Why choose OEX for Hobie?

[Handymansd]

OEX and Hobie have teamed up to give the best customer service I have received anywhere!

Long Version...

I went out buggin in MB on the second night of the season. I was doing well, and perfecting my technique, and practicing at different depths and structures to see which methods produced the best bugs. After a couple of hours my left peddle "popped". I turned on the light and found that the drives right peddle pin had popped out of the #7 spot and gone beyond the point it is designed to. Bummer! I didn't do a full inspection of the drive due to the heavy outgoing tide, darkness, and the fact that I wanted to pull my nets before the drive totally failed. I continued to gently peddle and pull my nets up as the drive appeared to still work. The right peddle just would not pull, only push. I started to experience trouble getting the kayak to turn without leaning to one side or the other, but I thought maybe I was just tripping or had kelp on the rudder or something. Little did I know that my kayak was slowly filling with water! I pulle the last of my nets and opened the hatch to stowe some gear and quickly "pumped" until I thought my arms would fall off. I then quickly returned to my launch spot at Bahia and found that the mast that the peddle is attached to was actually broken and twisted at the base where it is rivited... metal fatigue maybe? Anyway that somehow caused a small leak in the drive well, which of course filled the yak with water. I was so bummed!

So I went up to see Nate at OEX's Oceanside Location the next day. He did not hee and haw or complain about taking the kayak for a possible warranty, he just said we'll see what they say. I left the kayak there with the knowledge that I might have to drop some big mullah to save my yak. I am kind of hard on things, and I put many many miles on that yak this summer, I spent far more time peddling than fishing... looking for those pelagics way outside. (Jon will have to show me how it's done I guess.)

So Nate contacts me a couple of days later and tells me to come pick up my kayak. Great, I thought, it is repaired, I am stoked! Then he tells me that Hobie has decided to warranty the kayak, and the drive system!!! I am in disbelief! Hobie and OEX have totally "hooked" (no pun intended) me up, with a new '09 Outback and will repair the drive at no cost to me!! I cannot say how stoked I was!! I was dancing around my garage like a tennager that just got his first kiss!

This kind of customer service is so lacking in so many businesses today, but Brent, Nate, and Hobie seem to have customers as their first prioity not their last! Cudo's to you guys!

I took out the new ride on the full moon to start where I left off and brought home a full sack of Juicy bugs for the family. The new drive retention system is awesome... it is fast, easy, and could probably be put in or out in the surf with a little practice. The rudder system is almost completely new, using pull toggles in place of the older lever style up down controls. It also has a snap in style "lock" to help keep the rudder in the down position under pressure. I have put the sailing rudder back on and used it under demanding situations and my outback turns like a jackrabbit avoiding a hawk. I actually have to be careful not to be tossed out of the yak if turning fast at high speed! I am very excited to put the rudder to the test on some bigger model fish!

So my hat is off to OEX and to Hobie! You have gone beyond earning my business, to earning my respect AND all of my future business!

THANKS OEX AND HOBIE!