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 Post subject: Made in China!
PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2017 3:22 am 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:58 pm
Posts: 6
Today while I was going over my rev 13, I noticed a "made in China" tag on my nearly $500 dollar vantage ct seat. Is the nearly $900 mirage drive also made in China? Completely threw me off.... very disappointing.


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 Post subject: Re: Made in China!
PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2017 8:15 am 
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2003 12:44 pm
Posts: 15026
Location: Oceanside, California
The mesh is built by Neil Pryde in Hong Kong. All assembly is in the US. We have vendors for materials all over the place. Stainless from LA, Plastic injection from our area and LA. All of the roto molding and assembly is done in or Oceanside factory.

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


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 Post subject: Re: Made in China!
PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2017 10:27 am 
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Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:58 pm
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Are the parts to the mirage drive also Made in China?


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 Post subject: Re: Made in China!
PostPosted: Fri Dec 08, 2017 12:28 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2003 12:44 pm
Posts: 15026
Location: Oceanside, California
It's a mix as well. Then all assembled by us here.

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


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 Post subject: Re: Made in China!
PostPosted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 10:22 pm 
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Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 5:09 pm
Posts: 156
shameigh wrote:
Today while I was going over my rev 13, I noticed a "made in China" tag on my nearly $500 dollar vantage ct seat. Is the nearly $900 mirage drive also made in China? Completely threw me off.... very disappointing.


Your computer, tablet, or phone you are using to post this might also be made in China :mrgreen:


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 Post subject: Re: Made in China!
PostPosted: Sun Dec 10, 2017 10:11 am 
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Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:58 pm
Posts: 6
With electronics that is expected. When you pay $2500 for a kayak, you don't expect it to be made in China. Especially when kayaks that cost much less are being made in the US. Was under impression that Hobie kayaks were made in Cali.


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 Post subject: Re: Made in China!
PostPosted: Sun Dec 10, 2017 8:47 pm 
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Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 2:40 pm
Posts: 1365
shameigh, I think you miss Matt's point that Hobie Kayaks are made up from parts sourced globally, BUT the hulls are made in Oceanside, CA.
I see no difference in many other products (assembled) made in the USA......look at the automobiles and the % of USA made components that actually end up in the car.....it's not anywhere close to 100%.

You can't excuse or give China a pass for electronics "expected" to be made in China......in the end, it's all about economics :wink:

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Hood River, OR


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 Post subject: Re: Made in China!
PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 10:55 am 
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Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2017 12:57 pm
Posts: 6
As someone who has experience with manufacturing quality products in China, it can be done. If your process and quality control is locked down. You literally just need someone to load the machine and push a button. Now most things made in China are a rip off of someones design and made cheap as possible. These are the types of products we all have experience with. The dirty secret about American manufacturing if it's impossible to find employees to hire. In China there is a line out the door. When I was working with employees in China they demanded german/American hand tools as they said the Chinese stuff is junk. My 2 cents....your milage may vary.


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 Post subject: Re: Made in China!
PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2017 9:19 am 
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Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 1:27 pm
Posts: 86
Is there really any "complex" product that isn't sourced from all over the world now? If you look at the supply chain of most companies it is almost entirely global, from the smallest to the largest manufacturer.


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 Post subject: Re: Made in China!
PostPosted: Fri Dec 29, 2017 12:32 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 11:33 pm
Posts: 40
As I recall, many of the components of my Harley Davidson are sourced from all over the globe.


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 Post subject: Re: Made in China!
PostPosted: Thu Jan 25, 2018 4:19 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2014 8:12 pm
Posts: 124
Go to China and you will find bullet trains traveling at over 200 mph that are far superior to anything made in the USA. 100% of "American" power tools and outboard motors are made in China. Some are assembled in Mexico to take advantage of the giant NAFTA loophole and qualify as "made in USA".

In China the factories produce three different quality levels of most products. The top quality product goes to Germany as Germans are willing to pay more to get the best. The middle grade is called "Japanese quality". The bottom grade is what is sold in the USA at places like Harbor Freight and Wal-Mart to Americans who want cheap but high quality and refuse to accept that you can have one or the other but not both.

The junk made in China that you bought at Wal-Mart was specified by the Wal-Mart purchasing agent to come in at a specific price point. When I source high quality products in China or Taiwan I have to first convince the factory that I want "German quality" and that I am serious about paying the higher costs involved and coming from the USA it can be a tough sell as we have a reputation for wanting low cost stuff.


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