Hobie Apex Pro 14'

[Fog City Rider]

Received my custom Hobie a couple weeks ago.  Sweet! 

Custom made in CA.  14 x 25.75 x 6.25, 254L.  23.8 lbs. without fin.   

My first impression: this thing looks bad-ass.  The level of detail and craftsmanship is really impressive.  Not sure how strong that vector net stuff is, but the board feels very stiff when pressed on.   

The board is a real treat to paddle.  Instant acceleration!  She feels sleek, light, responsive, just effortless to go fast.  Good stuff.   

She is stable, relatively.  My second time paddling her was at a race in the rough waters of SF Bay, and she handled predictably to the messy waters.  She paddled well upwind, downwind, and in side chop.  Chase Kosterlitz still beat me, but whatever  .  Heck, some dude in the surf class beat me!  The board is fast.  I, on the other hand, have some catching up to do. 

Feels equally stable to some 27" boards I've paddled, except for the buoy turns... still working on those.  She catches bumps super easy, even tiny ones. 

Big fan of the flat deck, too.  I've never felt any more stable in a recessed standing area.  Just more constrained. 

Overall, I'm very happy with this board.  Not something I'll grow out of anytime soon.

A few pics: