Hobie Wave

For families who sail off a beach rather than from a club, the Hobie Wave is the catamaran to start with. Its 13 ft twin hulls are rotomolded polyethylene that Hobie calls nearly indestructible, and the hull shape provides the lift, so there are no daggerboards to forget, jam or snap on the sand. Two hulls give it a broad, stable platform that reassures first-timers and children, while the speed of a cat in a breeze keeps adults interested. Beach resorts rent it widely, so many people try one on vacation first. At 111 kg it still needs a dolly, and cats teach less about tacking finesse than a dinghy does.