Matt Miller, Is it OFFICIAL? No more AI ?

Seen rumor postings on FB and here, but I have not seen anything "official" from Hobie verifying that only TI's will be manufactured.

Matt,
Please clear the air, Is the AI going out of production? Permanently, temporarily?
What's the thinking down there in Oceanside?

Thanks for enlightening us.

Yes, announced to dealers. Just not selling as many as we need to keep in production. The Tandem sells well though. Sad, because I love the AI. Needed to lean out the line a bit for efficiency and cost issues.

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

Sad news. I love my AI. If the tandem were the only Hobie sailing kayak available two years ago I would not be a Hobie sailor.

The AI is the perfect weight and perfect size for this 70 year old. Easy to launch from my back yard, easy to hoist in garage when need to and I can sail circles around the tandem that is also on our lake. Although that may be an issue of sailing skills.

Guess I better buy another bottle of Hobie UV protectorant to insure my AI lasts.

GW

Unfortunately, companies like Hobie have economic realities to deal with. I'm sure they didn't like discontinuing the AI but if the numbers don't make it profitable to have it in the line, then it takes resources from other products that are selling in better numbers.

I wonder if the AI and TI are just too close in size. People do cartop AI's but it seems like a struggle to do so. I think most would trailer it. In my mind, if I'm gonna trailer something it might as well be the TI. Anyway I don't want to trailer anything so I have a Revo 13.

I suspect that unless a person knows they will always be sailing 1-up, the TI is going to be their choice. It gives them a viable option to carry a second person.

What the ratio may be regarding car-topping of either of these boats I have no idea, but I suspect it is quite small. I'd guess than 9 out of 10 owners trailer their boats. At least that is the case with the dozen or so Islands I see in my local area. And, of those 12 Islands, 10 are TI's.

Tom, with the AI gone I guess it may be time to revisit your Adventure 13 idea that I saw in an old post.

It worked okay but was in no way close to the performance of the AI. Just a lot lighter and easier to handle on shore.

Wow, that's a real shame. I got an AI over a TI because I car-top (weekly most of the year), and it's easy with the previous AI design. I didn't upgrade to the more recent-AI because I found it too heavy to car-top easily. I wonder if that design-change had the same effect on other people.

The ability to both pedal and paddle is really nice for long-distancing kayaking. But it feels like Hobie's kayaks are moving away from that and toward fishing. I guess that's where the money is.

I'm glad I replaced my original AIs (including the first one sold in Oregon in 2008) with new ones in 2018. If I can get 10-15 years out of the new ones, I'll be in my 80's and probably ready to slow down a bit

But it's a shame they don't sell that well, it's a fantastic craft!

I’ve got both an AI & TI, and the AI has a snappier feel on the water. I bought them for fishing in the ocean and San Francisco Bay and none of Hobie’s other offerings come close to the performance of the AI — it works great on anything but small rivers and streams. This is a sad turn of events for all the people who see me and my pals on our AI’s and won’t get to scratch that itch themselves.

I purchased a new-to-me 2014 AI this spring and LOVE it. I was going to purchase a brand new one and keep mine as a second for friends, so this is sad news. For me, a kid-sized woman--the AI is 'just' manageable on my own. I still may end up with a TI eventually.

How long will AI parts be manufactured and sold, Matt?

I purchased my first AI in 2006. It was love at first sight and have had hundreds of beautiful days on this craft.

Other than the shear gratitude I have felt on this boat there was another common dimension: The inquiries. Every boat launch, beach landing and many passing vessels have sparked folks to ask many questions. It started this Sunday at the boat launch with a guy who had an old canvass-covered wooden skiff, then the two mellow couples on a pontoon bong anchored in the creek and then followed by a group of normal kayakers. Almost all of the folks state that they have never seen one before. This boat has been out for 15 years and they have never seen one?

My first introduction to Hobie is when my big brother purchased a used Hobie 16 in 1980. We went straight out and raced it, that was prior to knowing how to sail it. We started with a regatta in a very rough Buzzard’s Bay and came in 33rd out of 53 boats one race (34-53 were DNFs). We improved as we gained experience. Two big keys were access to launch/landing sights and friends with boats.

For me, the sad thing about learning of the discontinuation of the AI is that Hobie’s relevance in sailing sports, for the moment, may have passed. I am curious if they focused upon a sales model that encouraged grassroots marketing could they create the demand that drives the supply. The dealer model may work great for fishing and leisure kayaks, but maybe a sales model that focused on demand-creation, accessibility and community would better serve Hobie’s sailing products.

Postscript: Five years ago I purchased a second AI (used ’11) and modified a new boat trailer that holds them each in cradles made from 2 by 4s. 2 AIs are exponentially more fun than 1.

Agree! I'm approaching 70, sold my H16 (too big and heavy) and TI is also too heavy and long for me. AI is just perfect

Still disappointed. I live on a lake in southwest Florida that measures one mile by two miles. Yesterday sailed in 16 mph winds peaking to 22mph gusts. Had a ball. Soaking wet head to toe when done

Today I was in a golf tournament at our golf course which has three holes on the lake. A bunch of golfers approached me today and all remarked how they loved watching the Hobie AI fly up and down the lake. They all asked “where can I get one of those?”

Unfortunately I had to tell them you can’t.

By the way, I only take the AI out if winds are 12 mph or more. It is not much fun in low wind conditions.

I am 70 years old and have been looking for something I could sail in lower winds. Looked at RS Aero and Melges 14 but felt they were a little too intense. Ordered a Fulcrum Rocket which is a 90 pound revised Phantom (a slightly larger sunfish with larger sail). I soon will have a fleet of two boats.

Check out the Fulcrum Rocket and let me know what you think.

GW