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Should I buy a hobie 07 oasis? Also santa barbara question
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Author:  acousticpharm [ Thu Mar 21, 2013 11:39 am ]
Post subject:  Should I buy a hobie 07 oasis? Also santa barbara question

I can buy a hobie 07 oasis tandem for $1250. I want a tandem with the mirage drive. I hear that parts break. Is it silly to buy a 6 year old kayak will the parts break? I would like a seaworthy kayak i heard the 07 was less seaworthy? Also i rented a revolution and the pedals aggravated my right knee, perhaps a hobie is not right for me? Anyone else have that problem? Lastly how safe is it for 2 inexperienced kayakers to take an oasis out in mild santa barbara waters? I have heard one minute the caliornia coast is mild and the next your being blown dangerously by santa ana winds. A mirage would be safer in bad weather than a normal kayak though right? People paddleboard at my local beach so a kayak would be safe? Are there any kayak groups in santa barbara? I dont have the money for a new oasis but i could probably come up with 1600ish.

Author:  augaug [ Thu Mar 21, 2013 12:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Should I buy a hobie 07 oasis? Also santa barbara questi

I can't answer all of your questions, but I can help with a few.

First of all, generally speaking, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a 2007 Oasis. Obviously each individual boat has seen unique usage, and you want to make sure the boat doesn't look like it's been beat up or abused.

I wouldn't call the 2007 Oasis less seaworthy than the current model, probably less efficient, but we're talking minor differences. If you had the money to buy the newer one, it's the better boat, but that doesn't make the previous version a bad boat. Hobie still sells the Outback, and Outfitter which are the same generation of boat as the 2007 Oasis and have similarly designed hulls.

Safety is a tough question because safety is so heavily dependent on the user. In general, and for several reasons, I think the Hobie boats are among the safest boats on the market. The sit on top design allows water to splash over the hull, and instantly drain out, they are stable, and relatively hard to tip over, and they allow you to use both hands to grip the boat, instead of having to deal with a paddle.

Having said that, the safest boat is not safe for the dumbest user. So when you first head out, get comfortable with your boat in a safe area. As you gain experience, you'll begin to realize when conditions are very safe, and when conditions are not.

My wife is not a strong swimmer, but it didn't take her long to feel safe in 6 foot waves on Lake Ontario when she had her Revolution. The key is to find the balance between feeling safe, and being safe.

Feeling safe might mean that you're overconfident, and that can cause problems. If you pay attention to the dangers, you'll be able to develop an awareness of the concerns, and kayak in confidence in a wide variety of conditions.

As far as things breaking. The boat is made primarily of plastic. Plastic, and metal, and rubber, and ropes, all do break. Having said that Hobie's are very reliable. You need to be aware that things can go wrong, but at the same time, you should buy with confidence knowing that you have a well engineered boat, made with high quality materials.

I hope that helps a little bit. Someone else will have to help with your Santa Barbara questions, as I don't have local knowledge.

Author:  RPL [ Thu Mar 21, 2013 2:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Should I buy a hobie 07 oasis? Also santa barbara questi

I have a 2010 Oasis which is the same hull as the one you're considering. I use it in the bays and rivers around Corpus Christi, Tx. and have taken it off the beach through the surf into the Gulf of Mexico. Many of the areas I go into have fairly shallow water levels and with the breezes and winds we get, can become really rough in a hurry. Using the right techniques the older Oasis design can handle some very serious water. I am convinced that the boat has more capabilities in rough waters than my nerves do. It is a very safe boat and able provide even the novice a level of safety that will make their kayaking enjoyable in many different water conditions. By the way, I try to take care of my boat but occasionally have run it up on oyster beds etc and have sustained no damage other than scratches and small gouges. I've never had anything break and have always been able to get back to the launch area. So if the boat is sea worthy now and has no cracks etc. it should give you years of service with some reasonable care. See if you can take it out in the water and try it. It might be a really good buy. Happy Kayaking!

Author:  stobbo [ Fri Mar 22, 2013 3:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Should I buy a hobie 07 oasis? Also santa barbara questi

Do parts break? Of course they can and do from time to time on any mechanical object. Will they break regularly on a hobie kayak subject to "normal" usage? I do not really think so, otherwise word would get around& people would not be buying them in the numbers they do. So if you are prepared to recognise that you are buying a machine and to treat it with reasonable respect then you should be satisfied like all the other owners who are. However, given that your Hobie can take you well offshore it would be wise to go that little bit further and understand how the machine works and how to repair it if it should go wrong when you are miles from shore OR not to go too far offshore.

Now, as to whether or not the 07 Oasis is a good buy... Well my recommendation would be that if it has the click'n'go drive locking system then you shouldn't have too many problems with the boat (with the older twist-down cam locks system failures did occur in the 'cam columns' but the click'n'go seems to have remedied this). The hull material is very tough - you should take the usual precautions of looking for signs of harsh usage and if there are any cracks at all, even tiny ones, walk away (particularly check the drivewell area). If it has twist-down cams for the drives be sure to check the 'cam columns' which are the plastic columns inside the boat that the cam-lock bolts are located in; you are looking for fractures in these columns caused by the plastic of the column snapping under the tension created when the cam locks are screwed down onto the drive.

The drives themselves are pretty robust & all spares are available to fix them from the ground up if needs be. They need to be properly adjusted, of course, as per my first comment above.

Is it a good boat? Well I wish I had one & if I was to buy a double I would prefer an Oasis over an Outfitter. People who are lucky enough to own them apparently like them and it sounds like they are a very versatile boat albeit a bit bigger then your average single. Would I be willing to pay the extra for a brand new one with a few minor mods over a 2007? Subject to the above coments I am not so sure that the extra $ would give me a whole lot more for my money other than a front steering capability.

As to seaworthiness; the rule of thumb is that the boat can take more punishment than the crew but you would be wise to take a conservative approach and to apply common-sense to any ocean-based activity.

Hope this helps!

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