Dune color. I considered exactly the same things that you are, and I chose Dune for some specific reasons...

1) It looked the best to me.
2) I wanted a color where I didn't have to worry about fade due to UV radiation. At least I predict it won't be as noticeable on Dune as it would be on the deep or bright colors.
3) Scratches and normal wear and tear don't seem as noticeable, it seems.

Regarding safety, I use bright red PFDs with reflective stripes. I have the red and white Hobie sail (color chosen for safety). I've added bright orange and reflective strips of tape near the blades of my paddles. I've added patches of the same reflective tape at the bow and stern of the kayak.

In SW Florida the yellow outsells the other colors 10 to 1 due to visibiltiy to powerboaters.

In Hawaii for AI's it's at least 5 to 1 yellow vs pink.

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Hobie Island Sailing since 2006

Wow! There is a PINK one also?

SOME bugs like yellow, not all. But if you live in an area with a kind of bugs that likes yellow, maybe its a good idea to buy a dune, blue, red or why not a PINK Hobie.

greatings from Sweden
thomas

I prefer white, but dune is the closest Hobie currently offers. IMO you should pick what ever color you are most happy with and carry an air horn if you're concerned about getting run over.

Color is probably an important safety factor/issue depending on where you use your Hobie.

Our Oasis is red. We use it mainly on a lake where max horsepower is 9 and speed limits are strictly enforced. I have the head ranger's cell # on speed dial to report people sneaking in with jet skis and illegal motors.

Another lake, where we use the Oasis has sections of the lake cleary marked off, where no motors electric/gas can be used. The part of the river where we will be using it this year has severe and strictly enforced speed limits. The sheriff and police will respond when speeders are reported. So we would probably not get run over.

My Freedom Hawk 12 is green with purposedly smeared mud dried above the water line to break its profile up to any fish below. I only use it on a couple of local ponds and no gas powered sections on near by lakes
or on the upper reaches of our local river which turns power boats into trash quickly with its tides and low water with hazards. Some areas in this river with sudden shallow water would harm a submerged Mirage unit or rudder if you hit them. My FH12 just floats over the areas with its built in stabilizers extended.

If I buy an Outback or Outfitter as noted in other posts to travel 1-2 miles of the lower regular river to get to the fishing areas. My choice of color will be yellow or red. I will get the Hobie caution flag for the stern. Speeders abound in this area. Speeders in boats in this area, when they see a camera or cell phone pointed at them, will usually slow down and get their wakes under control and away from smaller water craft.

Our PFDs are red or yellow with the reflective stripes.

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2009 Oasis
2012 Freedom Hawk Pathfinder

Same-Same in NW Florida.

Robin

Living on the Gulf Coast (of Florida), I would go with yellow or red. Power boaters are certainly a concern. Air horn is an an option, but often, I have seen PBs with little or no regard to kayaks or sailboats. Seen some go right through some of the local dingy races. If you are kayaking on freshwater or safer water ways, where it is not an issue, than dune color is fine. Another concern, in my neck of the woods/water, is the remote threat of getting stuck out in the Gulf, due to some unforeseen disaster. Visibility of the dune would be more limited from a distance. Certainly, this is a remote possibility, but years of working in a trauma ER as a nurse (in the past), has shown me those possibilities. That being said, often times people end up in the ER because they made a serious effort to get there, not due to the color of their kayak. It's your toy, get the color you want.

I had wanted to get my PA in ivory dune, but my dealer strongly steered me towards the yellow. When I resisted, he told me a story about how he had been run over some years back and nearly killed. That sold me on the yellow.
I do my best to be safe out on the water, between my equipment and experience, and choosing my days carefully. Even the weather is somewhat predictable and often can be compensated for. The one most dangerous and most unpredictable factor in kayaking is other boaters.
As far as attracting bugs, yellow won't. Dark colors, such as brown or black, will.

Both my Outback and PA are green/olive. I have been told by fishing buddies that they can't spot me even from a quarter mile away sometimes.

If safety from powerboaters is a concern, I'd go with a yellow or perhaps dune colored boat. For myself, I put some 3M reflective tape at various places on my boats and now any light, sun or boatlight, lights the boat up like a fair to anyone coming towards it. In fact, I'd continue to use this stuff regardless of what color boat I was in.

I think Tom's and Skadar's comments are spot on -- reflection is much more effective than color and in virtually all light conditions. Although yellow may be the "most visible" color, certain sunglasses effectively subdue its qualities; compare yellow and red with the naked eye vs through yellow, amber or brown lenses for example.

Kayaks have a very small frontal area. From head on they are sometimes hard to distinguish from buoys. Dress, hat and vest color may be more significant in some situations due to your taller profile. Don't forget you can tape these things also for even more visibility.

Motion attracts. Paddlers have an advantage with regard to visibility because of movement of their blades.

Kayak color choice may be helpful, but just doesn't guarantee a darned thing. If you're blocked from view (high bow or obstruction) or the other boater is just not looking where he's going, that's where your risk of collision lies rather than color. I don't worry about color at all (except with heat build up off the water and personal choice). How you manage your boat, choice of location (within the body of water) and luck have a lot to do with the prospect of getting run over.

I've been fortunate enough to spend time on the water with all five of the basic Hobie colors and I'm out with the motor boats frequently looking for wake rides. IMO, kayak color choice is over rated with regard to safety, providing a false sense of security more than actual protection in most cases.

And this thread has come full circle.

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I once saw a TV clip in which a rescue helicopter pilot was cursing boat manufacturers for making all their boats white - "why can't they make them in a colour that stands out?" was what he was saying.

I have yellow because I firmly believe that it is probably the most visible colour. This could be important in conditions or circumstances when I would most want to be seen. In my experience the red is very dark and almost invisible in low light conditions. Dune is very white and foamy. Olive green is very seawatery. Sky blue is very... well, sky bluey.

Personal safety may depend upon many factors and I guess colour choice is personal choice, but my personal choice is that when the guano and the fan come together with me in the middle - I would not want to be missed by that helicopter pilot. So in the absence of "Rescue Orange" it is Papaya Mango (or whatever the name is) for me !