I bought the new Hoku'ula model from Ian and Lauren in "mid-life crisis Ferarri red." As I understand it, it's Hypr's version of the Hurricane... and I wanted to say I am happy with it so far. I weighed all the options and decided if I wanted to be in the water on an OC1 this summer, going with Hypr was the best route. Yes, I had heard of some of the negatives but when I talked to Ian I was impressed that he was willing to admit that there had been some problems with subcontractors and design issues in the past and that those issues had been corrected in the new line. I do believe that Ian is sincerely interested in helping customers and provides good service after the fact. Every time I call him, he and Lauren are very responsive to questions, meeting up with you or problem solving. So after talking to a friend at my club who was happy with her Hypr Vantage, then trying out the demo for two hours, I decided to trust him with my business.
He's very accommodating and will let you demo as much as you want. Also, there were extras and goodies to sweeten the deal. The cover that comes with it is very nifty, well made and I think gives added protection to the paint job in our hot Kona sun. (Does it have the world's longest zipper??) The Hoku'ula is very stable and sweeeeeeeeet and fast on the water. I have had it about two months and have only huli'd once. It turns on a dime and is easy to carry. Other members at my club have tried it out and really liked it. Another friend who tried it out and liked it told me he would train on his OC1 but planned to "borrow" mine during race season. (Uh, not sure about that!)
As for customer service, I find them easy to work with. Ian gladly traded out my seat until I had one I was happy with. The rigging was a little tight at first but I think that better it be tight than too loose. A little soap in the sleeves and it was good to go. My 12 year old son uses it too. (see photo.) Great for kids because of the stability.
Ian takes a lot of bashing here, but I think he also deserves credit for supporting paddlers, our sport, and and offering affordable, good quality (in my view) canoes for the money. I think there are probably much easier ways to make a living than manufacturing canoes? In my opinion, I think they really do try to do a good job. So far, so good. I like my hoku'ula.
