Hobie, legendary board maker, segues into eyewear

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The title Hobie has been related to Hawaii for a protracted, very long time. Time to get acquainted with the Hobie sun shades or, in business phrases, “eyewear”.

However let’s digress. Many years earlier than the board maker expanded into bikinis and shorts, a man named Hobie Alter was shaping boards in his household’s Laguna Seashore summer time house for mates. Mr. Alter later went into enterprise and arrange store at Dana Level on the Pacific Coast Freeway–two blocks from the place the present Hobie Surf Store stands.

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In accordance with his bio on the Hobie web site, Mr. Alter did extra than simply form boards–he ended up “shaping a tradition”.

Maybe…however let’s not neglect the Seashore Boys!

All kidding apart, Hobie Surfboards did have an all-star following together with Phil Edwards, Joey Cabell, Corky Carroll, Mickey Munoz, Mike Hynson, Dick Brewer, Terry Martin, Herbie Fletcher, and World Champion, Joyce Hoffman, amongst others.

Within the early sixties, Hobie Alter partnered with fellow browsing buddy, Dick Metz, and so they hung up a shingle in Honolulu. The “Honolulu Retailer”, because it was referred to as, grew to become a well-known watering gap for visiting surfers. (As we speak I notice that Hobie Sports activities has a surf store in Lahaina, however none in Oahu).

Quick ahead to 2023

Hobie is now sells eyewear and being within the eyewear testing enterprise I needed to see what they needed to supply. Heretofore all the eyewear I’ve examined up to now was “firearms compliant” however the Hobie fashions should not.

Most likely not a good suggestion to take them to the vary but when you reside within the Aloha State, you completely want dependable UV safety. Given the tropical solar, you’ll want first rate polarization as nicely.  The Monarch has 100% UV Safety and that’s compulsory round right here.

The Hobie Monarch (retailing at $71 on Amazon) mannequin I’ve has labored out nicely. They’re very snug seated on my nostril and my ears. They wrap comfortably alongside my temples and include a strap, which I like. In any other case, I’ll lose them!

As a “road-tester”, I preserve them in my Subaru so I put on them on a regular basis.

One different cool attribute…they float “like a butterfly” in keeping with Hobie. A butterfly? Perhaps however it does give me a bit extra peace of thoughts after I’m on my good friend Rafi’s sailboat. If the glasses make their approach into the drink on a weekend journey…no downside.  

Battle Examined

In accordance with Hobie “enhanced hydrophobic and anti-reflective coatings” are utilized to every lens underneath rigorously managed situations which permits them to sheds water, resist mud and dirt.

Hobie states that their Grilamid TR-90 Frames are a “battle examined nylon-polymer mix that may face up to the trials of the avid water athlete. These frames are powerful and crack resistant, hypo-allergenic and resilient.”

Whether or not they’re “battle examined” in Afghanistan or Ukraine, I don’t know, however thus far the frames have held up even after I accidently sat on them in my automotive.

Thankfully I don’t weigh that a lot.

I do just like the basic fashion of the glasses. The one factor I didn’t take care of was the “facet shields” which appeared to limit peripheral imaginative and prescient. Thankfully, they’re detachable so no large deal.

In trying out critiques from prospects on Amazon, the corporate reportedly has distinctive customer support. One buyer mentioned he admittedly scratched the lenses on his glasses and Hobie despatched him a code for 50% off to buy a brand new pair. Fairly good of them.

Conclusion

Would I like to recommend these?

To this point so good. Whether or not the hydrophobic and anti-reflective coatings maintain as much as saltwater, and so forth. in the long term, I’ll discover out. With different manufacturers I’ve famous the coating on the lenses begins to peel.

Will my apprise my devoted readers, in six months. I plan to take a pair or two on project within the Mediterranean, and see how they maintain up on the ferry between Gibraltar and North Africa.

Within the meantime, I’m wanting good and I’m assured they’ll defend my getting older eyes. And naturally if I drop them within the drink, they’ll float like a butterfly or possibly a duck.

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A shout out to the Hobie Memorial Basis which is elevating funds to assemble a memorial honoring Hobie Alter’s life and his contributions to the browsing, boating, and skateboarding industries. The Hobie Memorial Basis Publication publishes fascinating historic accounts in each problem.

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