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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 9:05 pm 
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Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 2:40 pm
Posts: 1365
I would suspect that Hobie has done the "focus group study work" on the seat changes, before making the large investment in this change.
One of the most repeated complaints in this forum has been the seat comfort UNTIL the new seat was introduced in the ProAngler...then the clamoring began to "upgrade the seating" in the rest of the product line like the PA.

IMHO Hobie really listens to their customers and has made many improvements to the kayak line....and they really seem to make changes /improvements sooner rather than later

I can sympathize with the Hobie owners who spend 5+ hours fishing in say like my old Outback and not having the benefit of an additional seat cushion.....I have a skinny butt and this was my problem until I purchased an inflatable seat cushion....the new seat will make many Hobie owners very happy.

Last year I traded up to a PA-14......the Vantage seat is really nice, but my main complaint is the darn seat material "squeaks" and "knocks" in the front recess socket as I pedal.
The plastic squeak is the material flexing near the front cross tube......the knock can be reduced by shifting my position somewhat in the seat........maybe my 178 pounds is "too light" for the 350 pound capacity seat :wink:
The good news is, with the Vantage seat, I don't need an additional cushion and can troll for 5 + hours and cover 8-10 miles with a smile on my face!

So, maybe Hobie will offer both seats in the rest of the Mirage Drive kayak line.....we just need to be a little patient, to see what Hobie has up their sleeve.

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Hood River, OR


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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 11:21 pm 
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Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2014 7:39 pm
Posts: 31
The seat was almost expected. What I am really interested in is changes to the mirage drive, what improvements were made and will they resolve some of the issues of past ones.

And with a new hull, will launching and landing it be better as currently it does not paddle well. It's not horrible but more difficult than other non hobie. Hopefully we can test it soon :)


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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 12:55 am 
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Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2008 8:19 am
Posts: 374
Location: Australia
I'd say you are wrong Tom. I'm yet to meet a person who installed a Skipper Seat that didn't appreciate it (providing they did it right). I use one with Vantage seat mesh in it, and its great. You do, however, have a point. The secret to making it work is to get it as low as possible, yet still elevated a little. Providing the seat isn't too high - and it looks lower than a skipper seat would typically sit - it'll be fine. I'm really very keen on this new system and I think it makes more sense in the islands than any other model

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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:18 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 6:29 pm
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Location: High Point, NC
Like I said, I'm sure many will indeed like it. It's just not for me personally, but unless something happens to one of my boats it's an issue that won't confront me.


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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 9:01 am 
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2003 12:44 pm
Posts: 15026
Location: Oceanside, California
joemoglia wrote:
Matt (or anyone else at Hobie) I know you can't tell us the details yet but could you at least hint at when the official announcements and details will come out?


September 1st is the official release date. It's a bit of a pain for us, but it's due to the international nature of the company...

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Hobie Cat USA
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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 9:36 am 
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Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 7:02 am
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This will be a great replacement seat for the older PAs.


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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 10:24 am 
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Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:40 am
Posts: 155
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
I'm looking at all the pics at <http://www.kayakfishmag.com/news/vantage-ct/> and it appears that Hobie had lowered the seat well area significantly. That hints that the new seat is lower than most of us think it is. I also think this lower seat well design is why Hobie had to incorporate the new Venturi effect scuppers below the seat (apparently operated by what I first thought were repositioned rudder up/down cords).

The bottom line (pun intended): The seat well may now be so low below the water line that it cannot drain without the new venturi scupper system.

Another thought: If I'm right about this, replacing the new seat with a traditional Hobie seat is gonna yield a very wet ride. And you'll be sitting on the scupper drain cables so they won't help ya at all!

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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:55 pm 
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Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 5:09 pm
Posts: 156
I read that the new seats required some hull changes. Can these seats be retrofitted to 2014 and earlier hulls? I am primarily asking about the revos and sports. Tx.

Also, can the new venturi-style seat drain plugs also be used in pre-2015 hulls?


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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 8:24 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 7:12 pm
Posts: 184
Location: Columbia, MD
Hooray for the new seat, but please don't make it cost more than $200. I was hoping for more Jackson Elite and less Vantage Jr.

After reading the description it doesn't sound simple or inexpensive. We'll see!


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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 10:44 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2012 1:53 pm
Posts: 50
Location: Chicago
mmiller wrote:
September 1st is the official release date.

Thanks Matt!!


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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 6:34 am 
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Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2013 8:22 pm
Posts: 80
Location: Valle Vista, CA (SoCal)
I'm happy with the my current seat (mirage twist lock). This summer, my daughter and I spent many hours on my 2013 Oasis training for a 13 mile trip. We both found that we would experience "butt pain" after pedaling hard for 2 hours. As our training progressed we found the pain wouldn't appear (if at all) until later in each workout. We both believe that the pain is of a physiological cause and not equipment.

As a full time bicycle commuter, I hear the same question more than any other, "How can you ride so far on such a little seat. With cycling (as I think the issue hear) a large comfortable seat creates more issues than smaller firm seats. I'm curious if these new seats (while they look more comfortable) will creat other annoying issues.

In college, I was a national ranked distance runner. At the beginning of my junior year, I changed the style of training shoes that I had used for years. While the older shoes were good, I had become bored with them and wanted something more comfortable. My cross country and track season that year were riddled with injuries. The one big lesson I learned from my coach that year (that I still use 30+ years later)...when you find equipment that works, don't change it.

Longbikermike
H-town, CA

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Longbikermike
Valle Vista, CA


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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 8:22 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 6:29 pm
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Location: High Point, NC
I have little doubt that many will respond that they find the new seat uncomfortable after some amount of time. The same thing happened with the PA Vantage Seat. It's just impossible to design a seat that will fit everyone to a tee.

But from a marketing perspective, I think Hobie had to do this. These higher, frame and fabric seats are appearing on nearly every kayak line out there. Regardless of the plusses or minuses, a manufacturer that doesn't react to market trends can quickly find themselves trailing the pack.


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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 8:33 am 
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If I find a buyer for my 2013 Outback, I will pre-order the new one. I was hoping for a bow redesign but I guess that was wishful thinking. Besides; the transducer mount, seat and venturi scupper are significant enough for me to "put my money where my mouth is"
Good job team Hobie!


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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:56 am 
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Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 7:12 pm
Posts: 184
Location: Columbia, MD
The people who have been most vocal about the seat redesign are the anglers, who are a LARGE market share (witness the PA line). We really will benefit from the new design. Much of the day is spent sitting while drifting or at anchor/stake. You get sore mostly from sitting still rather than pedaling, in my experience. Aside from trolling, pedaling is something you do in short bursts to get from point A to B, or to go to and from launch.

I can understand why people who primarily sail or endurance pedal may not like the seat. Hopefully it will be relatively easy to retrofit the old seat to the new hulls if that's what you really want.


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 Post subject: Re: New Hobie Seats?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:38 am 
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Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:40 am
Posts: 155
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Gas may be right about the angling angle. On the other hand, maybe we should try the new seat before we all promise here and now to buy or not buy our next Hobie. In a way, Hobie is a lot like Apple Computer …their users like the thing so much they hate to see it change, yet sometimes change is exactly what's needed. And I have to say that 9 out of 10 times, Hobie's revisions are an improvement.

Personally, I like most of what I'm hearing (I'm a constant pedaler) …except for those manually opened venturi scuppers — which I'm hoping works seamlessly and are not, in reality, a pain in the butt.

And I'm bursting to demo these changes!

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