Why put Wheeleeze on Hobie Outback when you have scupper wheels?

I’ve had my 2016 Hobie Outback for eight years. The entire time I’ve had it, I’ve been using the Hobie plug-in kayak wheels that plug into the scupper holes behind the seat.  I never thought much about it. I use the plug-in wheels on my smaller Hobie Sport kayaks as well.  I have three sets of plug-in wheels, including one with the inflatable sand tires.

The center of gravity

A few years ago, on a Cape trip with Eric Stockwell, I learned about a flaw in the design of those scupper wheels.  Our trip required a long haul down the beach to the launch site.  After a time, I started to run out of steam. It was hard work!  Eric graciously offered to assist, but when he took my kayak he noticed it was much more difficult to haul than his X-factor.  He let me try his kayak and the difference was obvious.  He stepped back, looked at mine and said, “It’s all physics. Look at the wheel placement.”  He’d mounted his wheels near the center of the kayak, the center of gravity.  Hobie’s design placed the scupper plug-in wheels considerably aft of that point on the Outback, well behind the center of gravity. It was all an issue of weight and balance.  I had to carry more of the kayak weight. No wonder it was more work.  Those wheels need to be much closer to the center of the kayak, the center of gravity.  While we didn’t end up at that more distant launch site that day, we did have a great Cape trip.

That happened in 2022, but I never got around to getting moveable Wheeleeze.  Perhaps I’m a slow learner, but now at 72 I realize the gravity of the situation. I’m not getting younger and this is not getting easier, so I broke down and ordered some Wheeleeze.  They just arrived.  Eric advised me to get out there and experiment with them as soon as I got them, so the day they arrived  I assembled them, watched a Wheeleez Tech Talk YouTube video [https://youtu.be/8WDuBvJZHus?si=nUbqr0IONReC4uog], and then I set out to try it.    

It was not as easy as I’d hoped.  You have to find the right balance spot and put the wheels at an angle to the kayak to allow for a pivot point.  The first few times I tried it, the wheels slipped along the kayak hull as I lowered it.  And then there’s the seat and the straps.  Even if I got it close enough it would slip as I tried to install the straps around the stadium style seat.  I tried for over an hour to come up with a technique that would work. (I am a slow learner.) I found it frustrating.  The Hobie wheels were so easy to install.  This was not so simple.  I took a break for a few hours. Then it dawned on me. This was related to an aircraft weight and balance problem.    Chock the wheels just like an airplane.  Chock them on both sides. (Btw, chocks have nothing to do with aircraft weight and balance.)

That worked!  It was repeatable.  So here's my technique: First install the seat, then place the wheels beside the kayak at the right pivot angle and balance point (the seat cross bar), CHOCK THE WHEELS ON BOTH SIDES.  Lift the stern of the kayak up and place it on the wheels.  The kayak should easily sit with the stern or the bow on the ground just like a teeter-toter.  That’s the balance point.  Secure the straps.  BAM!

It works great.  Just to test it, I hauled the kayak up and down the hill at my house.  What a huge difference! Easy peasy.  

I used to haul my Canoe using the center balance point. Very easy! Now with the 2019 Hobie, pushing triple digits, I don’t have to haul it very far so I haven’t used the forward scupper holes. Maybe it’s time to try.

Good idea. I actually went the other way, and got the YakAttack cart that goes into the scupper holes because I was getting annoyed / frustrated with using the other style. I should have figured out a better way to do it.   I guess I'm not a slow learner, I'm a no learner!

I wish wheelers had a chocking feature.   What are you chocking da wheels with?  I usually stick my foot under one and deal with the loading mess then readjust...

< What are you chocking da wheels with?

It's shown in the photo -- I had four 1"x2" wood strips in my garage and they seemed to work just fine.  So, just some junk lumber from my garage.  (I never throw away anything.  My wife hates it.) 

Glad you found a setup that works! I've dragged my Hobie nearly a mile out to Pinole Point to launch, and it made me wish it were easier to transport too.

Makes me wonder, what if you kept the Hobie wheels in the scupper holes and, install the wheeleeze towards the stern? You could have it set up with four wheels and drag it around like a wagon. Probably only worth the effort and extra setup for very long trips though

I've used my foot, screw driver, and a sock i use for sinkers inside 

Makes me wonder, what if you kept the Hobie wheels in the scupper holes and, install the wheeleeze towards the stern? You could have it set up with four wheels and drag it around like a wagon. Probably only worth the effort and extra setup for very long trips though

I tried using scrupper and regular wheelez bringing down my AI down PP one time. It was fine but you have to lift one end to turn it otherwise it just go straight only

Makes me wonder, what if you kept the Hobie wheels in the scupper holes and, install the wheeleeze towards the stern? You could have it set up with four wheels and drag it around like a wagon. Probably only worth the effort and extra setup for very long trips though

I tried using scrupper and regular wheelez bringing down my AI down PP one time. It was fine but you have to lift one end to turn it otherwise it just go straight only

Launching an AI from PP is an impressive feat. Were you able to do it yourself, and how many trips up and down the steps did it take?

Based on what I've seen on the Hobie forums, I'd never use scupper wheels with any Hobie kayak. There are lots of cases where cracks in the scupper holes have been caused by such carts, and cracks in that area are notoriously difficult to repair. This goes double (if not triple or quadruple) if you have an older Hobie, before they reinforced the scupper holes (visible black plastic tube inside scupper holes).

I believe that Hobie started reinforcing the AI/TI scuppers in 2011, but it was not applied across all of their models until 2013. I have a 2011 Adventure (essentially the same as a modern Revo 16), and it does not have reinforced scuppers, whereas my 2013 AI (which started life as an Adventure, not a full AI) does have them.

I have the 2012 Adventure with reinforced scupper holes. I did build my own cart with uprights that fit snuggly inside the holes with very little play. No crack issues for 14 years. However I did build up another cart with 12 inch balloon wheels to allow a mid kayak balance for pulling on a better center of gravity that eases the weight load. Scupper cart uses 13 inch Harbor Freight wheels which are great for rocks but less so for sand.

Launching an AI from PP is an impressive feat. Were you able to do it yourself, and how many trips up and down the steps did it take?

I wasn't by myself and I didn't take the full setup just the hull. Going down was easy with a rope on the stern and steering by lifting the front back and forth. It took me three trips down.
Coming back up end of the day was a lot harder and I took a lot of breaks in between.

Or you could also place the heavier stuff on the back of the kayak right behind where you place your wheels to balance the load.Mirage drive, fish, and tackle box to name a few. Just make sure nothing falls off during transport

Or you could also place the heavier stuff on the back of the kayak right behind where you place your wheels to balance the load.Mirage drive, fish, and tackle box to name a few. Just make sure nothing falls off during transport

this is what I do with my outback, definitely helps balance things out…
Scotty

I have been using the Wheeleez cart for all of my kayaks, Hobie Outback, Oasis, and Stealth Fisha.  All my kayaks are marked with the center of gravity make easier to load on the Hullavator and kayak cart.  Also, recently, I have added Meloney WideTrak Bunks to a Wheeleez beach cart to test them.

https://maloneautoracks.com/WideTrak-Bunks-Set-of-2.html