PA-14 lists to port while under way.. any ideas?

I have had a 2021 PA-14 since new and taken it out dozens of times. One thing I’ve noticed is that the kayak tends to list to port while under full pedal power. Usually I have to sit on the vantage seat all the way to the right to correct the list. This works, but it puts my legs at an odd angle and over time leads to fatigue from being in an unnatural peddling position. I try and make sure all accessories and equipment are balanced, and I’ve checked the foam blocks to ensure they are evenly distributed. Any ideas on what causes this or any other PA’s experience this issue?

I've heard from a buddy of mine who owns a PA-14 that sometimes the weight distribution can be a bit tricky. One thing you could try is adjusting the position of your gear and accessories to balance the weight more evenly on both sides. Another thing to check is if your rudder is aligned properly, as an off-center rudder can cause some listing. If all else fails, you might wanna reach out to the folks at Hobie, they're usually pretty helpful in troubleshooting these kinds of issues.

It really doesn’t seem to matter how my equipment is distributed. It has always listed to port. I actually changed my rudder to a BooneDox rudder. It listed to port before and still lists to port now.

I’m starting to think it’s a malformed hull.

Is this a new PA-14 and if so, have you filed a claim to Hobie yet?

If its a used PA, have you asked the previous owner about this?

I would think to confirm the hull is malformed is to invert it on a pair of saw horses and make sure they are perfectly level.
Then once the PA-14 hull is upside down, carefully measure each side as if you had a car, on a body straightening frame structure.

Another thing you could do is completely unload the PA and then place it in a swimming pool.
Use a carpenters level across the hull to see how level it is floating on the water.

If one side of the hull is heavier than the other due to plastic hull material not being distributed evenly during the hull making process, it should show this and most likely the cause of the hull listing to one side..

I would carefully document your tests for a possible claim to Hobie for a replacement hull if its a new kayak..

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR