2015 Hobie AI review Boogie-D Hawaii

Aloha Gang it David Elgas.. aka Boogie-D... on Oahu in Hawaii..

I want to share my thoughts with you about the new 2015 Hobie AI.. it seems as if a lot of people are waiting for there delivery and are curious to the new features and upgrades.. and folks want to know about the down sides... well here goes... I have got to sail my new 2015 Hobie AI in some good winds and big waves now... I will start with the obvious negatives..

THE CONS:
1) The weight: it will be my biggest issue as a professional kayak fishing athlete.. the new weight of the base hull combined with the weight of the new amas and bigger sail is considerable... to me this is one of the worst things... I struggled to get my old AI off a steep beach after a good day of fishing and loaded with fishing gear, ice and fish. I would say add 40 pounds to the old weight and get used to it.. this weight is goanna kill me at the end of a fishing day.. for real
2) the over all bigger size: do you like pro anglers cause this is what it feels like now.. harder to handle, load, store, launch.. if you had any doubts.. you will be wanting that trailer now for sure..
3) no side handles.. who need those things... the boat is so heavy now you need 2 people to move it so they did away with side handles.. I used to be able to load my old AI onto my trailer by myself but I no longer can with the new 2015 AI.. it is so heavy and with no side handles.. even though this kayak is heavier Hobie provides smaller ropes in the front and rear carry handles.. no side handle make it impossible to carry alone
4) the old AI tramps wont fit the new 2015 AI... you will need to get TI tramps to fit the new 2015 AI..
5) there is no eyelet for the mirage drive leash... by not providing one Hobie hopes to sell more leash kits which includes the eyelet..
7) your old PVC fishing rod holders probably wont work.. the ones I have been using for ever didn't... the new shape threw it all off..

ok that's a lot of negatives.. now for the good news..
1) improved higher and dryer ride: the new bow design and over all bigger design does create a much higher and dryer ride.. there is less splash from the bow and less dig on the amas.. pretty fast too...
2) Improved furling system: this is very noticeable and is a big improvement.. the furl seams to effortlessly move back and forth even under loaded sails... nice work..
3) scalloped sail: no more head dipping or at least a lot less..
4) new seat: mixed feeling about the seat... it is a lot more comfortable than I though it would be.. I like to ride mine all the way down... but the seat can be elevated to a much higher position.. I was able to strip the new 2015 AI down and I still could paddle it with this chair pretty good.. but it looks like a lot could break here on this new chair its clumsy and hard to work... we will see how long they last..
5) Improved seat drainage: a new drain feature helps to suck out the water from the seat area quickly..
6) improved rear tank well: the old tank well shape had a lot of issues with weight in the back of the kayak often submerging the hatch and leaking water... the new design is more like the TI and is much more buoyant.. it will accommodate a live well much better
7) Improved rudder function: by redesigning the hull from a pin tail to a rounded pin it increased the turning ability of the kayak.. it was noticeable under sail and completely stripped down.. a much tighter and faster turn now.. a lot less pressure on the wrist
improved leg room: tall guys will like this
9) faster: I got going pretty fast knuckle kind hair raising
10) improved ama: the way they cut through the water like the new nose does seam like less friction.. less splash and less dig.. and more flotation:
11) fish finder transducer ready: all set up for easy lowrance FF installation with ports in both pockets..
12) Dagger board: its inside like the TI.. one less thing to lose

The old AI was pretty good.... it was sufficient for me and only needed minor changes.. the new AI changes are major.. this is a new kayak.. its no longer a fast sleek paddling machine.. though she still will paddle... the new AI has evolved into more of a sailor... in my opinion this is a great kayak that will carry a lot more weight... it would be great for long multi day expeditions on the water... its going to be a great fishing platform.. its faster, and dryer, but at a cost... the extra weight is a real body killer.... ok that's all I can think of at the moment.. I will add to this if I can think of anything else.. its so hard to post pictures here on the forum but if you want pics of my new Hobie AI go hit me up on my face book site under David Elgas.. I will post a bunch of pics of my new ride there on face book.. you can also contact me here... http://www.coastalkayaktours.com on my company email at [email protected] or by calling me at (808) 638-9100.. I cant wait to get out there and get some fishing time in... ALOHA
David Elgas... aka Boogie-D
http://www.christmasislandfishingadventures.com

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I love AI kayak fishing

Great review David many thanks, I'm going to friend request you on Facebook...

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Every day is an Adventure Island day

Awesome review David! Thanks!

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

I have been looking around at some of the other reviews and discussion.. does anyone know exactly how much more the new fully rigged 2015 AI weighs than the old 2014 fully rigged... MAHALO

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I love AI kayak fishing

If you accept Hobie's specs for the fully rigged AI 2 and AI, it is 142#-115# = 27#.

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

Great review David. I appreciate you taking the time to do this. There are none available down under as yet. You have covered much of what I was hoping to read about, especially your kayak mode details.
This is a comparison between old and new that I compiled when '15 AI details first appeared on Hobie's website back in August last year:

Details- new (old):
Hull Length 16' 7" (16')
Mast 16' 6" (15' 2")
Beam out 2.9m (2.84) Beam in unchanged.
Sail Area -65sq/ft (57.5)
Weight fitted 47.45kg (39.24kg) , rigged 64.4kg (52.16)
Capacity 181kg (159)

Thanks guys... Yesterday I got to take out the 2015 AI in single hull mode for some offshore fishing... here are a few more pros I noticed while using the kayak for fishing while under single hull mode..

1) the bow space is bigger and will hold more fish or gear... my large offshore triangle fish cooler bag now easily fits in the front hatch with out being crammed in and its a lot thicker of an area... so yup lots more space in the front hull.. it will hold a lot more big game now in single hull mode...

2) the foot well for the mirage drive is different than older models and sits down lower in the hull.. with the seat being up higher... it made for less water coming up from the foot well area..

3) the vantage seat in singe hull mode out preformed my expectations while under paddle mode.. my arse and body was a lot less sore today... I could paddle in this seat easily... and what great is with the little lever on the vantage seat you can go from recline peddle mode to full up right paddle mode very easily and quickly... I am impressed with these seats.. my only problem is when I scuffle forward to the front hatch the seat will lift off the rail... and I am still not sure how to operate that bottom lever on the seat that attaches to the seat rail.. but so far so good... curious to see how they will last.. and yes because of the new mirage drives and the seats.... its still pretty good ride to peddle and can still paddle...

4) The new Mirage drive are much more efficient.. this is my first time with extended hours on the water with this new system and its very smooth and seams faster to me..

the cons of 2015 AI single hull mode are

1) because the stern of the kayak is now a rounded pin much like a revo.. she wants to spin out easily with out the rudder down... the old AI with a pin tail tracks better and stays on course in single mode with the rudder up... that's the first thing I noticed as I paddled out though a shore break that it was much harder to control under paddle with out the rudder.. I got the rudder down right away and kept it down even when paddling.. other wise to squirrley

2) there is just no way the new 2015 AI will ever keep of with 2014 AI in a straight out paddle mode.. the new 2015 is not as sleek and is heavier... older modes will paddle and peddle faster

3) for some reason the new base hull feels a lot heavier than the old AI hulls... especially dragging up a sand beach at the end of the day like we do a lot here on Oahu.. thank god it was a short drag and not a steep beach.. I have a flat bed trailer and I just drag my yak right up on it.. even this was noticeably harder..

4) I find that I can no longer lift and move this base hull by myself... I used to move my old AI from my kayak rack to my trailer on my own (20ft).. I cant do this with the new 2015... its even hard to flip the new 2015 AI over sideways to rinse it out... its heaver for sure and with out side handle its really hard to handle this kayak alone.. I have to think that some type of side handle is essential for us.. I realize I used my old side handle one even in the surf for stabilization.. so we will see how folk like that..

over all I guess 2015 AI single hull mode is what you would expect... there's more space and its dryer.. those are probably Hobbies 2 biggest concerns for its consumers over all with this model.. and folks will like that a lot... I think rudder and maneuverability were also issues in the past for consumers.. I know because I suffer from a chronic wrist pain from years of hard rudder action while under sail.. so by Hobie addressing all these issues as an AI sailing unit it definitely made it harder for those like myself who appreciated the paddling mode and versatility of the older AI's... but it is what it is.. I cant wait to do a sail fish long voyage from one side of the island to the other side... and when I get really calm out I know I can still paddle out in single hull mode and get some fish... I think what I really need to do is get some type of pulley system, to attach to my trailer... with a pulley and some rope it should be a lot easier to pull across a long sand beach.. or maybe an electric winch... OK I hope they get these dock wars figured out and you all get your new 2015 Hobie's soon.. I am curious to what others people opinions. ALOHA

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I love AI kayak fishing

Excellent review(s), just what I was interested in.

Confirms most of my thoughts, especially the weight - I feel for you, lugging the monster up the beach!

I weighed the various components of my 'bare' 2012 A.I. yesterday, so I'd be interested to see where the
weight increases come from in the 2015 A.I.:

Hull = 38.4kg
AMAS = 14.1kg
AKAS = 7.3kg
Mast/Sail = 4.8kg
Mirage Drive = 3.2kg
Seat = 1.3kg

for a grand-total of 69.1kg, fully rigged.

Cheers,

Mike.

Have you included the Daggerboard Mike?

Interesting that there is still quite a variation with Hobie's published weight.
Officially the AIv1 fully rigged is 52.16kg vs your 69.1kg measured.
I wonder how much the AIv2 really weighs?

Thanks B-D again for some more insights into kayak mode. It sounds like paddling the hull only is not so bad?
I was concerned about the 4" higher seat position.
Would you be confident in the stability of the AIv2 hull in kayak mode in a 30 knot blow?

@Stringy - yep, I forgot the daggerboard! So let's call it a nice, round 70kg!

The scales I used are usually pretty spot on - perhaps you can give yours a bit of a weigh?

It can't be that far off the official weights, surely?

Cheers,

Mike.

Mike,
I'm glad you managed to remove the dagger (board) from your back!
Ok, I've just managed to weigh my AI. It was an '08 but now has an '11 hull. So it has the old pinned aka bars that had the crappy e-coating. There is no paint left so they are a bit lighter!
Hull = 42kg (with twist-n-stow rudder)
AMAS = 14kg
AKAS = 4.88kg
Mast/Sail = 4.31kg
Mirage Drive = 3.22kg
Seat = 1.3kg
DB = 1.07kg

Total rigged weight= 70.78kg

So a similar result to yours and a long way from the 52.16kg it 'officially' weighs.

To weigh the hull I stood on a set of bathroom scales then picked up the hull and noted the difference. It might be accurate to a kilo or so I'd guess. The rest of the gear was weighed with an electronic hand scale.

This would be an interesting exercise for someone with a 2015 AI to do and compare the real difference.

Nice one Stringy!

It's good to see I wasn't wrong. I used a similar method to you - the old bathroom-scale trick!

I also weighed the smaller components (everything except the hull) by balancing them, individually, on the scales just to double-check.

It's interesting that your AKAS are noticeably lighter, but I guess you have the 'original' (better!) style ones?

Also, your hull is a fair bit heavier than mine - do you still have to flotation blocks inside? have you added any other
bits and pieces?

Still, it ends up pretty much identical to mine.

It'll be even more fascinating to see what the 2015 A.I. comes in at... Anyone able/willing to hope onto the scales with their new boat?

Cheers,

Mike.

It might be a little hard for them to hold on while weighing.

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

Good one Tom! I hadn't thought about that.

Mike,
I didn't remove the internal foam and the drivewell plug was in.
Actually I'd better check that drivewell plug as it's been leaking and may have some water in it.
It would be safe to say the hull weighs around 40kgs.