I just sold my 29' keel boat (cutter rig) and I am looking for a catamaran replacement. I have waterfront property on Lake Ontario (Canada) so transportation is not an issue. I am 6'2" and 230 lbs. and will sail solo 75% of the time and the rest with one other adult. I see that the Hobie Wave has a Total Capacity of 350 lbs, but others have mentioned sailing with greater weight. I will be cruising mainly, but racing might be interesting later.
At first I was prejudiced against plastic hulls, but I can see their advantages for cruisers on stoney shores. I also wanted a sloop rig for greater sail area and better upwind performance, but I can see the elegant simplicity of an Una cat rig that can can be expanded later. I don't really care about performance boats, but I wonder if I am better off with Hobie Getaway instead. It has a larger size/sail area and weight capacity, but I don't want to pay for something I will not use.
Hey! There are faster boats for sure, but none so fun. Get it!
I am leading the overall Natinal Series Championshps at 210 lbs. It does not mind overweight folks.
Rick
Thanks for the reply. I see now why I was confused. The specifications for the Wave from the chandlery gave the maximum load as 350 lbs. The Hobie web site gives a more realistic 800 lbs. as the capacity. I believe that the 350 lb. limit is for the optional back rest. You can see why I was concerned about weight.
i just love this boat. takes minutes to rig, alot of space to stretch out, is am 6'4" 210, and just a blast to sail and a real thrill and a handful(since only sailing for a couple of years),but manageble in winds to 20knots. above that for me is a bit to much, but rick has sailed in 45 knot winds,,,,,yike. and also if you capsize, one person can right it. i love to sail it on lake michigan, esp with the waves. my brother has a 31 ft off shore racing boat, takes 6 to sail it effectively, his mainsail costs more than my entire boat, and it has been sitting in dry dock for 3yrs and takes the entire day to get to it,rigged and sail it.
have fun jack
I just looked at the Hobie brochure for the Wave. It show a max load of 800LBS (up to 4 people).
Thanks for the advice. I've decided to purchase a Wave as it appears to have everything that I'm looking for. The best price will be at the Toronto Boat Show this winter, so I will wait until then.
What kind of price?
Rick
I don't know the exact discount. The vendor just said that their best sale of the year was available at the show. Since the non-keelboat sailing season will be winding down soon, I thought it made sense to wait. It is also possible that someone wants to trade to a larger cat, and their Wave will become available to purchase.
By the way. Is there an advantage of the "club" version of the Wave over the standard version?
I got a price from a dealer in Ontaria of around $4200. That was not show price.
The club version is the best bet.., to many problems with the tramps on the other version. Downside is it takes longer to take the club apart and put it together. Although we never do that anyway.
Rick
I have the standard version and it takes me about a half an hour to set up and break down including a short carry to the beach. The best bet for really rapid sailing is to keep it rigged mast up and just bend on the sail. That is what I do up at my in law's lake house. In Florida I have to go from broken down on the trailer to assembled each time since there isn't a place to keep it mast up for the brief times we are visiting my in-laws house over Christmas break or Spring break. It really is a piece of cake to assemble even solo although carrying the hulls is challenging due to their size. I would use a canoe or kayak cart. Or even better get the available trailer or an even better one from Trailex.
Dan
The standard price from Fogh Marine in Toronto is $5,495 Cdn. for a 2005 wave.
What is that in US Dollars?
Rick
Canadian dollars, or about $4,700 U.S. at today's exchange rates. Where did you get your quote in Canada?
The dealer was is Chatham, Ont.
$4200 FOB Chatham.
RIck
I sailed my wave this summer with me (285 lbs), my wife (160){hope she doesn't read this 
}, my son (295), and grandson (70). The going was slow, very light winds. but had plenty of room and lots of fun, til the breeze died. I've put over 800 lbs in a nice breeze and did fine.
I have the club model and car topped it without any problems, takes about 20 minute set up once you get the hang of it.
You cartopped a club Wave without disassembling it?
Oh no, I can take it apart and have it up on top in about 30 minutes. Less time to get it back togather.
Jeff,
What kind of car do you drive? I've been looking at a new Subaru Outback but the roof racks are rated at 45kg (100 lbs.), which is not enough.
Jeff,
Are you sure you have a club model? Getting that trampoline on and laced up tight is a pretty major project. If you have a system for doing it fast, please share.
The classic model is the one that is designed for taking apart and setting up quickly -- it has a one-piece tramp with wires that attach to hooks along the insides of the hulls.
Actually I have a Suburban, so I guess I should call it Sub-topping! I only haul the hulls on the top, with rubber mats between the roof and the hulls. I put the mast in my camping trailer so I don't have to mess with tieing them down. Yes, it is a club model. The secret to a fast put togather is dry silicone spray. I spray the tracks well and then the ropes also. Makes things slick and tightens up without much hassle. Make sure you don't get the very ends to slick, I worried about the knots slipping but so far so good.
Thanks for the tips. I would not have thought of spraying the lacing rope. I guess this means you don't lie on your back under the trampoline tightening the lacing with vice grips, as we have been doing for 25 years.
Mary, I don't do that either.., grass makes me itchy. On the Wave you can reach the middle of the tramp easily from the side.
John McKnight has a great tool he built for tightening lacings. It is a flat piece of alum sheet with a cam cleat mounted at one end. On the other end he cut a hand hold and padded it.
You simply grab the line with the cleat and pull. Jam a fid into the grommet to hold the lacing, and get another grab.
It really does a great job.
One of these days I will have to try and duplicate that tool.
Rick
Well, Rick, I can't reach the middle from the side, so I guess that means you have to lace my tramp for me. 
And on the Hobie 18, as I recall, it was always me underneath with the vice grips. 
Rick, what's a "fid"?
A fid is sort of like a fat knitting needle that is usually made out of wood and tapers down to a sharp point. It is used to spread apart strands of line for splicing or to open stubborn knots.
If you have a stainless rigging knife that has a knife on one side and a long pointed thing on the other side, that pointy thing can be used as either an awl or a fid.
(When dealing with rope, a fid is also a unit of length defined as 21 times the diameter of the rope that is being worked with.)
Thanks, Mary.