Can't decide

[Mad Daddy]

Can't decide to buy new or used. Looking at buying an Outback but am struggling with buying new or used, (of course new would be from OEX). Only ever had bad experiences with used anything but it seems that there are a lot of opportunities to save hundreds buying used. Can anyone share there results with used kayaks, Outbacks in particular.

[makobob]

Picked up used 2012 outback on this forum less than a month ago. Awesome boat in good/great condition. They are out there. Newer is better, less beach rash, check the drive, and rudder system. Good luck.

[bus kid]

If money is not a issue by all means new it is. For me having 3 kids,2 car payments, mortgage and all the bills associated with the home,and only 1 income I have bought used. If you are only interested in a Hobie then there is a 3rd option you may not know about, Demo boats. call OEX and ask about any Demos the have that they may be willing to part with. I have had no issues with the yaks I have bought over the years and my current revo was a demo yak.

[The pelican]

Used is a bit of a gamble but it's worked out well for me. I agree w Mako Bob that you want to check the drive and rudder for sure. One benefit to a good used kayak is finding one that includes the extras (bait tank, fish finder, turbo fins, PFD, etc.). That stuff adds up quickly if you're buying a new kayak and many used include the extras.

[kayachapi]

When I decided to finally get the boat I'd been dreaming about for years, I was prepared to do whatever it took to get it.
Scraped up all the money I could and planned on financing the rest. After years of dwelling on it, Hobie made sense to me. Then my wife threw me a curveball, and said why don't you get two, so you always have someone to fish with. Craigs list had two Outbacks an hour from me. I made an offer and got both for $2300, fish finders one with GPS, a Hobie bait tank and other misc. gear. They are older boats, not shiny but in great shape. Used boats can come with a lot of equipment that adds to your overall cost. A new boat would have been nice, but I am very happy to be able to get out and fish with my boys. No regrets

[CKallday71]

I bought my 2013 Outback from a guy on this forum and could not be happier! I took it down to Andy at OEX and had him instal the Square Tackle Box holder from the PA12 just forward of the seat and in my opinion for the money it can't be beat. I bought it with the FF/GPS, Bait Tank, Seat, Paddle, 2XRam mounts, ect for $2000 and it's the best money I've spent on a toy EVER... Well I spent about the same on my AR-10 but it's a close tie!

[CKallday71]

BTW,
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...ad.php?t=19864

Looks like a bargain to me! If I were in the market for another single Kayak I would jump on that. I'm in the market for a Tandem though.

[alanw]

I bought a used yak to save money. It's almost as good as a new yak if it was well taken care of and kept out of the sun and is not more than a year or two old.

Just look for cracks, sun damage (brittleness, fading) and avoid that. You can usually get a good deal because of extras that come with the yak.

One thing to remember is that a plastic kayaks life span is about 10-15 years max if taken care of, so even a 3 year old yak is just about 1/4 of the way done and the price should reflect that.

[Old Man in the Sea]

used is fine for a kayak - save enough money to buy a fishfinder or more fishing poles..

[chxh8me]

Originally Posted by alanw

One thing to remember is that a plastic kayaks life span is about 10-15 years max if taken care of, so even a 3 year old yak is just about 1/4 of the way done and the price should reflect that.

Really?

Not trying to argue... and I'm not saying to get an old/faded kayak...but....

My first kayak was a OK Scupper Pro (the old one with the two hatches, no tankwell) that I traded some guy my mt bike for back in the day. It had to be at least 5 years old when I got it, and extremely sun-faded. Had it for another 7 years, most of which I left locked up at the beach amongst the beach homeowners kayaks until I had a garage. Still used it up til this summer, when I upgraded to a OK Prowler 13T (a gift from the wife).

For the Scupper Pro, within the last year I ended up getting new hatch seals, new buckles for the hatch straps, re-ran the rudder lines with some new parts, used it a couple more times, then sold it.

Worked fine all those years, and I'm sure the new owner will get plenty of use out of it. Needless to say, I beat the crap out of that thing for years, with no issues.

Again, not arguing, or suggesting abusing your kayak like this, but just curious where the 10-15 year time frame came from.

And don't worry, my new yak will be taken care of and babied.

[alanw]

Originally Posted by chxh8me

Again, not arguing, or suggesting abusing your kayak like this, but just curious where the 10-15 year time frame came from.

If it's on the internet, it must be true right? Seriously, there's dozens of articles and posts online suggesting the life span is 10-15 years if taken care of, like this one http://www.mademan.com/mm/how-long-d...yaks-last.html

Plenty more: http://www.bing.com/search?q=plastic+kayak+life+span



I've posted about a dangerously sun damaged yak before:
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...ad.php?t=19248

Just like any other plastic, YMMV

[chxh8me]

Originally Posted by alanw

I've posted about a dangerously sun damaged yak before:
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...ad.php?t=19248

Haha, yah, saw that one when I was trying to sell mine (even posted on that thread). I think he wanted about twice as much as I got for mine. Amazing.

[alanw]

Yea and you know that plastic cannot be eroded by salt water so rinsing it off after each use probably has no effect on how long it lasts. The rivets and other hardware are what rinsing off will help prolong the life of.

Dragging damage and especially sun damage are what kills yaks early.

One post I read suggests hitting a yak with a hammer (not too hard). Brittle areas will crack or break while soft new plastic will just bounce back. I'm not planning on banging on my yak anytime soon though

[Mad Daddy]

Thanks for all the advice. I just missed on one opportunity by procrastinating about buying used. With most of you seeming to by used where do new kayaks come from? I think I will for another GREAT deal on a LOADED used 2013 Outback for a month and if nothing floats by I'll treat myself to a new 2014 for Christmas.