review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle

[PonoBill]

Ah yes, I was just looking at your name. We're getting the bags ready to send. Red, white or blue Andy?

Glad you like the paddle. You were actually the very first online order, Tom was the first person to buy one.

[1medic]

Hey I thought I was the 1st! Just kidding.
Bill,  I'm not going to baffle you with bull shit. I first bought a Molokai and was blown away by the performance. I have recently purchased a Maliko and again was blown away. I use them for both distance and surf paddling. I've found performance improvements in every area with your paddles. I have used Kialoa, QuickBlade, Riveria and Werner paddles. All of them are now for sale. Oh, and the paddle bags, great job! Anyone considering a Ke Nalu paddle just pull the trigger. You won't regret it.
Brian Winterhalder

[Strand Leper]

Bulky and JD,

Seriously, it is the paddle! 

A fun clean little swell... Unfortunately, I wasn't "on" the entire swell... Had fun, got some really good waves... Just wasn't feeling it...

Train hard this week... Yoga... AND my Maliko comes this week!

Nice paddle Bill.

Tim

[gorgebob]

Paddled yesterday after shortening the KeNalu two inches. Still an inch longer than my Shakapu. Changing handle was a snap, except for setting off my smoke alarms. Narrower shaft is sweet with gloves . I use Burton liners just enough to keep the chill off. I also ran my heated vest for the first time and thats the ticket. The elements are right in the small of the back, perfect for the back muscles.  The paddle is light which allowed the cadence to increase in tempo. Feathering windage is less on the shaft than the Kialoa. So far so good.
 

[DavidJohn]

Yesterday five of us paddled down through Pambula Lake and down Pambula river to the Pambula river mouth..

Four Kialoa's and one Ke Nalu.. We swapped around.. Here's a few pictures.. What a great day down-under.

DJ

[Beasho]

Attached is a side by side comparison of the Kialoa Methane vs. Kenalu Maliko.

Theoretically they have the same paddle area, but upon direct inspection the Maliko is slightly smaller (visually) than the Methane overall.  But, the paddle width is lower on the Maliko than the more teardrop shaped Methane.   

You can see the Maliko is 60 grams less than the Methane.  The Maliko was also cut 5 inches LONGER (79") than this Methane (74") and I purchased the Extended Handle, to provide added adjustment, but probably added another 20 grams to the Maliko.

I compared the shaft only weights of the Methane (7” cut off 2 years ago) and Maliko (cut recently) and found that the Methane weighed 4.53 grams per inch whereas the Maliko was 3.53 grams per inch each with the exact same outside diameter.  This suggests less material in the Maliko.  Hopefully just enough.  Anything more than breaking strength is ultimately a waste of mass.

I only have 2 sessions on the paddle but can report that I lent it to a friend (who handed me his Kialoa Methane).  He immediately recognized the lower weight and the "larger paddle area."  This was not technically correct but whatever the reason (Bill?) it just grabs better.   The Methane, with reflective tape and paddle guard felt like a dog.

For now I am using a paddle that is 5” longer than what I was formerly used to.  11” overhead for 100% surf.  It seems to work.  Whatever the physics a 12% reduction in swing weight is enormous.  When baseball players swing for the fences they take the weight off.  I suggest you do the same and put your energy into the surf rather than swinging the club like a caveman. 

[DavidJohn]

" The Methane, with reflective tape and paddle guard felt like a dog."

That paddle guard does have that effect.. 

DJ

[PonoBill]

DJ is absolutely tight. Paddle guard is not a great idea. I haven't quantified the effect yet, but I sure can see it, both on video and in the data from my Paddle Pod (what a goofy name, but it is shorter than typing "paddle mounted vibration, acceleration and position data recording device--or would be if I didn't feel compelled to explain it").

Seeing edge tape on you folk's Ke Nalu paddles gives me the willies. The difference is probably too small to detect by feel, but I've become a complete geek about this stuff.

Anyway, the bigger catch on the Ke Nalu blade comes mostly from the blade angle and the face curves, though a little bit comes from the very slight "wing" of the paddle back. Some people will not feel it--generally because of differences in their stroke. For some people it's almost too much. Its a dynamic characteristic, that depends on how you set the blade at the catch and how you pull it through the water. People who push downwards with their upper hand will feel it most, people who pull the blade straight back will feel it least.

As far as shaft weight goes, we use a different process than the Kialoa. I suspect we have about the same amount of carbon. Personally I really like the oval Kialoa shafts, but we determined that we could build a lighter shaft given the available equipment if it was tapered and round. I don't know how Dave makes his shafts as light as he does, they have to be a bitch to make.

Nice post Beasho, thanks for taking the time. And remarkable pictures DJ, though I've said that so many times through the years it seems almost to go without saying. How you manage to make every shot engaging is simply beyond me. That third shot with the little girl on the end of the board with her boogie board tied to the back of the Starboard is simply amazing. How did you get her hair just right? Wind machine?

[PonoBill]

Oops, I meant DJ is absolutely right, though I won't assume he isn't tight as well.

[headmount]

She's the only one with hair

[Strand Leper]

The Maliko arrived this week... Along with the adjustable handle.  Gonna run the Maliko ridiculously tall on some distance paddling this weekend and compare it with the Molokai at the same length.  Will report back next week.  Hate these late sunrises and early sunsets... Absolutely slaughtering the water time.

Probably gonna reserve the Wiki for ridiculously long slogs... Haven't broken it out just yet...

Got a new bigger fin for Candi... Chazz is raring to go... Time... Time is what I need now...

[Beasho]

It was whipping today in California.  One source suggested 50 mph, another 30 gusting to 40.  Decided to go for a test surf.  Buoy was 10 @ 13.  It was still surfable but half the time we were on our knees to lower our profile, two of us each with Maliko in hand.  

I am happy to report no ill effects despite 50% hurricane force winds and macking offshore chop.  I am still running my Maliko 11" overhead.  Feathering the blade in the wind and experimenting with a Connor style power move when necessary.  We had our boards lift off under our feet a few times but the light and long Maliko was holding its own in nuking winds and chop.

[stoneaxe]

It was whipping today in California.  One source suggested 50 mph, another 30 gusting to 40.  Decided to go for a test surf.  Buoy was 10 @ 13.  It was still surfable but half the time we were on our knees to lower our profile, two of us each with Maliko in hand.  

I am happy to report no ill effects despite 50% hurricane force winds and macking offshore chop.  I am still running my Maliko 11" overhead.  Feathering the blade in the wind and experimenting with a Connor style power move when necessary.  We had our boards lift off under our feet a few times but the light and long Maliko was holding its own in nuking winds and chop.

Props...10@13 and 50 mph....sounds like my kind of workout...

[Henrik F]

Going to pick up my WIKI later today at the DHL office on the mainland!!!!
I'll be back!

Henrik F

[upwinder]

I don't think I'd want to go down to the Wiki (I'm 6'2 & 265) and for now I think I prefer a bit more grunt than the 8 1/2"

I might have to take that back, I had a brief flatwater fling with a borrowed Wiki this morning - once I figured out to back off the pull and up the cadence, the little paddle was BIG FUN!