I've successfully used golf whiffle balls cut in two as mast chips on my 14. When I tried it on my 16 though they didn't last more than a couple of sails till they were crushed and torn up. I have the 14 rig fairly loose and I can imagine the compression force/load? on the mast chip is quite low when compared to the 16 which I run with quite a tight rig after tensioning when I hoist the jib. So I got to thinking as the whiffle ball is the perfect fit for the mast step base surely a regular golf ball shell would work too. 5 minutes with a hacksaw and a flat bladed scewdriver and I had my two halves ready to go. We'll see how it works, I will be taking the mast down next week to shim the pylons so i'll try it out and report back. Wondering what kind of plastic they are and how they cope with the load. Google tells me "durable thermoplastic (ionomer resin) cover"...
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Hobie Wave 2004
Hobie 14 1991 Plum 40525
Hobie 16 1985 Nationals White Prism 91964
Hobie 16 1985 European Championships Palma 114072