Hobie Raw 8'11"

[Caribsurf]

After seeing these boards at Surf Expo, I decided I had to have one..ok so it is a used 2012 but it is in mint condition and at 50% the price of a new one a steal!.  It came with the deck pad so no jokes.  After finding little info on these boards, I thought I'd write up a quick review and add a few photos...sorry I am no SUP the Creek or DJ when it comes to photos..and not too schooled about rocker, concave and all that technical stuff.  I just know what works and this board works.

the Hobie Raw CM 8'11"

First off I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this board!!  We had perfect waves up here in Maine on Saturday and this board just ripped.

I have to admit while I was walking to the surf line, I had huge butterflies in my stomach wondering if the lightweight 14 lbs, the  28" width and 120 liters was going to be stable enough for my 6 ft 185 lbs. or was I going to make a fool of myself.
I had been riding mostly a 9 ft 145 liter Coreban Fusion and 8 ft 130 liter Vibe both which are wider and thicker than the Hobie Raw 8'11".

The second I stepped on the Hobie and paddled out through the surf, I knew I had found the PERFECT board for me.  I always loved the shape, it was the weight and volume which frightened me.  No problem.  It was really stable, floated me fine and punched through the surf with ease.  I searched around for the proper foot placement while waiting for the next set and figured it was close to the handle.  My first wave was great...the board paddled easily into the 4 ft wave, and once I  found proper foot placement and the stomp pad, I just carved the wave to the end.  Every board before , I knew I was SUP surfing and somewhat limited by the shape and width of the boards,   this board felt like I was surfing.  It was so much looser and maneuverable than my Coreban Fusion and the 14 lbs was so easy to throw around.  Cut backs,  off the lips floaters, just came naturally.  The board is so fast too and I was able to just pump the board across the  face of some of the faster waves.  

Best part was that unlike my shorter SUP, I could hang outside with the 11 and 12 ft SUPs  and still catch any wave I wanted.  I found my shorter sups forced me inside with the proners..not any more.

I cannot say enough good things about this board, and it is everything I hoped it would be and more.  The icing on the cake is that they are made in the U.S.A.!!  Feels much more like a surfboard than a SUP and a custom one at that.

If you have any doubts about this board..DON't!!!  go out and demo one if you can.  I guess the 2013 and 2014 models are a little wider and come in 30 and 31 " widths.  Also comes in 8'4" for you smaller guys and 9'4" which might be my next option for choppier days.

Seriously though, I am kicking myself that I didn't look for one of these boards sooner, because Saturday's session was by far the best I have ever had on a SUP and it was only my first day on this board.  I can't imagine what it will be like once I get used to it.  This board rips!

[supthecreek]

Hey Don... nice retread! Used tire warehouse?

sorry.... I don't know what came over me. Nice board.
Now... get out the sharp scrapey thing and remove that at once. Your board will be 5 lbs lighter.

Go see Dave at CR and invest in the FCS deckpad. Awesomest deckpad... super light and grippy. Use the Stomper and the 2 (4) thin flat sections. Leave off the raised bolster pads, unless you custom cut the sections to place the bolsters at the handle. Link to my FCS review on a thread at seabreeze...scroll down to find pictures that explain it better... here:
http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/Starby-carbon-deck-grip/#1337691

Ok... I feel better. So very stoked that you got that board... I really want to try the 9'4. I love the RAW construction. I feels like the future to me.

I look forward to watching you shred that thing!

[supthecreek]

or:
raf in Cape Elizabeth... he may carry the FCS pads as well.

[ninja tuna]

Nice report on the board.

When you clean up the deckpad, I'll tell you how it looks.

[Caribsurf]

I don't really care how a board looks as long as it surfs great and this one does.  Still I may try and remove the pad, but I have read how difficult and tedious a job that can be.  Also I would hate to damage the board in the process.  I took a box cutter to the deckpad today and made cross cuts to add texture and grip to the tread.   Even with the extra weight of the pad, this board is ridiculously light.

What are the chances I can damage the deck removing the pad?  Being a carbon board, is there more to worry about when removing a pad compared to a full epoxy board?  I do have a heat gun....

[supthecreek]

I was only half ribbing you.... but it would really lighten it up.

The only carbon in your board is the black bits.... rails, deck patch and stringer band.... the rest is fiberglass & epoxy

The only pads I have ever removed were on brand new boards. I would just take off the flat tail end to install a new stomper... those pads came off relatively easy, because they were never stepped on and sun cured into the board.

My guess is... NEVER heat gun. I just used a window scraper (flat razor type for painters)
Start at a corner, lift the pad as you slide the blade across the deck, cutting the glue bonding the pad to the deck. like shaving... slide across the surface.... don't cut into the glass job.

Once you have a fairly good piece lifted up, it's easy to pull up gently as you shave the glue. I always got mine off in 1 piece.That pad of yours is really thick and strong looking... it may not be that bad to remove.

Just don't do it when there's waves in the forecast, in case I'm wrong

or better yet...just ignore us and go surfing

[ninja tuna]

To add to Creek's advice, I would make sure the scraper is plastic.  And a little mineral spirits never hurt to loosen glue for removal. And definitely after.


Have fun with that thing and put a video up if possible.

[supuk]

nice board! but how can some one do that to it with the deck pad!!  as a shaper it make me cringe to see some one do that to a board that has had so much time put it to it!. i would just try and trim it down to be parallel with the carbon rail the hole way round and then just peal those bits off maybe shorten it a little too. Use a brand new blade and run it over ever so lightly then when you are nearly through start at one end and peel it up cutting all the way through as you go. When your done double tape around the pad and use some 80 grit to round the edge of the pad. the centre strip will still look a bit odd making the black look off centre so ether remove it  and or find ether more grey to balance or a different colour

[Dwight (DW)]

What are the chances I can damage the deck removing the pad?  Being a carbon board, is there more to worry about when removing a pad compared to a full epoxy board?  I do have a heat gun....

The epoxy resin is your barrier of protection. You can easily take masking tape and mark on the pad, where you want to cut. Then with some NEW razor blades, cut through the pad, following the tape. It's effortless to apply LIGHT pressure and cut through the pad, without cutting the board. The worst that happens, is a light scratch on the epoxy.

Then pull up the excess pad. Even if you error on the side of not cutting deep enough, the pad will tear at the cut line.

Next use the citrus based goo-gone to remove the adhesive from the board.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Goo-Gone-2-oz-Pro-Power-Cleaner-and-Remover-2681/203724658#.UjhEQcbkvxo

[supthecreek]

But HEY.... you got an frickin' awesome deal on a life changing board.... so it's worth a little flack, right?

Put up some video's of you surfing RIPPING your RAW.... that will change our conversation

Heck, you were really fun to watch on your Fusion.... I imagine you are flat out shredding the RAW.

[Caribsurf]

I bought the board used and it came with that pad.  Even stranger, the store manager told me the original owner bought the board for prone surfing not SUP.  can you imagine laying down on that pad?

I guess with all the comments about the pad I am going to have to remove it so you can start talking about the board

[Caribsurf]

Thanks Creek for the kind words, those waves ( if you could call them that) we we in we're tiny.  We have to get together when surf is good.  42 years of surfing and 4 of SUP and hardly a photo or video to show for it.  Problem is I surf alone 99% of the time in the Caribbean  I posted a few SUP surfing videos and windsurfing videos on YouTube  under name CaribsurfDon...here in Maine I am surfing when Danette is sleeping.  I have to get her up  one of these mornings so she can film me.  I don't think Id put a GoPro on this board.

I did see myself recently on Surfline.com using the feature that allows you to rewind the surf cam footage up to five days..that was pretty cool

Looks like surf flat today, so ill be in the garage taking off the deckpad

[Caribsurf]

update....I was able to remove the pad using some SERIOUS elbow grease..easier than I anticipated probably due to thickness of the pad, but still was sure I was going to pull out my back or tear a bicep...  It came off in 3 complete pieces.now I can use them to retread my tire on my car.  The idiot who put the pad on used what looked like Gorilla Glue in the corners where the pad had started to lift up.  Cleaning it up and will have one more session with mineral spirits to get off any remaining residue.  looks sweet.

removing the pad revealed the specs and the board is 29" wide not 28" as I was told...

Creek I will head down to CR and see if they have the FCS pad you recommended...

[raf]

MUCH better  

[sup_surf_giant]

Looks so good!