Are paddle tires really necessary? The answer depends on what you plan on doing. If your Raider is just for cruising the beach and the front dunes then you really don't need them. I have been back in the deep dunes on the stock tires and you can do alright. However If you want performance in the sand then you gotta have them. The aluminum rims make a big difference weight wise. I have both front and back ITPs with Sand Devils and Sand Sharks for tires. You can get away with keeping the stock tires on front but you will eat sand as the knobbies kick it up.
Yes I was running stock fronts and ate some sand. I put the shark fins on there and they rule especially at higher speeds. They just skip across the sand.