Hala Carbon Hoss!!! Wooohoooo!!!!

[Windwarrior]

No, my Hoss doesn't have that little scuff on the deck pad. Like I stated, maybe it was over stretched or scuffed during the process of attaching the deckpad. I don't think it would impact performance at all and it seems limited to the deck pad itself. If it's that big a deal, maybe they will allow you to swap it out with another Hoss or get a discount on gear.

Sigh, yeah I know it won't affect performance. That's not the point. Paying top dollar, I expect top dollar, perfect. Ya know?

 
I seriously doubt this is going to go away even with the sun on it. First thing I did this morning was check it and it hasn't changed. This weekend will tell.

I get it. Now that I have looked again, the scuff looks compressed and confined to the deck pad, so that's not just going to pop out while inflated board and sun exposure.
Good luck and give us your thoughts. Btw, you will want to inflate past 15PSI at your weight. Go 20.

Exactly! It's compressed and confined to the deck pad.

At this altitude, 15psi is max and it's recommended only 12 for expansion.

Yep, board exchange is what's going to happen. No doubt about it. I'll chime in and update.

[Green Water Sports]

To me this doesn't look like a scuff, rather the way it was folded, something imprinted itself into the EVA while rolled up. What is on the tail of the board? Judging by the fold, a d-ring or webbing point on the tail could have dented the foam. Any pics of the whole tail area or it folded?

[Windwarrior]

To me this doesn't look like a scuff, rather the way it was folded, something imprinted itself into the EVA while rolled up. What is on the tail of the board? Judging by the fold, a d-ring or webbing point on the tail could have dented the foam. Any pics of the whole tail area or it folded?

Ya know what? After that observation and taking this picture, you're absolutely right!! I can see where the D-ring impression is on the kick pad and following that back towards the end the only thing left is the grab handle!!!

[Windwarrior]

Sooo, went out today on the maiden voyage of my Hala and I had a blast on it!!

At first the board felt pretty wobbly since I've never been on one. Even staying on my knees was wobbly. I stayed on my knees and realized that the farther apart I kept them, the less wobbly it felt.

I paddled away for a while and decided to give it a go and try standing up!! LOL!!! Placed one foot on the board next to the center handle and a millisecond later, bloop, I went into the drink, laughing on the way in. LOL!!

Getting back on the board was actually much easier than I expected it to be. Grabbed ahold of the center grab handle and kicked my legs at the same time like I've watched on a couple of YouTube videos and back on board I went!! Got back on my knees and went for the standing up again AND bloop back into the drink I went! This time, not only was I laughing but I was yelling sh*t at the same time. Good times!!

Sooo, I repeated the process of getting back on and decided to sit on top to gather my thoughts. Lol.

Everyone around was clapping and a group of youngsters were holding up score cards. THAT was funny!! Apparently my last dismount got me a couple of tens!! LOL!

Well, after a rest, a drink of water, I got back up on my knees, focused on keeping my hands planted in front of me and on the board and voila!!! I was standing on my board!! Woohooo!!!

I paddled away and kept my feet far enough apart which helped ease the wobbly feeling. I kept my head looking up and was fine from that point until I was at my first destination, a sand barge/island. I began to get down on my knees and bloop!! Into the drink. That was my last accidental bloop. I walked over to the sandy area and just sat on my board doing some people watching for a while.

I paddled the day away standing on my board and getting some good sun. Only other time I got in the water was to cool off. When I did, it was backwards flips or cannonball style!!

Great day on the water!!! Tomorrow I'm going to hop on a Red Paddle Explorer + 13'2" to compare the two boats.

Pic was taken by the owner of the shop that's going to let me try the Red tomorrow. It was the end of the day. Those dark clouds in the sky opened up just after I was done drying and loading the boat. THEN something like 30mph winds followed. It was crazy!! Float tubes, cooler tops,towels you name it were flying by as I was driving away. Kinda like in the Twister movie.Lol!!!

[deepmud]

Nice!
No leash?

Watch  paddling videos for technique when you are jonesing for more paddling but cant' get out.

[Windwarrior]

Nice!
No leash?

Watch  paddling videos for technique when you are jonesing for more paddling but cant' get out.

First thing I did was head to REI for a leash before I hit the lake. Luckily the location just up the road had 2 left. The leash was laying on the back of the board in the picture because I was just getting pictures at the end of the day.

My next project will be to mount a gopro on the board. I have a mount on my sea kayak so I'm assuming the glue those mounts come with will work on this board material too without issues?

[Windwarrior]

Btw, the marking on the board is still there.

Between the learning curve of balancing ,falling into the lake, climbing back on and paddling, I'm sore in places I didn't think it was possible to be sore in. LOL!

[Windwarrior]

Today I went to demo the Red Paddle 13'2". I'm no expert by any means but it seemed slower on the glide than my Hala. I don't know if it was because I was just comfortable with mine or what. I did like the length of the Red but the 4 inch difference was a bit much for now. At least until I get my sea legs and feel much more comfortable on boards. I think after I've paddled a full season I'll be able to better gauge the differences.

Definitely loving my Hala!!

[robon]

Good to read you are liking your Hoss. The Red 13'2" should definitely be faster than the Hoss, but if your balance isn't dialled in, it may seem slower or actually could be slower at first.

I'm really liking my Hoss. The length, stability and volume make it a really good crossover board for exploring narrower creeks and waterways, running some whitewater, mellow cruising and packing gear. The first thing I did when I picked up my Hoss in Idaho was take it up a creek feeding into Kootenay river I had never explored before. It was nice to go through the shallow and tight sections without having to worry about wrecking anything like you would with a composite construction. This past weekend I found a new pictograph/cliff painting area on the lake, and was able to either just leave my board in the water when I scaled the cliffs or drag it up on the rocks, which is so nice to be able to do when exploring rugged shore line.

[Windwarrior]

Very cool. Nice pics.

I'm thinking as time goes and a season or two of riding, I might look into a narrower board but for now I'm glad I picked the Hoss. Stable, long, wide and plenty of space for loading a tent,sleeping bag, stove, hammock and a chair. Perfect for a weekend outing exploring a lot of lakes out here.

[Windwarrior]

Another fun filled day of paddling! Except for the part of forgetting that your paddle is hanging from the top of the bungees when you stand it upright AND catch it in the nick of time!  HA!

[Windwarrior]

I found a lazy river on the backside of this pond!! I'm curious about something, when cruising down a river and you want to turn or help keep the board straight which side of the boat should the paddle be on to turn which way???

[Quickbeam]

I found a lazy river on the backside of this pond!! I'm curious about something, when cruising down a river and you want to turn or help keep the board straight which side of the boat should the paddle be on to turn which way???

Depends on what kind of turn you want to use.

Here is a sweep stroke and reverse sweep stroke:



And here is a cross bow turn:



Hope this helps.

[Windwarrior]

Appreciate the vids but I don't think either apply for a river.

I'm trying to remember on a lot of rafting trips I've been on, I vaguely remember seeing the guide in back leaning back and dragging the paddle blade to make a turn. I just can't remember which side was for which direction we would go.

That's what I need to know. These vids were talking about making turns, for the most part on flat waters not running rivers.

[robon]

The cross bow and sweep strokes are very applicable to running rivers on an sup. You can make very quick course directions using a cross bow in either wide or small amounts and you don't have to switch hands to do it. The more you paddle, the more you will use a cross bow turn on rivers. You can also drag your paddle behind and it can act as a rudder and this can aid in turning as well. More experienced river runners will also sometimes paddle on both sides of their board without switching hands like you would normally do on flat water. It's uncomfortable at first but helpful in fast moving water, and when you have to make quick moves.