Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => Gear Talk => SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order => Topic started by: surfafrica on February 16, 2017, 02:27:51 PM
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I just pulled the trigger on a Black Project Surge paddle. I should get a first try with it in mid-March.
http://www.blackprojectfins.com/sup-paddles/surge-wave-sup-paddle-lightweight-carbon/
I went with the 77 square inch and the soft flex (I'm 5'7 & 148 lbs). I like the idea of its surf-focused design and the small shaft diameter. The small blade and soft flex will hopefully help with my shoulders and help me up my cadence for quick drops. I'm moving down from an 84 square inch Ke Nalu Konihi which has been a great paddle for me. I really bashed the hell out of the edges of it on one of my older/wider boards when I first started out and my DIY maintenance is starting to see its end of days. I like searching out new gear so I thought I'd give this Surge a try.
Here's a post that piqued my interest:
http://www.blackprojectfins.com/2016/09/12/surge-re-defining-sup-wave-paddles/
In the often frantic scramble to turn and catch the set or avoid destruction paddle stroke technique it at its worst. With riders jabbing more than stroking we needed to adjust how the paddle behaved. In essence we needed the paddle to grab the water and correct the stoke quickly so that power and acceleration was not lost.
Anyone else try one?
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I just wish the smaller 77" square inch paddle came in an adjustable length.
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Nice paddle, looks very Ke Nalu-ish, right down to the ferrule vs. frog connection. I hope they took advantage of that to do the assembly with hot glue. One of the big advantages of a ferrule besides the ability to reinforce it on the inside with a spar.
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Nice paddle, looks very Ke Nalu-ish, right down to the ferrule vs. frog connection. I hope they took advantage of that to do the assembly with hot glue. One of the big advantages of a ferrule besides the ability to reinforce it on the inside with a spar.
Yep. It's hot glue. That would have been a deal breaker for me. I'm short enough that I can carry the shaft onto a flight with the blade off. I'm actually not sure what the height limit is--maybe I'm over--but I keep doing it without any problems. I just wrap it in pipe insulation and throw it into the back of an overhead compartment.
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I just got back from a 10-day trip to Mexico. The Surge was great! I LOVE the reduced shaft diameter--picking up my old paddle feels strange now. The 77 sq inch blade was nice on my injured shoulder too. The rounded edges on the blade seemed to help protect my boards' rails a bit.
The ergo-t handle was comfy. And the red handle is a nice touch. I dropped my paddle after taking a fall and the handle was easy to spot in the impact zone.
This paddle is LIGHT. I cut mine to 68" and it came to 375 g. My 84 sq in Ke Nalu Konihi with the XTuf shaft cut to 70" and comes to 490 g (I assume though that the Ke Nalu would come in lighter with the Elite shaft than the XTuf).
My buddy picked up my paddle on the first day of the trip and I caught him ordering one online the next morning!
Black Project did some good work here on the design--nice to have a paddle geared 100% towards surfing.
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These new BlackProject paddles are nice and the customer service from Chris is top ;)
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I met up with Chris, owner of BP, yesterday before I left Maui. He brought a bunch of his paddles and fins down to the harbor for me to try. I had heard lots of positive stuff about his stuff but had not actually seen one firsthand. Really nicely made and some design elements that just seem to make sense. I especially liked his 3-piece travel design that uses hex shaped joints which eliminates any wobble or loose fitting connections. Good stuff.
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I saw these today in Big Winds. They have a bunch of them. I don't know what they weigh, but I'm guessing it's the lightest paddle I've ever picked up. Seemed crazy light. Nice looking paddles.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
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Is light the most important characteristic in a surf paddle, or durability? Is there a way to measure durability before you buy a paddle?
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Is light the most important characteristic in a surf paddle, or durability? Is there a way to measure durability before you buy a paddle?
I'd go for durability first. My ZRE is 11oz or 311grams and it's at 78" length, probably would be under 300grams if cut that short. I wouldn't use it as a surf paddle but I do use it for downwind all the time. For my upcoming ZRE with 6" adjustable handle I had surf in mind, so I went with a more sturdier shaft, it should come at around 14oz.
Mind you, my weight range is between 170-190lbs. I think swrfafrica is around 140lbs so if that
is the case, he can probably get away with such a light paddle.
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I met up with Chris, owner of BP, yesterday before I left Maui. He brought a bunch of his paddles and fins down to the harbor for me to try. I had heard lots of positive stuff about his stuff but had not actually seen one firsthand. Really nicely made and some design elements that just seem to make sense. I especially liked his 3-piece travel design that uses hex shaped joints which eliminates any wobble or loose fitting connections. Good stuff.
I'd agree with this. He's a good innovator.
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I think swrfafrica is around 140lbs so if that is the case, he can probably get away with such a light paddle.
Absolutely. I'm in that 145-150 range so I can get away with lighter paddles with less durability than heavier guys. I have two friends in the 220-230 range who have both broken paddle shafts before. For them, I recommended the 27 North Pro Surf Kevlar. It's a bit heavier than what I'd use, but it comes with a lifetime guarantee.
That being said, my other friend is 220 and uses the same Black Project and Ke Nalu shafts as me (with bigger blades) and has had no issues.
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I got to test a few of those Black Project paddles in short term & some long term and they are nicely made, super light and design to suit your needs. Like all paddles, just make sure you select the correct size blade paddle & shaft flex & length.
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Looks very well made. I like that T grip. I'll give it a go next month when in Maui.
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I forgot my paddle at the beach the other day. The next morning, I found this note on a bush near where we parked. Cool on so many levels.
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I forgot my paddle at the beach the other day. The next morning, I found this note on a bush near where we parked. Cool on so many levels.
Did you get it back yet? You're right, that's so cool. There are still good people in the world.
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Yep. Surfed a session with my backup paddle ('cause I was there) and then met the guy at his campsite later that morning. The guy built up some good karma!
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Yep. Surfed a session with my backup paddle ('cause I was there) and then met the guy at his campsite later that morning. The guy built up some good karma!
Great story!
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Haha. Good on him. One good turn deserves another. I forgot my paddle one time and a friend happened by chance to pick it up. He did not know it was mine but he found out I was looking for it and returned it to me. Just last week I found a paddle in about the same place. I remembered seeing one of my DW buddies out with his daughter earlier that same day. Gave him a call and left a message to see if it was his. He called me back later that day and it was. Nice QB as well. I thought about leaving it there - but then said no way to my wife. I would be so remiss if someone else picked it up and was long gone. Planned to post a similar note if it was not my friends. Anyways -> all good in the end. :)
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Nicely done guys!
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Any other comments on this paddle? Debating it a bit since I like what they have said regarding technique breaking down when going for a wave, because I know mine certainly does, and I need something with a bit more flex to help my shoulders.
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Any other comments on this paddle? Debating it a bit since I like what they have said regarding technique breaking down when going for a wave, because I know mine certainly does, and I need something with a bit more flex to help my shoulders.
Having spent a bit more time with this paddle in the surf, I can say that it really works well for me (5'7, 148 lbs). It's definitely geared for waves and isn't one that will translate well to downwinding or racing. The other weekend, I had to use my older paddle and the comparison emphasized how much I like the reduced shaft diameter. The Surge feels so light and agile in the hand. If you have big hands, you might want to hold one before you buy (or get one of their paddles without the reduced diameter), but for small and medium-sized hands, I think it's gold. This paddle is great if you want to reduce stress on your shoulders or increase your cadence paddling for waves.