EPO Rudder - How do you know?

I haev a black Hobie rudder that came with a boat as a spare. I assumed that it is an EPO but now I am not certain.

Is there a way to tell if it is EPO? (it is certainly not the carbon epoxy EPO II shown in the Murray's catalog). I had is posted here in the classifieds, but I'm going ot takeit down until I figure it out....

Did any standard black rudders other than EPOs ever come from Hobie?

Thanks!

Yes, Hobie produced black non-EPO rudders for a period during the '90s. The material was called PCG. They were solid molded plastic rudders that were not as light or stiff as EPOs and the foil was not as precise.

There are a couple ways to tell what rudder you have. First would be weight. EPOs are significantly lighter than solid plastic. You will be able to feel the difference just by picking one up. Second would be to look in the rudder bolt holes. If you look inside and see foam core, then you know they're EPOs (however if someone drilled the holes oversize, filled with resin, and then drilled you would not see the core). Third, there is a seam around the whole mid-line of the rudder. It is most noticable along the top edge of the rudder where the two halves of the rudder are joined. It is ground off around the rest of the rudder so may not be visible. Fourth would be if there is weave/fibers showing through on the surface. However this only occurs on rudders which have set out in the sun for a long time and have been UV damaged. If the rudder was well cared for, there will be no visible weave.

sm

Thanks SM. I'm pretty sure she's a non-stickered EPO! The black rudder is close to 3 pounds lighter than the white rudder (4 pounds vs almost 7), and I think I can see yellow foam in the middle through the bolt holes. She is a little too tight in the casting as well - hense the scratches (I heard this is a classic indicator of an EPO).

There is a seam around the rudder but there is a similar seam on the white rudder too. No visible weave anywhere....

Probably going to list in the classifieds again soon.

I would say try and bend it a little. If it bends its not an epo. A plastic rudder will give quite a bit with just pushing it over your knee