New TI: Black Foam

Took delivery of a '15 TI today. Very excited to do some sailing this weekend! Not sure if this is the right forum for this and I searched, but couldn't find an answer. Below deck, there are several pieces of black open cell foam loosely fitted into various areas. They don't seem to have any structural purpose. Is it okay to remove them? Thanks.

They are there to provide extra flotation should the hull fill with water. (Something pokes a hole in it, or it cracks, or you leave a hatch open and get in heavy waves washing over the deck...) IIRC they are required by European regulations and Hobie puts them in all hulls for some extra safety.

Some people actually add more, especially if going very far offshore, in the form of pool noodles or flotation bags.

Sure, it's fine to remove them, provided you know for absolute certain that you'll never swamp, flip, leave a drain plug out, develop a hull crack, etc., etc.

Congrats on the new TI, SCC!
They should be closed cell foam which does not absorb water. As the others have said they are there for flotation.
Open cell foam will absorb water like a sponge. Are you sure they are open cell?

I stand corrected- closed cell. Thanks!


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One time I flooded my Outback just to see if it would float. It did, but barely. If it had non buoyant gear strapped on board, would have sank. So I think adding pool noodles is always a good idea to compensate. If nothing else, makes for less water to pour and pump out because a water filled SOP kayak of any kind is surprising heavy. The more stuff to displace water, the better.

I have sunk my ti once in kayak mode when we we were running the Huron river (Ann Arbor, MI). My wife opened the hatch to get her camera so she could take a pic of her sis who had just swamped her sit inside kayak a hundred ft in front of us. We ended up sideways against the same big bolders and the hull filled up. We were never in danger but the boat got really heavy, and the bow of the boat sunk (just like the Titanic). We have a heated pool that we practice in and filled the boat and sank it on purpose a few times afterward trying to figure out how to recover if we ever got swamped in big water (our entertainment during the winter). Each time the bow sunk and it was near impossible to recover. That was in kayak mode, with the AMA's on the flooded boat stays pretty level but the water level is almost even or below the 8 inch hatches with two people sitting in the boat. In rough water more water comes in faster than you can pump it out with a small hand pump thru the open hatch (which we always carry). When swamped the boat is front heavy and hard to steer but it can be sailed and pedaled back to shallow water, just not very fast. And your not likely to be eaten by circling sharks.
This is all assuming the AMA's and AKA's remain in tact. We also practiced losing 1 AMA (by folding it in), at that point I dont think i could navigate, thats when you call for help. Of course all this was practiced in our pool (not real life conditions). Around key west there are a lot of sharp coral shoals like a mine field, I've broke a few rudders and rudder pins, but wondered what would happen if I had a real hull breach, or crash, now I know. If you go in the Ocean a lot like we do, It's not a bad idea to practice stuff. Before getting our TI I capsized our Oasis in big pass (sarasota bay) when kayak sailing and got swept out to sea by the 6 mph current and had to be rescued, ever since then we practice pretty much everything a lot. I have no plans to remove my flotation, I'm just sayin....
Hope this helps
Bob