Quote:
Originally Posted by dfroggy54
What a interesting article! Hobie and water go together like Ham and Cheese. hahaha Everyone should read that..
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I'm a Hobie owner, but I will try to make an unbiased assessment of the article. Marketing hype is just that; HYPE. It is meant to generate interest, and ultimately sales.
It is not that big of a deal if a manufacturers doesn't include hard numbers in their sales pitches. All it says is: that was not a part of their marketing strategy. Besides, you'd be a fool to believe any data provided by a manufacturer without some skepticism. Numbers can be skewed and "facts" can be taken out of context. Ask any politician! Consumers should look to reputable independent reviewers for unbiased empirical data.
In the article, the author also lamblasts Hobies on their poor showing in races against HPB (human powered boats) and for other inefficiencies. Are these numbers skewed? Possibly. What type of vessels were they racing against? Did the competing vessels have the same drag coefficient so you can get a more accurate comparison of the propulsion methods? Looking at these
HPB you would expect them to be more efficient in the water due to the fact that they aren't plastic kayaks. The hulls seem to have their roots from racing shells. One thing for sure: those pictured wouldn't make very good fishing platforms!