Hobie Bait Tank Problem - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

mtnbykr2 · 02-22-2011, 11:34 AM

as everyone has said the switch is the culprit, the contacts inside rot away, thus allowing you to get it to run in certain positions. it will runn on and off in this condition, West Marine has the new switch usually in stock, at this point it is futile to do anything with that existing switch, time to replace...mine lasted about two years as well and it was well rinsed every outing...just wear and tear of the saltwater....b

Nic D · 02-22-2011, 03:42 PM

JUST went through this with both my tank and my fathers tank. I bought new switches at West and was able to fix my dads tank. My pump had already gone south which was really weird.

You can always take it to OEX and let the boyz fix ya up.

mike m · 02-22-2011, 04:14 PM

Your problem is the switch. They are the weakest part of the system. I had the same problem, thought it was the battery, bought a new battery and still had the problem. I changed the switch and the problem went away. The only other problem I have had is sometimes kelp can get caught in the pump and stop it. If this happens you have to clear the pump.

TCS · 02-22-2011, 05:08 PM

Hobie, are you listening?

There have been a lot of threads about this switch. Hobie is pretty good at improving thier products and backing them up, but what's up with this? And if its a known issue, then back it up for more than a year. In detroit, this would be called a recall.

I'm just about to buy a bait tank and I like the hobie cause it fits well in my adventure, its also pretty pricey at $250. This just seems like a huge pain in the ass.

dsafety · 02-22-2011, 08:32 PM

Tom, you make a good point. I suspect that Hobie has been listening. When I went to the factory to pick up a replacement switch, I was told that a newly designed bait tank is on the way.

This is a good thing, but I agree with you. Guys like us on highly visible forums such as BWE help sell products through our praise or, by our condemnation, cause folks to follow another path. With that in mind, someone from Hobie should step up and admit that they may have put something out there that is not as good as it should be.

Hobie makes great products. From my experience, they also give excellent customer service. My recommendation to anyone who believes that they may have been sold a substandard product, is that those folks contact Hobie and ask for some help. I would be surprised if the response was anything other than positive.

Bob

02-22-2011, 04:14 PM	#3
mike m Junior Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 17	hobie switch Your problem is the switch. They are the weakest part of the system. I had the same problem, thought it was the battery, bought a new battery and still had the problem. I changed the switch and the problem went away. The only other problem I have had is sometimes kelp can get caught in the pump and stop it. If this happens you have to clear the pump.

02-22-2011, 11:34 AM	#1
mtnbykr2 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: newbury park ca Posts: 2,323	as everyone has said the switch is the culprit, the contacts inside rot away, thus allowing you to get it to run in certain positions. it will runn on and off in this condition, West Marine has the new switch usually in stock, at this point it is futile to do anything with that existing switch, time to replace...mine lasted about two years as well and it was well rinsed every outing...just wear and tear of the saltwater....b

02-22-2011, 03:42 PM	#2
Nic D Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Clairemont Posts: 813	JUST went through this with both my tank and my fathers tank. I bought new switches at West and was able to fix my dads tank. My pump had already gone south which was really weird. You can always take it to OEX and let the boyz fix ya up.

02-22-2011, 05:08 PM	#4
TCS Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 478	Hobie, are you listening? There have been a lot of threads about this switch. Hobie is pretty good at improving thier products and backing them up, but what's up with this? And if its a known issue, then back it up for more than a year. In detroit, this would be called a recall. I'm just about to buy a bait tank and I like the hobie cause it fits well in my adventure, its also pretty pricey at $250. This just seems like a huge pain in the ass.

02-22-2011, 08:32 PM	#5
dsafety Olivenhain Bob Join Date: May 2008 Location: Olivenhain, CA Posts: 1,122	Tom, you make a good point. I suspect that Hobie has been listening. When I went to the factory to pick up a replacement switch, I was told that a newly designed bait tank is on the way. This is a good thing, but I agree with you. Guys like us on highly visible forums such as BWE help sell products through our praise or, by our condemnation, cause folks to follow another path. With that in mind, someone from Hobie should step up and admit that they may have put something out there that is not as good as it should be. Hobie makes great products. From my experience, they also give excellent customer service. My recommendation to anyone who believes that they may have been sold a substandard product, is that those folks contact Hobie and ask for some help. I would be surprised if the response was anything other than positive. Bob