Revo 16 questions

Just wondering if anyone has had issues with the Venturi scupper contraption on surf launches? My cockpit gets completely swamped with a swell and the boat becomes very unstable until well underway and finally drained. Has anyone removed the mechanism altogether?

Also I can't fathom why Hobie would drill a through hull fitting in the tank well in an area that is essentially below the waterline. Who's idea was this?

Lastly, Does the slot filled with plug for the daggerboard remain for the 2016 model? Seems like just another hole to deal with along with the cord to it which could cause more snags when fishing.

Thx!

Removing the plug system will let water enter up through the hull. The plug system is designed to be a one way valve. The seat area is low for stability... it needs the drain.

Drilled Thru hull in tank well area? No sure what you mean.

The dagger well was kept by popular consumer demand. It is an excellent sailing kayak and some others use the board for stability when simply kayaking.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Hobie sit-on-top kayaks, as most other sit on tops, are designed to be "self-bailing." This is accomplished with the scuppers located in any area that could catch water and otherwise hold it. Yes, the tank well will take on some water as it's below the waterline once you load the kayak, but anything you'd put back there should be watertight if it can't take being wet. And any water that splashes in will run right back out those scuppers. The water level will be self leveling.

If you don't like the concept, you can cut out some foam plugs and seal the scuppers off. But unless you're using the boat in very calm waters, I don't think you're going to like the result.

Did you mean the Transducer wiring scupper?

I'm talking about the hole where the transducer wire goes from the transducer scupper hole into the hull. I wound up calling Hobie and they told me they put the hole there because it would be too far too reach elsewhere. Still, a dumb solution. Never drill a 1" hole below the waterline and rely on a fitting to remain water tight. On the 13 I believe the hole is on the vertical wall behind the seat well which makes sense.

As for the Venturi scupper, Hobie also told me that the 16 is not meant for such surf launches. Good to know (now). The Venturi only works when you are moving so if you are in 2 or 3 ft of water waiting for a break in the sets and with the relatively low freeboard, your seat well is swamped before you are even in the boat. 2 normal size scuppers would be better for this application.

Every model will have an issue with water in the seat recess in those conditions, so not agreeing with whoever said the Revo 16 is not meant for surf launches for that reason. We didn't design any specific models for surf. Keep the drain open. If you are in the boat, water will drain to equal the waterline. If not in the boat... all the water will drain out. The remaining water, below waterline, would require the Venturi action.

The cargo area should not be below waterline, but does see a lot of water in it during use when loaded. The transducer plug fitting has been moved for 2016. I would take it that your fitting is the single cable one... we have a 3-way thru-hull fitting now that allows the thru hull fitting to be in a less accessible area. You no longer have to reach in to place a backing nut to mount it.

As an option, I suggest plugging the existing one and using the new fitting in the new higher location.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Thanks for the reply Matt. I'm at least glad you guys can admit it was a bad idea. I weigh about 210lbs and with minimal fishing gear if I reach back to where the middle transducer scupper is there is always at least an 1/4 or half inch of water. Would Hobie send me this new fitting to correct the problem? My 16 is only a few months old. Temporarily, I have used a good amount of marine goop to seal the through hill fitting that's on the tank well. I hate holes in my kayak especially 1" ones that are not useful. I fish offshore in the cold waters of Oregon and need to know that I'm water tight.

Ask your dealer to file a claim... I think warranty would do that.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Matt,
Do you have a part number for the new 3 way thru hull fitting ?
It will make my upcoming install way easier,

I have a 2015 Revo 13 and am thinking of getting a second boat. I want a Revo 16 if it is actually faster. I think for the 16 to be faster it would have to put out less of a wake than the 13 by having the water tapper off the back of the boat better. I took a picture of the wake behind my 13 by setting the camera on my head facing back and could not believe the wake it makes at 4 mph (my cruising speed). The water was flat the day I took the picture and you can see swells behind me. The sea kayaks I travel with sometimes do not leave much of a wake at all. I would post the picture but do not know how. If someone could take a picture the same way on a flat day I would like that, it would help me decide if it is worth getting the longer boat. I know of a dealer that has a 2015 Revo 16 but if it has a 1 inch hole under the water line I think I will wait for the 2016 to come in. Thanks for that info I go out in cold water, sometimes rough water and would like to keep floating. I thought I read somewhere the dagger board hole went away part way through the 2015 run, did it? The 2015 Revo is at a dealer 200 hundred miles from me so I have not seen it. I was all set to go to a Hobie demo day not to long ago, I was willing to drive 6 hours and camp out to test drive the Revo 16 then I found out Hobie was not bring one.

2X, Tom nailed it.

With boats... length = speed. Longer is faster. The Revo 16 (3 feet longer) is faster and will have less wake / less effort for the same speed.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

The Revo 16 is definitely faster, but at about 4 MPH you might not notice it so much. Because you're not pushing the "hull speed" on either, the length/width advantage of the Revo 16 doesn't manifest itself as it would as, say 5.5 MPH. the faster the speed, the bigger the difference.

Interesting observation. In a way you're right, but it's a little more complex than that.

First of all, the Revo 16 has less stern wake at any given speed than the Revo 13. because of the length/width difference.

Second, there are two wakes -- bow wake and stern wake. Turns out the Hobies generate less bow wake and more stern wake than most comparable "sea kayaks". For instance, lets look at the bow wake of a comparable Heritage Nomad (16' x 28" sea kayak) compared to the Adventure (Revo 16) at approximately the same speed (about 5+ MPH):
Nomad bow wake:


Hobie Adventure bow wake:


Nomad stern wake:


Adventure stern wake, running about 5.6 MPH (trying to outrun the ghost in the wake) :


Your Revo 13 by comparison running about 5.3 MPH:


As you can see, the Revo 16 puts out less wake even though it is going faster.

Part of the reason for the difference in wake patterns in the Hobies vs. traditional kayaks is the typical Hobie design (less rocker than most sea kayaks) gives more hydrodynamic lift to the forward portion of the boats. This is exacerbated by the thrust source coming from underneath the Mirage boats. As a result, Hobies tend to "squat" a little in the stern as the bow lifts with speed, generating more stern wake. You can actually increase your cruise speed to the extent that your bow comes out of the water by adding weight to the bow. The amount varies with speed, model and weight distribution. I usually use 10# on the Revo 11 and 5 to 7# on the Adventure (greater leverage due to length). The best way to determine what is best for you is to have someone check your bow at cruise speed). You want it to be in the water. This keeps your waterline length from shortening -- a much more important factor in speed than the weight itself. Using this technique, I get about 1/10 additional MPH -- not huge, but it adds up over time!

Although the Revo 16 is a wetter ride in most cases than the Revo 13, you should find it to be faster and more seaworthy than the 13 -- an excellent cruiser, the fastest single seated Hobie and faster than any comparable length paddling or pedaling kayak (race proven)!

You are a Hobie guru! Thank you for the pictures of the wakes! The picture off the Revo 13 looks just like the one I took of my wake. You can not stir up all that water for free. The wake of the 16 the looks much better, thanks for that. Looks to me like with the same effort at speeds below the hull speed the 16 will be faster. Forty years ago I raced the the boat that inspired Hobie to build the Hobie cat 14, the Seaspray 15. So I know about how the water should come off the back of a boat. I would move on the deck of the boat to trim the way the hull set in the water. In a light wind and speeds below the hull speed if I was to move to the back of the boat the other racers would pull a way from me for sure. So I do carry weight the the front end, all my safety gear, it weighs maybe 10 pounds. I carry safety gear because I go out in the cold waters of the Puget Sound and go out mostly by myself as I will be doing in about one hour. As for the Revo 16 being wetter I do not care I wear a dry suit or paddle pants. I would think you would get more than 1/10 of a mph looking at the difference in the wakes, with the same effort (power input). The Revo 16 will be my next boat. Maybe after I get my Revo 16 I will put 200 pounds in the seat of both boats and tow them behind my power boat using fish scales to test the drag. Or maybe not that maybe crazy.

Don't let that stop ya! ...doesn't stop any of the rest of us