PA 2015 SKEG

I don't know how to post a photon?

But google
Bicycle brake noodle
Price from $1.65. To $5.00

I can see having to do this fix for my 2015, but not my brand new 2017. They should have fixed it

Saafrican - Thanks for posting your solution. I feel your frustration with the difficulty of posting photos on this site. But without a picture, your solution is confusing. There are 2 points where the hulls are being worn through; let's call them Proximal (where the skeg line comes into the rudder box from the retraction puller) and Distal (where the skeg line leaves the rudder box on its way down to the skeg). Could you please elaborate on the following:
1) Into which location are you putting the brake noodle? Seems like the Distal is truly a 90-deg bend but the Proximal is a greater angle. And brake noodles are available online in a variety of angled configurations.
2) How are you fastening the brake noodle to the hull?
3) From the pictures of brake noodles that I can see online, the 90-degree bend is gradual enough that it seems like in the distal location it would stand up too high to put the rudder hatch cover back on. How did you accomplish that?
Thanks in advance for the clarifications.

I came up with a similar solution. This is a brass tube sleeved with a teflon liner. Its bent 90 degrees and holds itself in place pretty well. It also is made long enough to keep the grommet from sliding out. The skeg stows and deploys better than it ever has. I will post if it fails. For now its an easily produced fix.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

There are 2 other topics relating to this problem/issue, one of which I posted this reply.

'These are very expensive kayaks and it is poor design that these problems are occurring. Its akin to using plastic inserts on the line guides of fishing rods...........wouldn't last very long!

Surely Hobie is going to address this issue.

Owners/customers shouldn't be expected to 'jury rig' solutions to a design problem that needs to be addressed by the manufacturer.... particularly given the cost of these kayaks. Customers pay the premium for quality, not for cheap short term solutions. I have a PA14 2015 model I purchased new and don't use the skeg very much. Having said that, one of the main reasons I purchased the kayak new was because of the skeg. I certainly hope that at a later date when the warranty runs out that I don't experience the problems raised in this topic.

Come on Hobie, surely replacing the 'soft' plastic inserts with a ceramic guide will help alleviate the problem of the line wearing through the guides and into the hull. As for the line wearing into the hull where no guides exist, a similar solution should also be implemented.'

This issue seems to have started from the beginning of the PA series that were released with skegs.........so at least 2 years. I understand that a re-route fix was released but doesn't seem to have addressed the problem for some. I suspect that those who are heavy users are going to suffer more problems than those who only use the skeg occasionally. However, the amount of use shouldn't matter. The mechanics of the design should accomodate and allow for heavy use and effectively satisfy the intended purpose. As I have previously pointed out, in my experience, customers are prepared to pay a premium price for quality. Certainly Hobie fits into this category, but issues like this that don't get quickly and satisfactorily addressed compromise its reputation and culminate in unhappy customers.

I find it staggering that the skeg/rudder lines are wearing through the guides. A poor design choice. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to come up with the conclusion that at the very least Hobie engineers and the design team should have used guides made from a material which will prevent the line wearing through the guide. Please correct me if I am wrong and this has been done. Using hardened guides (ceramic/silicon or tungsten carbide etc) should result in smoother operation due to reduced friction and stop the line wearing through the guide and into the kayak hull. Sacrificial guides/grommets are not the solution.

I have a vested interest in a solution for this problem as I purchased a PA14 in December last year and don't want this problem happening to me. But the problem seems to have continued with no news of a permanent solution. I certainly don't want componentry on my kayak to only last within a warranty period and problems crop up at a later date. I purchased a Hobie product for its reputation for quality and service. A product that would give me many years of enjoyment and trouble free use after the warranty period has ended. Until Hobie comes up with a permanent solution to this issue and makes it available for all customers (free of charge I hope) who purchased new PA's with skegs, I don't think that this will happen.