I was told that if you capsize with a bob on top that you risk bending your mast when it hits the water. This weekend I capsized (for the first time) and got the mast stuck in the mud. Did I mention that I took the bob off that morning. So should I put it back on? I don't want to bend my mast so what are the chances of this really happening? This is on a Hobie 16

I've demasted in my driveway and mast wasn't hurt a bit. I would highly doubt if contact with water could bend a H16 mast in almost all situations. I would guess that if it were a violent pitchpole, your "bob" mounting hardware would break long before it would do any damage to the mast.
Fly it proud!


Jack Hoying
P-18 (with Bob)
Fort Loramie, Ohio

Whoever said that a bob will cause a mast to bend when it hits the water must be a "bob snob." All the Hobie Waves have bobs, and there are usually a number of capsizes at the Wave Nationals every year, and I have never heard of a mast getting bent.

I concur... the Hobie "Bob" is the best thing Hobie has come up with since the Hobie 14. The mast doesn't hit the water hard enough to do damage.

Think about all the tension you put on your mast when you are sheeted in going to windward and it is rotated 45 degrees. That is 100's of times more stress than it slapping the water.