Hobie 8.11 Ultimate vs PSH 9.2 AA

[Dan55]

Hi all,
I made the sub 9' transition last week, going from the 9.2 AA PSH to the Hobie 8.11. I weigh 160 lbs or 68 kg for 6 ft or 184 cm and have surfed for about 20 years. This is my second SUP season. Here are my impressions for those considering the options. I've surfed both boards in waves from knee to overhead, clean to sloppy conditions.
The Hobie, compared to the PSH was less stable and took to the third session to feel relaxed and make some spins to catch waves. Side to side stability seemed moderately decreased but the fore and aft felt much less stable. There's not much volume in the Hobie nose. The PSH paddles faster and has more wave catching ability from further out, especially for small conditions where the glide is impressive. The pulled in nose of the Hobie, with more rocker, doesn't tend to pearl and the swing weight when turning is noticeably lighter. The Hobie turns way looser - this is the most noticeable feature when comparing both.I don't know if it's the V or increased tail rocker, but the board just zings out of turns. Set the rail and the Hobie responds - no lag time. The Hobie is lighter to carry, with a deeper and padded handhold. The PSH handhold wasn't properly centered and carrying it was a hassle for long treks - i used a strap to balance it. Also, i jammed my big toe in the PSH handhold on a take off once and sliced open the knuckle on the ridges.
If you are light and have good balance and will only use your sup for waves and you like to carve it up, then go for the Hobie. If you want just a bit more stability and more glide to your paddling with that noseriding element of a longboard, then go PSH. Both super nice boards but despite their similarity in size they are really different.
Happy surfing.
d

[Subber]

Thanks for the review!