I'm 6'3" 200lbs, and can't keep dry except on the very quietest days. Water comes up through the seat plugs even in the calmest of waters so I keep them closed in nice weather, but if the wind freshens up and I get water in, it has no place to escape. I think Hobie made the seat much too low when it designd the AI.
The original Adventure without all the AI gear was probably on the low side but still OK. Once you add the akas, amas, mast, and sail, plus my non-negligible heft, then the boat is much too deep in the water and I know of no way to keep water out of the seat.
I've been looking for some waterproof breathable shorts on the internet, but can't seem to find much. If any of you guys have some good leads, I'd appreciate.
BTW, I recently got my second AI for my wife, and appreciate the small improvements Hobie has made since my Oct 2006 model (new rudder much more efficient than the old one in high wind condition, AL collar on the mast base). I'm still hoping that they'll figure out a better mecanism to get the rudder up and down, and either redesign a higher seat or design a plugin add-on to raise the seat bottom one inch or so.
Enjoy the water!
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