review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle

[PonoBill]

Yeah, Bob had it too.

What happened is I decided to encrypt all the data moving from customers to the site, even though we don't handle financial data, we use PayPal for that and they have strong security. But I thought it was good practice so I implemented HTTPS which uses a certificate and public key encryption of all the data moving from your computer to our site and back. It was all working fine. It's belt and suspenders, but what the heck.

Then the company that supplied my https management software did an upgrade and broke everything. So I have had to disable it. Anyone who had been to a secure part of the site before will get that message. Doesn't mean much, you can safely ignore it. I'm working to fix it because I LIKE belt and suspenders solutions, but its fine to use it as is until I have it working again. Very few companies bother with encrypting the data stream for anything but financial transactions, and we don't handle those ourselves.

[Strand Leper]

Built up a Wiki with an ergo handle on my broken shaft for my friend.  OMG!  It is so light that it feels like a strand of dry spaghetti.  I can't wait until my buddy tries it this weekend.  He has been using a QB Kanaha.

As the shaft is shorter and the blade is smaller, I knew that it would be lighter... but I cannot really fathom how light it actually is.

By the way, used my X tuff Molokai combo for a paddle around the harbor island yesterday... was with a client who was on Chazz... and I paddled my new Mach 1, (to handicap things).  Great call as I had to work at a nice steady pace to stay with him... very interesting feel to the X tuff, it did seem like I was getting a little energy bounce in the last two thirds of the stroke, I thought I noticed a slight turbo lag... not sure.  Gonna use in the surf this weekend and report back.

Tim

[PonoBill]

Turbo lag is a good description, the blade is accelerated a little slower until the shaft stacks, which for some folks is a good thing--it gives the air time to clear off the blade. People with a good stroke don't see as much benefit, the Ke Nalu blade doesn't pull much air if you get blade vertical enough. It's interesting how stroke-dependent these blades are. We thought they were only going to be good for people with a disciplined stroke, but there are some compensations and variations that we didn't think about.

Yesterday I did a downwinder with Lee Murray who owns a SUP shop in Gig Harbor (and Gregg Leion, Karen Wrenn, and Dan Gavere) and he used a Molokai. He tried a Wiki at first, said he likes small blades. He's been using a smaller QB. I would have thought the Wiki would be right for him just based on what he's been using, but he wound up liking the Molokai best. When he first started paddling I watched his stroke and he was pulling the paddle back with his trunk--which is typical with smaller blades, but after a few minutes he started pushing the paddle down more with upper body rotation, and he was letting the paddle do the work, not pulling so hard. I thought "how did he figure that out, or did his body just get pulled into that form because it's what works best with the paddle".

In the general chatter after the downwinder I forgot to ask Lee what was going on, but he was fast as hell with Molokai and had a great run. (Note to self: Bark Dominators suck REALLY BAD for downwinders. Fast on the flats, but Jeesus I thought it was gonna kill me in the bumps)

[Rogue Wave]

It's interesting how stroke-dependent these blades are

No kidding!

I paddled 10 km with the Molokai one day "in the zone" (I actually forgot I was paddling), then switched to the Maliko the next and had problems sucking air with every stroke, but only on my left side.  It turns out that I had the Maliko 1.5" longer than the Molokai and I just could not get comfortable with it.

Thank goodness (Bill) for the adjustable T handle -- I shortened it up and everything came together sweetly! Length does matter (and so does thickness - the narrow shaft is just wonderful!).

Lee

[corlot]

In the general chatter after the downwinder I forgot to ask Lee what was going on, but he was fast as hell with Molokai and had a great run. (Note to self: Bark Dominators suck REALLY BAD for downwinders. Fast on the flats, but Jeesus I thought it was gonna kill me in the bumps)

Bill, I feel the same way lol. 2 days to Maui, looking forward to trying the Ke Nalu.

[Strand Leper]

Turbo lag is a good description, the blade is accelerated a little slower until the shaft stacks, which for some folks is a good thing--it gives the air time to clear off the blade. People with a good stroke don't see as much benefit, the Ke Nalu blade doesn't pull much air if you get blade vertical enough.

Very interesting observation!  When surfing a low volume SUP, out of necessity, there are one or two strokes that are less than picture perfect (only one or two dammit!)... the X tuff might, therefore, be a better choice for motoring such a board.

Like I said, I will report back. 

[PonoBill]

I think you might find that to be so.  A tiny bit of lag, but when it hooks up it's solid. And it's better than the random movements and unpredictable slip that happens when there's air trapped on the blade face. When we were doing our video/data capture testing there was one blade whose manufacturer will go unnamed that captured a big glob of air on the tip. It would bleed off to one side or the other and you could see it go in the data. It was one of the clearest examples of data and video coinciding.

[Strand Leper]

One more random warranty observation. 

I am driving to Bev Hills again this morning (I freaking hate that drive... but like the sights when I get there...) when I get a text from the local Ke Nalu dealer Ralph Bill from Sup-Position,  "Dude, your warranty replacement shaft is here."  I text back (not while driving of course) and state (essentially) "What replacement shaft?"  Ralph, "For the one you broke last week."  Me, "I never even told you about it... I didn't ask for a replacement."  Ralph, "Well, that's how we roll, when do you want me to drop it by your office?"

Seriously.

Tim

[headmount]

The grapevine... aka the Zone.  Must have felt like the Twilight Zone, a place where everything happens perfectly without any hitches. (doesn't sound like Maui)

In this day and age ... can you believe it?  You got to hand it to PBill and Sup-position Bill, they know how to run a business.

[pdxmike]

"Powered by Psychics".

[kneecap]

Very interesting observation!  When surfing a low volume SUP, out of necessity, there are one or two strokes that are less than picture perfect (only one or two dammit!)... the X tuff might, therefore, be a better choice for motoring such a board.

Like I said, I will report back.
[/quote]

Test pilot Tim- let me know how it works out. I'm getting a Ke Nalu for my birthday (whether or not my family know about it) and I figure you'll have the perfect surf paddle all dialed in by then.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

[SoCalSupper]

i heard PBill hired Dionne Warwick and her network of friends to drive the coast and  pick up the hypersonic squeals of broken Ke Nalu shafts (however infrequent they are) and then telepathically transmit the information to Sup Position who then uses his palm implanted iphone to speed dial the customer!
Its obviously working quite well...

[pdxmike]

i heard PBill hired Dionne Warwick and her network of friends to drive the coast and  pick up the hypersonic squeals of broken Ke Nalu shafts (however infrequent they are) and then telepathically transmit the information to Sup Position who then uses his palm implanted iphone to speed dial the customer!
Its obviously working quite well...

Bad idea there.  Dionne Warwick couldn't even find the way to San Jose. 

[Strand Leper]

PDX Reaching back into the archives of the Zone, the bowels of pop culture, swinging for the fences, and dropping it into McCovey Cove... (where some Ke Nalu psychic is waiting in the exact right spot, net in hand on a SUP to scoop it up).

[ZilkerPaddle]

any chance a 3 piece paddle being made any time soon?
82" paddles seem to be hard to transport when flying. 
inflatable sup's are not perfect but southwest gives you 2 bags.
1 for clothes and 1 for your inflatable sup.