Another Hobie drive well Crack - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

JOSER85 · 07-27-2011, 09:26 AM

I still think it's worth a try to patch it up. If you can patch a plane/helicopter that is under thousands pounds of pressure I don't see why not patch a kayak.
You have nothing to lose. patch it up try it in the harbor if it works then your good to go. If it fails then the shredder it is.
At least if it fails your not falling from 30,000 feet

Which ever way you go good luck!

Billy V · 07-27-2011, 11:48 AM

I'll tell you straight away that I don't think you can make a successful repair to make the kayak seaworthy..... but if you are hell bent on trying and don't mind wasting some time - here are some reference materials that should help. Give it your best shot - you may not be falling 30,000 feet from the sky - but you can certainly sink 2000 ft. in La jolla.

Back in the day Hobie Adventures and Outback models had a weak area in the Drive Well. The same exact area you have your stress crack. If you had frequented BWE or any of the Hobie Forums you would have heard about the problem and would have received a Free Hobie Drive Well Reinforcement Kit which solved the problem nicely if it were installed prior to any stress crack development. You also would have received an additional (2) years of warranty on the hull - with proration after that.

I installed the kit and used my Adventure weekly in La Jolla for an additional 2 years without any incident - (its still working fine to this day)
-However if you got The Crack - the kayak was done.

So here what happens.
This is a pic of the unreinforced drivewell that was prone to cracking.

This is a pic of a factory reinforced drivewell that solved the problem.

This is a Hobie Drivewell Reinforcement Kit - a piece of Fiberglass that provided structural support to the weight bearing area. the front of the drivewell.

As with anything - preparation is key.
My reinforced drivewell.

This is some other guys kayak from the Hobie Forum His repair didn't go so good because he waited until the drive well had already cracked. Notice the support member that cracked in addition to the drive well area. He thought Goop would fix the problem.
-As Borat would say "Not Soo Good"

07-27-2011, 11:48 AM	#2
Billy V Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bay Ho Posts: 1,382	I'll tell you straight away that I don't think you can make a successful repair to make the kayak seaworthy..... but if you are hell bent on trying and don't mind wasting some time - here are some reference materials that should help. Give it your best shot - you may not be falling 30,000 feet from the sky - but you can certainly sink 2000 ft. in La jolla. Back in the day Hobie Adventures and Outback models had a weak area in the Drive Well. The same exact area you have your stress crack. If you had frequented BWE or any of the Hobie Forums you would have heard about the problem and would have received a Free Hobie Drive Well Reinforcement Kit which solved the problem nicely if it were installed prior to any stress crack development. You also would have received an additional (2) years of warranty on the hull - with proration after that. I installed the kit and used my Adventure weekly in La Jolla for an additional 2 years without any incident - (its still working fine to this day) -However if you got The Crack - the kayak was done. So here what happens. This is a pic of the unreinforced drivewell that was prone to cracking. This is a pic of a factory reinforced drivewell that solved the problem. This is a Hobie Drivewell Reinforcement Kit - a piece of Fiberglass that provided structural support to the weight bearing area. the front of the drivewell. As with anything - preparation is key. My reinforced drivewell. This is some other guys kayak from the Hobie Forum His repair didn't go so good because he waited until the drive well had already cracked. Notice the support member that cracked in addition to the drive well area. He thought Goop would fix the problem. -As Borat would say "Not Soo Good" __________________ Last edited by Billy V; 07-27-2011 at 12:28 PM.

07-27-2011, 09:26 AM	#1
JOSER85 Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 85	I still think it's worth a try to patch it up. If you can patch a plane/helicopter that is under thousands pounds of pressure I don't see why not patch a kayak. You have nothing to lose. patch it up try it in the harbor if it works then your good to go. If it fails then the shredder it is. At least if it fails your not falling from 30,000 feet Which ever way you go good luck!