New Pro Angler Deformed Hull

I have a new 2015 Pro Angler 14 I bought Friday from The Backpacker in Baton Rouge, LA. Beautiful kayak.

I took it out today for about 4 hours. Got home and began to clean it. Noticed there are some deformities in the hull where the screws are in the rear storage area. The plastic also feels very weak and flimsy.

This doesn't seem normal and also looks like it can cause cracks in the future. When you tighten the skeg up, the plastic is very tense. I am wondering if this is why I am having the issue. Perhaps it was kept tight for so long in transit and sitting at the dealer that it formed the issue. The other side is not popped up.

I am attaching photos as well as a video. I have to drive 2 hours to the dealer, so I don't want to bring it there if nothing can be done. I would assume this is an issue though.

http://youtu.be/856Me05L-5M

I would send the same picture to your dealer and have him submit a warranty claim. You should get a new hull replacement. I have noticed the top of my 2015 is warped downward right behind the black steering cover on the stern. It captures a large amount of water versus running off the top. Not sure if I want to just let mine go, but I would definitely work on getting yours replaced.

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Steve Stubbs
USAF (retired)

SeaDek Fishing Team
Unfair Lures Pro Staff
Ziptailz Ambassador

2015 Pro Angler 14 - Papaya
2018 Compass - Sea Grass

From the photo, it looks like the deformation was caused by something heavy was laid across the hull that compressed it.
I would bet that exposing the hull, to the hot Louisiana sun would soften up the material, so it could be manually reshaped...or even pouring hot water on it to soften up the plastic.

I just don't believe the Hobie factory would or could assemble the pulley inside the hull if it were in this condition....the drill pattern template would never line up to drill the holes.

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

I did the hot water trick last night with a towel soaked in the boiled water. Put the towel on the area and pushed down. It went back to correct form. This morning I tightened back up the skeg and it's back popped up. The yak is under a carport so no direct sun is hitting it and today was mostly overcast.

I am thinking it was molded incorrectly in the corner. I sent photos to the dealer and the same video. I don't know what else can be done to fix it. I would think that there would be more "meat" where it's screwed.

Thickness can vary greatly in a hull. This may be thin or maybe too much pressure... related to the skeg up control? Only need enough pressure to keep the skeg up. I would pull up and release a bit.

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

I've posted in the PA forum, but I'll reply here.

I worked a little with it tonight and the enough pressure to keep the skeg up is pretty much all the way.

A claim has been made from my dealer, but I am still open to discussion on the issue.

I'm having the same problem with my 2015 pa14... don't know what to do with it... what happened with the claim you put in with your dealer? Wondering if I should do the same...

Hobie acknowledged the issue and I was told the fix is to untie the rope from the skeg, pull it out of the pulley in the corner and run it straight to the steering box back to the skeg. Basically just bypass the corner pulley. I was told that is how the future 2015s will be assembled.

It still has a buckle, but not like it was before. It's a poor design and should be changed in the 2016 models to add more "beef" to the corner regardless if the skeg rope will be routed there or not. I have a legit concern that in the next few years if I keep it there will be additional issues, but I waiting to see. There's a 2 year warranty on the haul.

That is a matter of plastic flow in the mold. The thickness of kayak hulls vary greatly. We can heat an area to draw more material and shield and area to try and reduce the thickness, but there will always be variances. It is a rotomolding limitation.

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

Suggestion: wedge a piece of closed cell foam in that area to reinforce it.

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PA12

SRAces....The downward bend behind the steering cover plate is on all of them I've seen. That's not to say that it shouldn't be like that but most of the ones I've seen has that indention.....I noticed it more when I installed the Micro Power Pole mounting plate from Hobie on the back of mine and there's a small gap of clearance between the mounting plate and the top of hull. Once I installed the plate, mine pulled pretty much back to even but I did put a little rubber gasket under my mounting plate so it doesn't look too obvious.

Thanks

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Hobie Fishing Team
Great Outdoor Provision Company Fishing Team
Polar Bear Coolers
Accent Paddles
Columbia Sportswear
Astral PFD

I just mentioned what I saw on mine not as a complaint but as an indicator that issues like that can probably happen for various reasons. My 2013 and 2012 models did not have the same issue. I'm fine with it like it is. Will be on the salt in St. Augustine on Saturday. Can't wait...LOL! Have a great weekend!

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Steve Stubbs
USAF (retired)

SeaDek Fishing Team
Unfair Lures Pro Staff
Ziptailz Ambassador

2015 Pro Angler 14 - Papaya
2018 Compass - Sea Grass

A wedge of foam will do nothing if it's bulged up.

So, it is the corner pulley of the skeg assembly itself that we are supposed to bypass, or a corner pulley of the rear of the hull ????? My 2015 is doing it too, to the point that there is now a bump in the corner of the floor of the yak, right where the skeg rope touches the hull.
If I could remember how to upload a picture on here, I would show it happening.

If you haven't yet done so - remove the skeg line - and do not route it through the steering pulleys - this is what is twisting the hull. We don't run the lines through those pulleys anymore in production either due to this issue where people over tighten the line and leave it cleated for long periods - the plastic has nowhere to go but to deform. Just re-route the up/down lines out of any corner steering pulley and you'll be all good. Heat of the area from the top by pouring some boiling water on it and then re-shape while it's hot..... it will cool and harden and reset back to the original shape.

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Jacques Bernier
http://www.hobie.com/
http://www.facebook.com/HobieCatCompany