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PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 10:11 pm 
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Note: This is the second in a two part series. Here's the link to part I:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=30980

Just when you think you have the perfect boat (and right after you get it all customized), Hobie comes along with the next edition. If you think the former Oasis is versatile, wait till you see what the 2011 version can do!

General characteristics: The new hull has a finer bow, broader stern and less rocker. consequently it runs quieter, drier and with less pounding. Speed is in the same ballpark, with the 2011 Oasis appearing to be a tad faster (I'll have better information soon). Handling and rudder control are responsive and very similar to previous models.

Longer cockpits are a welcome addition. Dual rudder controls are huge, allowing either partner to operate the boat without having to switch seats. The solo versatility is also very cool. Side mounted cockpit handles are well positioned and comfortable to grip.

Here are some side by side pics of the two boats running together. The '10 pictured here pushes much more water with the bow (both boats are sitting about equally in the water here):

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Looking at the stern profiles, the lower rudder mount on the '10 is not as clean but the broader '11 pulls more stern wake:

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Stability: This boat was built for stability. Whether Hobie intended this or not, the flat decks open up some new possibilities: While I'm not suggesting that anyone stand up in their kayak, the Pro Angler might see some competition here!

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Need a little more stability for unseen wakes or mischievous partners? A broom handle inserted in the sail mast hole makes a great steady stick. (I'm sure Hobie doesn't endorse this one!)

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Caution: If attempting to stand solo, make sure you're leashed to the boat. If you fall overboard, even light winds will carry it away quickly!

Tandem pedaling: This front passenger is getting her first Hobie ride -- her grin says it all!

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The boat accelerates well without much stern squat:

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Here's a profile view showing access to the rod holders from the rear cockpit:

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Solo pedaling: What happens when your partner doesn't feel like kayaking? Do you sit at home or find something else to do? Not necessary at all! The new Oasis has excellent solo manners from either cockpit -- the secret is in proper ballasting.

Starting from the traditional rear seat, here is an unballasted profile: The bow is subject to windage, stability is slightly reduced (no big deal) and the shorter water line length limits speed.

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Ballasting with 55 lbs. in the bow regains a very credible profile and decent performance.

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Here's a cockpit view:

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Next, lets go to the front seat. Without ballast the nose is a little heavy and the rudder is somewhat on the high side, but not too bad!

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Adding 30 lb. in the cargo well balances the boat nicely.

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Here's the view from the boat:

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Some general comments about turning: The boat tends to pivot about the fins (when down). Soloing from the rear, steering is quick with the bow cutting in and stern swinging out mildly. From the front seat (again fins down), the stern swings wide, steering is not quite as quick. Tandem, the turn starts out slower; as momentum builds the turn accelerates. The boat spins quickest with rear fins down, front fins up. Fins-up turns are slower in all cases. Nevertheless, both Oases have a nice turn radius with the large rudder (standard since 2010).

Sailing: If you're expecting a competitive sailer here, you'll be disappointed. Under sail power alone, the Oasis is probably best described as leisurely, with good stability for a sailing kayak and good rudder control. Add some easy pedaling to the sail and you can scoot around pretty well, in any direction, with or without wind.

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Criticisms: As skua said, this boat pretty much addressed the few shortcomings of the previous Oasis model. The only things that come to mind are 1) the front forward bungee screws sit in a drainage channel and appear to be unsealed through hull installations. I noticed when hosing off the boat this was a minor source of leakage into the hull. A little silicon should take care of it.

2) If paddling from the rear seat your hands might rub against the grips, depending on your stroke style.

Summary: What can I say to sum this up except to warn you that this boat can be addictive! Too late for me though. With clean lines, efficiently used space, tons of features, loads of versatility, gobs of capacity and delightful manners, I've fallen under its spell. :D


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 11:08 pm 
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The only problem with me purchasing a new Oasis is that, for storage reasons, I'd have to sell the 2005 Outfitter to do it. Even then, with the new boat I'd still be limited to the speed that the kids can pedal in the 2010 Outfitter :wink: . Still, its worth considering, and both reviews will help my decision immensely. Thanks.

Keith


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 12:30 am 
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Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2010 12:55 pm
Posts: 5
Location: Poland - Europe
mhmm is this my first hobie mirage kayak = perhaps the first in Poland?
ajajaj
hard decision : 2011 TI (not "dune") vs. 2011 Oasis

thx - great review

Poland: 04.09.2010 14°C brrrr


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 1:41 am 
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Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:25 pm
Posts: 2863
Location: Central Coast NSW Australia
Great stuff. Thanks again Roadrunner.
Love the steady stick.... and the disclaimer! 8)
So....which boat are you entering in next years Bay 2 Bay race? :wink:


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 12:14 pm 
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Location: Central Florida
Another great Roadrunner post. I have no interest in the Oasis, and it still was a great read!

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Hobie Island Sailing since 2006


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 9:15 pm 
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Trainsktg, no problem, you can just tow a bucket when the kids come along. :wink:

Moses, congratulations on Poland's first Hobie! IMO, the TI is actually more versatile since it's an accomplished sailer as well -- if the weight and size are manageable. For a smaller limited sailing version, the new Oasis is hard to beat. 8)

Stringy, thanks. We'll have to see about next year's race. This year the TI (TA mode) was the fastest Hobie -- I'd hate to run against it without a tow rope! :lol: Who knows, maybe Hobie will put a Mirage Drive in a surf ski! :lol: :lol:

Bob, glad you enjoyed it -- it's been a fun project! Thanks to Elizabeth, Larry, Deb, Heidi and Mike for the great pics and crewing! 8)

Here's an update on performance. My fit friend Mike and I did a one hour "fast cruise" at 5.42 MPH (mostly thanks to Mike). Our sprint speed was only 6.6 MPH though. Turns out the front fins started scooping air at that speed -- very interesting! Here is a pic of us going a little slower. The bow is lifting but without much stern squat. Guess we need more weight in the front!
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Here's another pic accelerating out of a turn:
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Soloing from the back seat, the one hour fast cruise was 4.88 MPH with ballast and turbos and a light wind and chop -- about in line with the previous models. sprint speed was 6.5 MPH -- little faster than the older models thanks to less rocker.

I hope to be able to do a front seat cruise comparison before returning the demo boat. 8)


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PostPosted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 5:52 am 
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Hmmm... Your performance update is interesting Roadrunner -thanks. I thought it may have gone a little faster. I'm guessing though the relatively short waterline length doesn't help, especially compared to racing skis. Looks like you've got it up on a plane in a couple of those pics! 8)
Surprisingly, maybe the heaviest person needs to be in the front?


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PostPosted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 10:58 pm 
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Stringy, I agree we should try it with the heavier person in the front. The area where we were doing sprints (relatively flat water) had no shoreline where we could get out and shift positions so we didn't try it that way.

I personally prefer to see speed and efficiency in a hull, but Hobie's top priorities appear to be stability and capacity with the new Oasis. I was concerned that the boat might be a little slower than past models as a result. So it was great news that the engineers managed to keep the performance on par with the older models.

I like the "one hour fast cruise" as the best indicator of performance. Basically this is how far one can travel in exactly one hour (all measured with the GPS). This is run in two directions along the same track so any bias induced one way should be mostly canceled in the opposite direction. Even so, wind and chop always induce some loss in speed. Sprints are interesting but don't have much practical value IMO. Still, they open a window to the potential success for performance options. BTW, a well tuned factory Drive with Turbofins is always the benchmark Drive.

Previous one hour solo runs with the Oasis II (2009/10 model) were 4.87 and 4.88 MPH in calm to LV conditions, so getting 4.88 out of this new hull in slightly heavier weather was better than expected.

Likewise, solo sprint speeds for the Oasis I are 6.4MPH; Oasis II 6.3 and new Oasis 6.5 -- no complaints there.

Tandem performance is really hard to gauge. My fastest one hour time with my daughter (B2B race partner) was 5.27MPH with our '08 Oasis. My current partner and I just completed 5.42 with the new Oasis. I'm reluctant to call this faster due to the different circumstances, but I feel comfortable calling it comparable. Tandem sprints? You're right, that picture looks like the hull is planing -- not sure what to think of it.

Finally, given that both boats have the same length and width, possibilities are limited. I feel this new Oasis gives up a little in lower speed efficiency due to its higher skin friction, but gets it back at the higher cruise speeds with less rocker and better hydrodynamic lift so I can't really complain. New users should be happy with its generous stability, "plus size" users should be happy with its ability to carry almost anybody that can climb into a kayak, so there is good news for everybody! :wink:

As mentioned, I'm very anxious to try a front seat one-hour solo this week, and hope the weather is suitable for a fair run -- always optimistic for a little more speed! :mrgreen:


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 6:28 am 
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Location: Rome - Italy
Roadrunner, nice review as always! You can say something more about sailing, I did not understand the differences with 2010. thanks H13


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 9:22 pm 
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husky13 wrote:
You can say something more about sailing, I did not understand the differences with 2010. thanks H13
Thanks Husky. I didn't get a chance to sail the 2009/10 version, but have plenty of sailing time in our '08.

On the new model, the wider cockpit gives a little hiking space, which in a kayak can really help. The new grips are also a plus for sailing in higher winds. The scalloped cockpit sides are more abbreviated than before, but still adequate for for bracing when necessary. Otherwise the general sailing characteristics are very similar.

One great thing about the small sail is its portability.

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It's easy to set-up and take down on the water. This is a real handy feature at times. For example, sailing solo today I ran across a disabled small motorboat. He needed a tow upwind so I quickly stowed the sail...

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... the Oasis towed him to the nearest launch ramp...

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... then I resumed sailing just in time to try riding a boat wake...

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With moderate but gusty winds, speeds were 2 to 4.8 MPH (under sail power alone) except I logged a 5.7 MPH downwind on a huge gust. IMO, stability was excellent without Sidekicks (though some like the peace of mind they offer). I had good control over heel, even with some big gusts. There were no problems with weather helm and though tacks were slow without using fins, I never got stuck in irons. Even with some sideslip, there was no difficulty making upwind progress.

Tandem sailing under lighter winds, the heavier boat will be somewhat more sluggish. Nevertheless, the sail adds a nice dimension to the Oasis.

There are a couple of pieces of equipment that enhance the sailing experience (besides large rudder (standard) and Turbofins). First is a simple block for the mainsheet. the second is a "boombat", (an extra batten shoved in the foot pocket of the sail).
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Both of these items (and other clever devices and adaptations) are discussed on the sailing forum.

All in all, the sail adds substantially to the Oasis' versatility, and the Oasis handles the sail well. 8)


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 2:16 pm 
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Roadrunner, thanks for the review and all the additional information. Although the old Oasis (2008 and before) seems to be a little faster solo, the new one seems to be as least as fast as the older ones when used tandem. Could this be because the new front cockpit allows longer adults to push the pedals better? I always find the front cockpit in my 2008 Oasis too cramped to effectively power the pedals.

Although the bigger stability may cost a little in terms of speed, the possibilities to stand and for (outrigger-less) sailing are really nice. It makes a very versatile family boat. As stringy said, that stick in the mast receiver is a great idea!

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 2:49 pm 
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Location: Rome - Italy
..the new cup holder seems to be smaller :?:


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 5:17 pm 
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Are there no rod holders for front person?


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 8:22 pm 
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skua wrote:
Could this be because the new front cockpit allows longer adults to push the pedals better? I always find the front cockpit in my 2008 Oasis too cramped to effectively power the pedals.
This definitely could be a factor. The front cockpit is about 1.5" longer than the previous version. In my '08 Oasis I used the #6 pedal slot in the rear seat; the '11 model lets me use the #5 front and rear -- huge improvement!

husky13 wrote:
..the new cup holder seems to be smaller :?:
Yes, the large cup holder is slightly smaller and fits the Hobie bottles (included), canned beverages, etc. The new small holder is sized for the popular 1/2 liter bottles so they no longer have to flop over and fall out!
Image

rkim01 wrote:
Are there no rod holders for front person?
No, the front rudder up/down lines are in that location; but it looks like you could mount ram tubes there (in front of the mesh pockets) without interfering with the lines. 8)


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 1:19 am 
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Location: Belgium (Flanders)
Hello Roadrunner, this is an excellent review. :)
Just a little question, is it possible to store the cart upside down in the scupper holes behind the back seat?

Thierry


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