NowhereMan:
I was browsing the Hobie forums and came across this interesting post by a guy who is making some quality aluminum haka benches, suitable for an AI or TI:
He plans to sell them, if there is interest, although he's not yet sure about the price. I contacted him, and he'll let me know when he has the price nailed down. I suspect the killer is going to be shipping, since he's in Florida.
If any of you AI/TI owners might be interested in this (depending on price, of course), let me know. Shipping several at once would probably save a lot of moolah.
yakyakyak:
17.2 lbs? Been waiting for one of these, although a spine board is still attractive. I am in if I haven't figured out my haka solution.
Ibewyakattack83:
what would this board be used for ?
NowhereMan:
--- Quote from: yakyakyak on September 28, 2020, 03:55:16 PM --- 17.2 lbs? Been waiting for one of these, although a spine board is still attractive. I am in if I haven't figured out my haka solution.
--- End quote ---
That 17 lb weight was for his original prototype which he did in 3/16" aluminum. He's building one now out of 1/8", and he's confident it'll be more than strong enough. If so, that'll take the weight down to something under 12 pounds. That's a little less than the spine boards that I've seen.
I plan to attach them with Railblaza mounts that will allow the ama to fold in with the bench attached. I've got a PVC pipe version that I use now for extra storage (it's too flexy to sit on), so I know that'll work.
Btw, he tells me that for just the bare aluminum (no clamps, no no-slip surface, etc.), he currently estimates about $75 each. If that holds up, that would be a pretty great price, IMHO.
As for shipping, I took a look at shipbikes.com, and they would charge about $60, not including the box and packing. So maybe the shipping cost wouldn't be prohibitive.
NowhereMan:
--- Quote from: Ibewyakattack83 on September 28, 2020, 05:10:21 PM ---what would this board be used for ?
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A "haka" bench on an AI/TI. Among other uses, when sailing, you can "hike out" on the bench on the upwind side, to counteract the tipping force of the wind and thereby gain some speed. I think the longest thread in the history of the Hobie forum is about this topic: