Author Topic: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle  (Read 551711 times)

Henrik F

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #165 on: December 02, 2011, 06:38:46 AM »
Going to pick up my WIKI later today at the DHL office on the mainland!!!! ;D ;D ;D
I'll be back!

Henrik F

I've now collected but not assembled my WIKI. But it has been a long and winding way to get the paddle to Sweden. With help from Bill and some friends the paddle arrived at last.
Shipping, taxes, some fee's from some sort of address hotel in USA it all ended up in $488. No more expensive than an imported QB or just about $75 more than a carbon Naish bought in Sweden.

I'll be back with my review!

Henrik F
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jt737

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #166 on: December 02, 2011, 06:53:34 PM »
Review I posted on our local site: http://www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/Ke-Nalu-paddles/
I have all three paddles but love the 8.5 Maliko the best, am just back from a quick downwinder and had no soreness or aches. The paddle just catches so well, and is well balanced.
I used to train by trying to achieve no noise, but the Ke Nalu just does it by itself.
A little tip, before assembling the extended T Handle I cut an inch piece of bicycle inner tube off, and use that to cover the gap height between the shaft and handle shaft to neaten up.

PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #167 on: December 03, 2011, 06:57:33 AM »
Going to pick up my WIKI later today at the DHL office on the mainland!!!! ;D ;D ;D
I'll be back!

Henrik F

I've now collected but not assembled my WIKI. But it has been a long and winding way to get the paddle to Sweden. With help from Bill and some friends the paddle arrived at last.
Shipping, taxes, some fee's from some sort of address hotel in USA it all ended up in $488. No more expensive than an imported QB or just about $75 more than a carbon Naish bought in Sweden.

I'll be back with my review!

Henrik F

I'm just glad after all that it got there undamaged. I assume there's no damage, we're now shipping the paddles with the blades off the shafts--you mount them the same way you put on the handle--heat gun or hairdryer.

Which reminds me, I tried to use a hairdryer here at Ponohouse that is just too fancy. The cheap little portable one I used that would probably set your hair on fire worked fine, and so did one in a hotel, but this one doesn't get hot enough. Has anyone else had a problem?
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.

iopsailor

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #168 on: December 03, 2011, 07:20:27 AM »
'No, I put mine together yesterday with my wife's backup dryer, which I assume she replaced with a better one.  I really like the simplicity of using hot glue.  No failures or strength issues?  Is that off-the-shelf hot glue or some special weapons grade glue?
     I kept the shaft at full length -I'm 5'9  - and went out in the ICW yesterday and it seemed fine.  Felt like I  struck the board a whole lot less, maybe light weight = less fatigue = cleaner stroke.  I'll be heading for what we call waves here in South Carolina later today, shaft still uncut.

mrl

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #169 on: December 03, 2011, 08:58:48 AM »
Bill I have noticed the same thing. I now found the optimal hair dryer to use from my wires quiver. Love being to make adustments in the length of the paddle to get it dialed in. 

PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #170 on: December 03, 2011, 09:57:36 AM »
Yeah, I think if the dryer won't turn your hair to straw it's probably not the right one. As Diane says, the bad new is that your wife's good hair dryer won't work, the good news is she won't be grumpy if you take the emergency backup ten buck one.

So far we've only had one person have a problem, he had a handle twist. Before we could connect he put some epoxy on it. Ugh. Not a great idea. Probably didn't get the glue hot enough to have a real bond. Then again he has a Molokai and said it doesn't have quite enough catch for him. I'm thinking this has got to be one powerful dude.

The glue we use is an industrial version of hot glue, there are actually quite a few different "hot glues" with varied characteristics. Our glue is pretty strong and has a fairly long "open" time. It comes in little chunks instead of sticks, it's made for using a glue pot. But I have used hobby stuff straight from a hot glue gun to supplement it when I was away from the shop and fiddling with lengths. Any of you using the extended handle and changing length often have now realized you can reheat and reposition a lot of times before the glue starts looking a little thin. When that happens all I do is retape the shaft to keep excess glue off, run a bead or two of hot glue around the base of the ferrule, heat the whole thing up and put it back together. I probably add a little glue after twenty or so repositions.

Those of you with extended handles are not worried about the handle coming apart--the toughest thing about the extended handle is getting the shaft evenly warm and warm enough to budge the handle. It takes patience and a hot hair dryer.

If you cut your shaft more than the length of the ferrule on a standard handle you'll be eliminating all the glue on the inside of the ferrule and you'd be well off to add a bead before reassembling. I've done it both ways. It works without doing any extra glue, but it doesn't seem like it should, so I usually go back and add some.

I have used the bottom of an empty aluminum pop can as an impromptu glue pot when I didn't have a glue gun handly. Warm the can bottom up with your heat gun, put a chunk of glue stick in the recess--when it's hot the glue stick won't blow off with the heat gun. Play the heat gun on the glue until it's melted and runny. Use a stick or a hacksaw blade to spread the glue. Proceed as normal. Works great. The ten paddles I had at the battle of the paddle were assembled that way.

« Last Edit: December 03, 2011, 10:18:14 AM 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 #171 on: December 03, 2011, 11:45:20 AM »
Hello!
Used a heat gun (not sure of the proper name of the thing but it is warmer than a hair dryer) and it worked fine with the glue.

Unfortunately we have 40-45 knots SW, heavy rain and 2-3°C here. Not very tempting weather for a test ride.

Henrik F
crosswater.se

Strand Leper

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #172 on: December 03, 2011, 02:49:14 PM »
My Sienna surf mobile has a full on outlet in the back. Right now there is a cheap hair dryer plugged in. Not because of the hair!  (well...)

Btw had the Molokai out with my collab micro mini. Was in a full suit with water slightly above the ankles... Thus, my slightly too short molokai was the perfect paddle length.  Another reason to be stoked about the adjustable handle.
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)

Henrik F

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #173 on: December 04, 2011, 01:46:19 AM »
Going to pick up my WIKI later today at the DHL office on the mainland!!!! ;D ;D ;D
I'll be back!

Henrik F

I've now collected but not assembled my WIKI. But it has been a long and winding way to get the paddle to Sweden. With help from Bill and some friends the paddle arrived at last.
Shipping, taxes, some fee's from some sort of address hotel in USA it all ended up in $488. No more expensive than an imported QB or just about $75 more than a carbon Naish bought in Sweden.

I'll be back with my review!

Henrik F

I'm just glad after all that it got there undamaged. I assume there's no damage, we're now shipping the paddles with the blades off the shafts--you mount them the same way you put on the handle--heat gun or hairdryer.


No damage at all! It was shipped with the blade in place but in the excellent paddlebag. The box had almost no scratches or marks and maybe the bag was a very good protector for the blade and shaft.

Henrik F
crosswater.se

stoneaxe

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #174 on: December 04, 2011, 06:22:11 PM »
I installed the handle in 3 paddles. The other day after a session of testing in the cold I brought the paddles into the house. As they warmed up I noticed some bubbles forming at the handle joint of one of them. I heated it up, pulled the handle and noticed a spot that was light on glue. I made sure the inside was dry. Warmed the shaft with the blow dryer and let it sit, then wiped the end out with a paper towel. I reheated everything, pushed it back in and this time made sure to give it a twist after it was seated. Have had it out twice since and no problems. Awesome how simple it is.
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

DavidJohn

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #175 on: December 04, 2011, 11:06:53 PM »
PT won his class in The Starboard Great Melbourne Paddle Race yesterday.. He used the small size blade.

DJ




JonathanC

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #176 on: December 05, 2011, 01:19:51 PM »
My Sienna surf mobile has a full on outlet in the back. Right now there is a cheap hair dryer plugged in. Not because of the hair!  (well...)

Tim, you are stylin here, man you could step off that little board and anchor the news with that hair ;D
http://www.pixareus.com/p411510335/e237b92a7
Tried to link/embed the photo but couldn't get it to work......
« Last Edit: December 05, 2011, 01:29:25 PM by JonathanC »

levity

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #177 on: December 05, 2011, 02:47:47 PM »
Ke Nalu “on the podium” again!

‘zoner JillRide45 paddled with her Ke Nalu Wiki to 2nd place in the women’s 14’ class at the Becky Stuart Memorial Race in Oceanside this weekend.  A windy day not so suited to a light rider on 14’ board, but the Wiki did its job.



Jill 2nd, Suzy Strazulla 1st, Ruthie Vessler 3rd is not shown.  (Bill – maybe you should invert the logo so folks can read it when it’s held this way  :D)  Lotsa of interest in the paddle. Folks were impressed at how light it was (14.7 oz., at 76”) and liked the one-way sharkskin like shaft.

new hardware for the mantle:



joelcr

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #178 on: December 05, 2011, 03:34:27 PM »
So I got my new Wiki and am just waiting for the extended handle for the install. Then I was thinking about how you could make a break-down paddle using the same hot glue system. Using a slip fitting halfway up the shaft, you could have a 2 piece paddle that would make air travel a lot easier. That way even if I didn't bring my board on a trip, I could always have my paddle. Also would help with an inflatable travel board. What do you think Bill?

PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #179 on: December 05, 2011, 09:43:59 PM »
We are working on just that. If we cut the shaft in half with a tapered ferrule so there's no shake, epoxy the fat end in and hot glue the other. Then you take off the blade (with your hair dryer) and take the shaft apart you have a 33" package.

Of course we could also do it with spring clips, but I hate the little wiggle that allows, and you have to build the shafts a bit beefier to make up for the weak joint. with a tapered ferrule to make a tight fit and hot glue to bind it we'd be darned close to one-piece weight and performance.

So yeah, we're with you one this one. Coming soon to a website near you.

Oh, and did we mention you can retrofit an existing Ke Nalu paddle as a three piece? Or as an adjustable? We're coming out with a collar that glues onto any Ke Nalu paddle to make it adjustable with an FCS fin wrench. Weighs about ten grams. Very trick.
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.

 


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