Author Topic: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle  (Read 551710 times)

PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #45 on: October 25, 2011, 05:49:12 AM »
We ran into a glitch on shipping paddles internationally. I'm working it out, we're going to have to put international distribution together quicker than we thought. I assumed I could forego profit and get individual paddles shipped and get some in people's hands, but DHL and UPS wanted $400 and $450 respectively to get paddles to Australia. Yikes. Good demand in Australia, it's probably the first place we'll get rolling.

On the happier side, folks are very happy with their paddles. We've had some glowing reviews. Remarkable reviews actually. I'll get them up on the site real soon now.

On the less happy side the website is giving me some fits. The logo disappeared a few days ago and hasn't been seen since. Some little glitch in the database--I'm digging through it. And Paypal doesn't like our address format sometimes. Some days PHP looks like Klingon.
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 #46 on: October 25, 2011, 08:40:00 AM »
I really do hope it'll work out fine with international shipping.

Henrik F
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Matt Ivey

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #47 on: October 25, 2011, 09:31:41 PM »
Bill what is the best way to get ahold of you?  Left a message last week but I am sure you are busy.  Do you prefer email or over the phone? 

Henrik F

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #48 on: October 25, 2011, 10:23:57 PM »
I really do hope it'll work out fine with international shipping.

Henrik F

It didn't  :'( :'( :'(
crosswater.se

headmount

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #49 on: October 25, 2011, 11:27:37 PM »
Had trouble finding this thread until someone reposted.  I guess I'm the first one to take one on a Maliko run.... this afternoon.  It was a pretty good gliding day.  I have the 9" and it was fantastic but like Bill posted, you do get penalized for going back too far... so that's actually good.  
Blown away on the fast cadence.  Feels as fast as my QB 93.  Smooth and powerful.  Light, soo light the shaft seems to fly forward with a flick of the wrist.  Great texture on the shaft, no need to add any grip.  Definite WOW factor and a difference I didn't imagine would occur.  Great downwinding blade.

PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #50 on: October 26, 2011, 03:01:45 PM »
I'm still working on it Henrik. What I really need is a good European distributor. No matter what we do, shipping one paddle is going to be expensive because of the bulk. But they don't weigh anything, so ten or even fifty can be shipped for similar money. When the shippers calculate the cost they use "effective weight" and the package size is categorized as weighing 15 pounds, even though it weighs 4, and three of the pounds is cardboard.

We got two more comments today from new Ke Nalu paddle owners, both raving about the paddle and both commented on how quiet it is. I guess being fairly deaf I didn't notice that. I do know how the vortexes look though. Here's brand X


and here's Ke Nalu


As soon as I get some issues with the site fixed I'll do a page on the comments we are getting. Some really great feedback, lots of it constructive. For one thing I now know that I need to do a separate video on using the extended ergo-t handle. People don't realize how having six or ten inches of ferrule inside the shaft will let the glue grab unless it's good and warm, and heated evenly further down the shaft than you might expect. Even then there's a lot of drag.

I'm loving the extended handle though. I have it on all three of my paddles, and it lets me make little tweaks in the length and test it right away. I'm shocked at how long my race paddle length is now, just from testing and fiddling. I was at 82, now I'm up to 86 inches. Makes a big difference in paddle performance because I get the whole blade submerged before I pull.

With the brisk POP that good feathering causes and a recovery stroke that's just an inch over the surface, my paddling feels great. But when there's chop I need it a little shorter or I start hitting chop on the recovery.
« Last Edit: October 26, 2011, 03:07:10 PM by PonoBill »
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 #51 on: October 26, 2011, 10:20:58 PM »
I'm still working on it Henrik. What I really need is a good European distributor. No matter what we do, shipping one paddle is going to be expensive because of the bulk. But they don't weigh anything, so ten or even fifty can be shipped for similar money. When the shippers calculate the cost they use "effective weight" and the package size is categorized as weighing 15 pounds, even though it weighs 4, and three of the pounds is cardboard.



I understand and I hope you find some great importer over here in Europe!

Many thanks for all the effort you've put into this shipping matter

Henrik F
crosswater.se

southwesterly

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #52 on: October 27, 2011, 09:50:26 AM »
Due to the Coriolis effect, the vortices in the northern hemisphere
will spin counter clockwise and the opposite is true for our friends down under.
This is a good example of a southern hemisphere swirl.

PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #53 on: October 27, 2011, 10:27:49 AM »
Actually that's only true for vortices in a balanced system, where they could easily go either way. If you look at the vortices on a paddle you'll see that one spins clockwise and the other spins counterclockwise.

I actually made the vortices reverse direction in some of the test paddles. It was quite a trick and lead me down a rathole trying to bring the flow to a balance point that would eliminate the vortices. Doesn't work. Or at least it doesn't yet. While I was typing this I had another brainstorm.

Damn.
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.

pdxmike

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #54 on: October 27, 2011, 10:35:35 AM »
Now I'm wondering if it's even possible for a clock to spin counterclockwise. 

Brui

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #55 on: October 27, 2011, 12:33:12 PM »
Hi Pono, if you need help with PHP..let me know  ;D

southwesterly

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #56 on: October 27, 2011, 02:41:03 PM »
Actually that's only true for vortices in a balanced system, where they could easily go either way. If you look at the vortices on a paddle you'll see that one spins clockwise and the other spins counterclockwise.


Correct, that's why it's called the Coriolis effect.
Little things like gravity, inertia and momentum never take a day off.

Six Feet and Glassy

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #57 on: October 27, 2011, 07:44:55 PM »
Finally got the Ke Nalu in the water today.  Conditions were kinda terrible - onshore light trades - but I went anyway.

Some info:  My last distance paddle was a QB 90 Kanaha (not the Elite, so a little heavier).  With the fingertip method, the Ke Nalu is two inches longer than the QB.

First impression was the weight.  Light light light.  The light weight allows a quick recovery, as PB mentioned.  

The paddle feels smooth and quiet.  I know.  I know.  When I first read that on other posts, I thought, "Sounds like advertising gibberish."  But really, no shite, it is Smooth and Quiet, meaning it enters the water with less disturbance, grabs without wobble (even with a light grip), and it releases without much disturbance or splashing.  

The smaller shaft feels great and seems to allow a stronger pull with a lighter grip.  But I do have small hands.   I usually use tape on the shaft but the texture on this Ke Nalu has me rethinking that.  It felt pretty good with only some slip when wet today (we surfed some manini waves too - fun on a 14'!).

It all really is noticeable.  And I'm not that good a paddler!

I thought the pull on this 8.5" blade felt the same as my QB 90.  Note that it was too rough to take out both my paddles, but I did switch and try a friend's QB 100 today, and to me the QB 100 felt like a heavier pull than the Ke Nalu 8.5".  But check out other reviews on that cuz PB said the Ke Nalu 8.5" feels to him like his QB 100.  So see for yourself if possible.  

My actual first impression had nothing to do with the paddle.  I was simply reminded that paddling into the wind on a sup, with a long paddle, SUCKS.  This paddle at this length would Rawk on a howling downwinder.  But since most Oahu days are nowhere near that,  I might cut it down a couple inches (that would still leave it at 14 inches overhead).

Gotta take my son to baseball practice.  Hope this is useful to someone.  Paddle On!!!
Ken

Six Feet and Glassy

PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #58 on: October 27, 2011, 10:56:47 PM »
Take advantage of the grip and choke down on the paddle like Connor does when you're going upwind. The grip makes it work pretty well. Even though the texture is perpendicular to the shaft, it still keeps the paddle from twisting in your hands.
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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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #59 on: October 28, 2011, 01:05:44 AM »
Hah!  PB,  I did try that today!  Had lots of time to try different "Connor" positions.  It's a game of diminishing returns:  The lower you grab, the more power you have, but you're also burning a lot more O2 bending over.  Trick seems to be adjusting to the conditions and balancing those two things:  going low enough that you get more power, but not so low that you burn out.

Took the shaft down a couple inches anyway (it's so fast with the hot glue!).  Fourteen inches overhead is plenty, methinks.  ;D
Ken

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