Author Topic: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle  (Read 551931 times)

Strand Leper

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #30 on: October 13, 2011, 12:31:26 PM »
When I get my paddle... I am going to take it down the street to the Paddle Surf Warehouse to have them "cut the paddle" with me...

Nothing like a little guerilla marketing.

Tim
American Saltwater Angler Magazine's Seven Time Angler of the Year.* Founder and former CEO of "Fishstrong" an organization devoted to the fight against fishbait-hands-smell discrimination.

* subject to revocation due to a pending investigation by the FDA (fisherman drug association)

weldernot

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #31 on: October 13, 2011, 04:15:17 PM »
Yipee towards the upcoming post covering handles.  Like a few others, I, too, want some handle information to help me choose which one to order.  And, like a few others, I'm very excited about ordering soon.

(The paddle bag sounds very cool, too, Woohoo!)



juandoe

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #32 on: October 13, 2011, 05:02:58 PM »
I ordered a couple but couldn't find a place to annotate long or standard shafts.   I sent an email to specify longs.  Is the extended handle really 375?

We may want to consolidate all of these ordering questions to a new thread.

PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #33 on: October 13, 2011, 06:14:46 PM »
When I get my paddle... I am going to take it down the street to the Paddle Surf Warehouse to have them "cut the paddle" with me...

Nothing like a little guerilla marketing.

Tim

One of the guys that works there (the big guy) was trying to get me to talk to his boss at the BOP. For some reason he was really excited about the paddles, he picked mine up like it was the holy grail. They're really nice, but still... Good thing he didn't see me toss it into the back of the pickup. I've been intentionally mean to mine to see how they hold up to abuse--at least that's what I tell Diane.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

K-541`

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #34 on: October 13, 2011, 06:44:28 PM »
 Well I ordered the 8.5 just could not pass up the free shipping and swag. Just going to have to play salesman at the beach tomorrow to help pay for it.

PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #35 on: October 13, 2011, 07:32:48 PM »
I ordered a couple but couldn't find a place to annotate long or standard shafts.   I sent an email to specify longs.  Is the extended handle really 375?

We may want to consolidate all of these ordering questions to a new thread.

No, it's 50 bucks. When you look at the store page in grid view the price for the handle gets spaced waaay down. You can switch to list view, I'm going to set that up as standard until I can dive back into the CSS and clean up the pages. They are very complicated.

I've got you covered on the long shafts, though I think you might have gotten the last of them. Oh, nope, one left.

I'm still finishing the configuration page. it will explain all that. The standard shaft with the Maliko blade and an ergo-t handle is 83". With a Molokai (9") blade it's 84". the long shaft takes it to 89
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

Six Feet and Glassy

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Ke Nalu Sizing Question
« Reply #36 on: October 13, 2011, 09:26:11 PM »
Hey Pono Bill,

Sizing question:  What would the nearest equivalent be in your Ke Nalu paddle to QB's 100 sq in?  Should I go by square inches or width?

Thanks!
Ken

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PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #37 on: October 13, 2011, 10:46:06 PM »
They are a bit different because of the way the blade works. Our 8.5" at 93 square inches feels equivalent to me of the 100 sq inch QB (I own two of them). The 9 inch at 103 sq inches feels like a lot bigger catch.

I like the 9 inch a lot, but it penalizes a sloppy stroke pretty severely. You pull it a little past your feet and it just won't come out of the water. You've got to get it out when the blade is vertical, and you have to feather it. It's not a weight thing--it's actually almost the same weight as the 8.5. I think it's just the huge amount of lift the back side generates. Do a clean stroke and it pops out of it's own accord, get a little sloppy and it's in concrete.

The 8.5 is more forgiving, and the 8" is so quick you can do anything you want. My only complaint with the 8" is that it's so light it doesn't feel like you're doing anything, and it recovers so quick that I can't get my rhythm. I mean BANG, it's back, and I'm not quite ready. I guess if I was a faster cadence paddler I'd like it, but it's a little disconcerting for me.

The thing to remember is that the weight difference is all in the swing weight. The 8.5 and the 9 are almost the same weight, the 8" is 55 grams less in just the blade. That's HUGE in a paddle that weighs 450 grams.

We made some changes in the way the mold works from the 8.5 to the 9" and that's why they weigh the same--because the 9" is actually ten percent lighter per square inch. Then we apply that same improvement to the 8" and it's a way lighter blade--ten percent less area and ten percent less per square inch. Assume the blade is half the weight (225 grams) and then decrease that by 55 grams. Presto--twenty percent lighter swing weight. You have to be quick to keep up with it. I keep getting the paddle back to the front and then stare at it thinking "where did that come from"?

Same amount of carbon fiber, we just squashed more epoxy out of it.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

capobeachboy

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #38 on: October 14, 2011, 02:14:22 PM »
Bill – I am really, really digging the KeNalu paddle.  I’ve been going back to some of my other paddles now & then just for reference but the lightweight, functionality & versatility of this paddle have me spoiled.  I’m not using a GPS but my reach and stroke feel great thanks to a clean entry and zero flutter.  I’m looking forward to some winter racing to see how it goes and hopefully improve on some of my old times.  I was thinking of trying out an 8" blade for racing but the pull on the 8.5" feels about the same as my Nitro which is a little over 7" so I can understand your comments about it being too quick. Thanks again!
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PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #39 on: October 14, 2011, 06:41:35 PM »
I took a little break today from putting paddles together and went for a paddle with the 8" to see if I could adapt to it. Now I'm thinking maybe THIS is my race paddle. It really felt amazing once I got used to the lightness and even more the quickness. It really is pretty effortless. I sprinted way longer than I usually do, and felt just fine, even though I haven't been in the water much lately.

It took me about half an hour to get used to the cadence. I'm paddling probably ten percent more strokes per minute than I usually do--maybe more. I need to count the cadence and get a real number, and I need to get the GPS out, but I'm pretty sure I'm going faster. I think for longer races the nine is the ticket because it's so efficient, but for sprints this little eight feels just right. It seems like the blade is just always in the water. the recovery is so quick it's just never in the air.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

Henrik F

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #40 on: October 16, 2011, 08:41:15 AM »
Ordered my WIKI the day before yesterday just to wake up yesterday morning to see that autumn arrived in full force. -2.2°C  :-\ ( 28 degrees F)

Henrik F
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PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #41 on: October 16, 2011, 12:43:22 PM »
You're going to love it Henrik. Yours weighs 451 grams. On the way on Monday.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

Henrik F

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #42 on: October 16, 2011, 01:57:45 PM »
You're going to love it Henrik. Yours weighs 451 grams. On the way on Monday.

Brilliant! I'll get the full wetsuit ready!

Henrik F
crosswater.se

Strand Leper

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #43 on: October 24, 2011, 12:17:36 PM »
The paddle arrived Friday... but I arrived back in the area too late to go get it...

I think I am going to cut this one to be a surf paddle... then get the extension to do distances with it if I really dig it...

Looks BEAU TI FUL, I must say!

I like the grippiness of the shaft... can't wait to give it a go!

Tim
American Saltwater Angler Magazine's Seven Time Angler of the Year.* Founder and former CEO of "Fishstrong" an organization devoted to the fight against fishbait-hands-smell discrimination.

* subject to revocation due to a pending investigation by the FDA (fisherman drug association)

stoneaxe

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #44 on: October 24, 2011, 07:43:18 PM »
This is going to be FUN! Getting a box of paddles, all sizes, If anyone in the northeast is looking to demo let me know....love to hook up for a paddle or even better surf.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

 


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