Hatch Cover

Product: 09 Adventure.

Problem: After getting a little water on the center hatch cover, the water runs inside the rim down to the seal and when the hatch cover is opened, a little stream of water or drops of water then run inside the hatch. This can be a real hazard when keeping camera gear handy in the hatch between the legs. The top of the cover can be wiped dry but water still remains trapped inside the hatch ring. So you think it is okay to open the hatch, but when you do, you have to move quick to protect gear and use a towel to catch the water and dry off the hatch lips. While the hatch is closed, the seal work great - no water enters the hull. Matt, can you pass this along to the design team? Thanks.

Suggestion: Move the seal to the top of the hatch? Seals inside and on top? Labyrinth type seal?

Rob

I've had exactly the same problem on a Sport. I think the same hatch and same problem exists on all models. Also useful would be a bag or container to fit the hatch to keep your camera off the hull bottom, which is where these drips of water collect, and to keep it from sliding around.

A Hobie yellow bag with a shirt then camera stuffed in sort of works but its really awkward. I'm thinking a good retrofit might be a bag with a rim to fit the hatch, similar to the one available for the 5" hatch, but with flaps to fold over the opening before closing the hatch. This way drips at the rim don't go into the bag. Such a bag insert could be used in existing hatches without replacing the whole hatch, although a redesign as Rob suggests might be more effective.

I lay a piece of that rubberized non-slip drawer liner in the bottom of the hull and store tackle, fish finder batteries, and other gear down there. The tackle is in Plano cases and batteries in a small tupper ware container. Cell Phone stays in a Dry Pac bag and camera is waterproof. Hobie also carries Tupper style gear bins that fits that hatch perfectly.

I never really thought about a little drippage through that hatch, I kind of always looked at it like this is a water sport. If I am catching fish, my hands are usually wet enough they are dripping when I reach in there. And, if it is raining there is no way I try to keep drops from going through the hatch.

_________________
Roger
http://www.aldenofsunapee.com/
http://www.NEKF.com/

Found this somewhere in the Forum. Works well for me. Box is screwed to lid.

_________________
I'm right 98% of the time. The other 3% I don't worry about.

Fishing gear is inherently waterproof and, except for the rods and reels, generally a lot of small parts that can be fit into a variety of containers. For $300+- you can buy a nice little waterproof camera with a 3x zoom that takes great snapshots and videos to document your kayaking adventures. But....

If you want to take wildlife photos you will need a much longer lens. If you already have expensive and more advanced camera gear you probably don't want to spend $300 so you can leave it at home. In either case you have bulky and vulnerable gear that you want to keep below deck for protection in transit but handy when you need it. It doesn't seem too much to ask, or too difficult to design a "waterproof" hatch that doesn't drip a shotglass full of water on your gear each time you open it.

That's all Rob and I are asking for.

Wow, I'm considering an expensive camera on board at times and my thought was a sponge topside to dry everything off around the hatch before I opened it. You also might consider those great microfiber cloths they're selling under various names like Sham'whoa' or something. It's what I'm using now just to keep water out of my regular gear below. They sell a nice pack of them in Wally World that aren't expensive. Automotive section. Before I had a waterproof camera, I collected the desiccant bags that come in a lot of different things and kept some of those in each dry bag I used for carrying something sensitive. I'm not taking my camera out on a "water-sport" kayak if the wx isn't going to cooperate to some degree. I'm such a slob when fishing anyway that I doubt I take my big camera. I wear 'fish'... and whatever. I'm not going out in "splashing" waters with an expensive camera or if I do, it'll stay in the dry bag.. If I do take the big camera with me, the storage below will be in some of the best dry bags I can come up with. But I do recommend dry bags below instead of hoping a hull with holes is going to protect my expensive camera..... not trying to offend you or defend Hobie, but I've been confronted with the issue and didn't think the hatches being changed was what was called for. Not on a fishing kayak or craft. I think they need to work on the tracking so the steering is sweet. They've got a great combination on that boat.... little tweeking and it'll be free of it's "recliner engineering" team. Including me.

_________________
Yakkingaway
Portsmouth, VA

Drying off the top of the hatch works great for what it does, but a small amount of water remains trapped in the hatch lip. Regardless of how dry the cover looks, if any water has run inside the lip, it'll run into the hatch as you open it. I usually keep my camera gear in ziplock bags. Then I have to towel off the ziplock bags before opening them. Its a pain.

That's one way to keep a camera dry. I usually use ziplock bags. My camera gear won't fit in one box, but I have customized an otter box for one camera and the box fits in the topside tray of the outback. Works well when pedaling, but gets in the way when paddling. Paddling and rain are the causes of water getting on my hatch.