2019 Outback crack - how to support hull

Hi. I have a mid 2019 Outback which has a crack under the rear seat support. The issue most likely started around June last year, as I had an issue with my seat leg flipping up on that side. I asked the dealer, as I thought it was an issue with the seat, but he could only advise me to put some bolts into the brass inserts to stop the seat leg moving. I thought it was a mechanism issue in the seat, but I wasn't keen to put bolts into the hull and just lived with the problem.

Eventually, the opposite front of the seat broke, from the stress of the rear leg dropping on the other side. After replacing the seat base, it continued to slip. Realising it wasn't a seat issue, I thought maybe the hull had worn, but when I pushed on the area, a crack opened on top of the seat post (I never use the top position). That side of the hull is noticeably thinner than the other side.

Thanks to not identifying the correct issue originally, the hull is out of warranty. The dealer hasn't offered any assistance, so my only alternative was getting a specialist repairer to weld the area. It will never be as good as it was, but I want to support the area better, to avoid risk of recurrence. Can anyone tell me if the newer versions have any support in that area please (eg. foam blocks)? Mine has nothing rear of the hatch, including around the scuppers. I want to strengthen from the seat back and figure foam blocks may be the only viable method, but any advice would be appreciated. If the supports have been addressed in later models, hopefully someone can advise what Hobie has done. I've asked locally and been told no information is available.

After a poor run with Hobie recently, I'm not in the mood to fight them about quality control. I've accepted it's now out of warranty, it's had a lot of use and I still love the design, if not the manufacturing defect. It's a shame, as I've wholeheartedly supported the brand and also own a PA14 360, while assisting in the sale of a lot of kayaks. Given the lack of interest in providing even basic information on whether the newer model is better supported (all they have to do is look inside a new unit), I'm rapidly losing interest in promoting the brand. I don't blame the dealer for the misidentification of the issue causing the seat collapse, as I didn't think of the cause myself (plus the crack only became visible when I push on the hull and I would never see it while seated), but I am frustrated that no information has been forthcoming on how to reduce future risk. I haven't bothered discussing warranty, as I know it's a waste of time, plus I figure that if any options were available, the dealer should/would have offered.

FYI, I'm in Australia, not that it makes a lot of difference, as the product is the same worldwide.

Thank you

I think you've got the right idea... high-density closed-cell foam blocks.

As for newer Outbacks, look at the video in https://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 40&t=70589

Thanks for the link.

So, there's still no support under the seat, but the plastic looks more uniform in that area. On mine, just by feel alone, it's easy to determine that one side has less plastic than the other. It never pays to be an early adopter, but especially with Hobie items it seems.

I'll stick some foam under there, then wait until it cracks again. When it does, I'll bin it. It's a crazy situation, as I have actively helped people get into these yaks, plus I always have people asking me about my kayaks and have been extremely positive about Hobie. Now, I struggle to say good things, as even though the functionality has been great, the quality control is another matter entirely.

Hey buddy, if you bought the kayak new then make to familiarize yourself with ACL (https://consumer.gov.au/consumers-and-acl), they will have a very high change to get your dealer/hobie to initiate a warranty claim, especially given the fact that it's a well documented issue. Hull crack on a 4 year old kayak that cost $4k+ when prior gen styled hobies would be still going strong is def worth discussing with ACL.