How much water is normal for the hulls to take?

I'm having trouble repairing a little crash I had with some rocks,

It use to take very little or no water at all before the crash and now it takes a little more than 1lt.

1.- Is that normal?

2.- I know the process for finding leaks, but I've heard there are some places in the hulls where they "breath" and shouldn't be close for air to enter. Can anyone tell where they are for me to know.

No. Normal is none. There might be some from condensation, but we're talking a few cc's, not a liter.


There are breather tubes in the front pylons, underneath the castings. You can't see them unless you take the boat apart.

a hell of alot if you forget the drain plugs like me

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'73 hobie 16 restored 2011
'00 Seaswirl fishin boat

RAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!



...sorry.

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'97 Hobie 16.

Skype: rob_arnolda

I'll be here all week. don't forget to tip your wait staff

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'73 hobie 16 restored 2011
'00 Seaswirl fishin boat

@MBounds, so if i use the air pressure and soap technique i won't find those holes??

and how are there holes there?? what if those pylons get underwater during the capsize??

@reelknotty don't worry, after a i-forgot.the-plugs expierence i check them twice before going to the water

Probably not. You might see some bubbles coming from between the front casting and the pylon if you do leak test with the boat upside down.

This will probably answer your question:

Even when capsized, the vent tube is not that far underwater and it is well protected. As long as there is no leak elsewhere, no water will get in.

If your getting that much water in the hulls, start with all the obvious possible points of entry:

Caulking around the pylons - sometimes the caulking looks good, but upon close inspection you can pull it back with your finger nail.

The Hull / Deck seam - Any small crack might look innocent, but press hard against the hull under any cracks in the seam and see if you can make the crack open more. (Particularly around the side stays)

Rudder Gudgeon's - You could be taking water in through the screw holes. You could try taking out the screws and re-seating them in a fresh new bed of caulking.

Bung's - Check your bungs. Sometimes if you screw in the bungs too tight you can pinch the rubber seal between the bung and the bung hole causing it to twist and not create a good seal.

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2011 H16... Have a Hobie Day!
1983 H14 Turbo...

This is where I found a major leak on my hull. One of the bungs was a fine thread. It would screw in ALMOST to where the seal would seat, but at that exact point, the thread would bind.

This made me, and a few others think that the bung was in and tight, when it really had about an extra millimeter. Over the space of a few hours, this would let a LOT of water in.

On top of that, I also has some small cracks under the lip where the shroud anchor sits. Couldn't see it unless I opened it up with my hands. Cost me a couple of hundred to get fixed (perfectly) and has been great ever since!

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'97 Hobie 16.

Skype: rob_arnolda