Author Topic: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle  (Read 551849 times)

littleray

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #780 on: June 09, 2012, 10:12:09 PM »
I am interested in a Ke Nalu paddle but do not have the chance to demo them. I use a Kialoa Methane and was wondering  what others were using before switching to their Ke Nalu paddle and maybe some reasons why. This info could help in my choice between the Wiki or Maliko size blade as well as all the shaft options.
I mainly paddle ocean flat water and wind chop/swell around Vancouver Canada and will use it in small to medium surf all to infrequently. I am 5'9" at 175lbs, fairly strong paddler i think and have lots of tob.(time on board,old windsurfing term)
Thanks for any input.

Dwight (DW)

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #781 on: June 10, 2012, 10:00:51 AM »
I am interested in a Ke Nalu paddle but do not have the chance to demo them. I use a Kialoa Methane and was wondering  what others were using before switching to their Ke Nalu paddle and maybe some reasons why. This info could help in my choice between the Wiki or Maliko size blade as well as all the shaft options.
I mainly paddle ocean flat water and wind chop/swell around Vancouver Canada and will use it in small to medium surf all to infrequently. I am 5'9" at 175lbs, fairly strong paddler i think and have lots of tob.(time on board,old windsurfing term)
Thanks for any input.

XTuf with Maliko is what I tell everyone who private messages me. I also tell them the wiki is better left to women.  Maliko is right for most people.

Compared to kialoa, biggest difference is blade feel. Dihedral blades have a smoothness about them flat blades don't have. KeNalu blades have a slight hook tip. It bites better at the catch and forces you to use correct technique at exit. It's a rewarding stroke.

PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #782 on: June 11, 2012, 09:31:34 AM »
I used the new xTuf S in the grueling Rogue River race this weekend. Awesome shaft. The stacking of the shaft (initial flex that gets progressively stiffer) is more pronounced than the xTuf. Literally, it flexes an inch and then stops. Bam. After the race every part of me was screaming--legs cramping, abs cramping, arms dead. Pain everywhere EXCEPT my shoulders and joints. Frickin' miracle.

It FEELS like it's in between a 90 and 100Flex Elite, but it's not. It's more like 85. But it's so progressive and the stacking effect rises so quickly that it feels like it just locks. I was showing how it moves the first inch easily, but the second inch requires my full body weight to some knowledgeable folks in the parking lot before the race and they got bugeyed. "How is it doing that" they said. "Secret Sauce" says I. Though this secret sauce is not ketchup, relish and mayo.

I can see where this is going. For any of our customers  that aren't flat out racers the Ke Nalu paddle just got 40 bucks cheaper. Only problem is I only have about 40 of them for the next two months. We'll ramp up production right away, but it's a new layup design so the production is going to be a little slow at first. We had a few come through with flaws.

I still prefer the 100Flex for normal racing, but the Rogue River race had several grinder sections where you had to make it through a fast current treadmill. For that kind of lunacy (Ted is an evil, evil man) the xTuf S was a godsend. And I think anyone that considered the xTuf to be a little too flexy in surf now has a better choice. Nice to have such a clear recipe:

Flat out race: 100 Flex Elite
Flat our with a little shoulder relief: 90 Flex Elite
Recreational Race/Surf with LOTS of shoulder relief: xTuf S
Downwind/surf for people who like a lot of flex: xTuf
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.

PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #783 on: June 11, 2012, 09:33:08 AM »
Alright cool. I'm going to give one a shot, kinda hoping in a way that I don't love it because I don't want to spend the money at the moment.
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If you pull that off I think you'll be the first.
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.

headmount

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #784 on: June 11, 2012, 09:50:29 AM »
Bill.. I let a fairly novice guy try that blade you made up for Shirley right before you left.  He was short, 5'10" but not quite short enough for that shaft... so I let him use mine and I used the short blade.  He loved mine despite it extra length and amazingly I had a ton of fun on that short blade.  Bent forward at waist and really had neat bursts with high cadence.  Amazing how much more power is up front.  Got into almost everything I tried for.  Of course bending forward like that wears me out so when I cut, it will be an abbreviated cut so I only do a 45 bend, not almost a 90 like I did for that one.  If you remember that one for Shirley came out ultra light. 

Anyway thanks.

PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #785 on: June 11, 2012, 11:00:30 AM »
Weird, huh.

I almost used a super-short paddle I had set up for myself on the Rogue River race. Molokai blade, xTuf S shaft set for 78 inches. I chickened out and came back in to swap for a longer version of the same recipe. I thought it would be good in the wind but I figured it would toast my back. As it turned out it might have been very good.

These paddles really do seem to have two sweets spots, which probably has to do with the early catch. I think a high-offset blade needs a longer length so you can get the blade out far enough to make up for the light catch at the beginning. I think they get away with that length because the catch is soft enough not to beat up your joints and shoulder muscles. You can't get away with that with a Ke Nalu--it's going to catch WAY out there, but if you have good shoulders it gives you a long power band for your stroke  even if you start to recover the blade very early.

I think the short shaft works because the catch is so early and you can really put some beans into it. You have a shorter power band but the blade is almost completely vertical and the air bleeds off fast in that position, so you put 100 percent of your power into pulling the board to the blade right away. In shorter lengths the "feels like it's in concrete" effect is more pronounced, and the cadence comes up automatically.

I bet it felt like you weren't holding anything. In shorter lengths the wiki gets ridiculously light.
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.

PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #786 on: June 11, 2012, 11:04:14 AM »
I fixed the shipping price for components and accessories (like bags). It's now $15. I had to hand-edit every product and I might have missed one or two since Sam (the dog) was being a PIA while I was doing it. He saw a squirrel in the back yard and wanted to discuss strategy with me. If you try to order a component and the shipping comes up as anything but $15, drop me a message and I'll fix it pronto.
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.

sharkdipsea

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #787 on: June 11, 2012, 11:09:18 AM »
Kind of paddling you do with your Ke Nalu: Surf
Thickness of your board: __3 7/8"_____
Your extended arm height--from the floor to the wrinkle of your wrist: ___77"__
Length of your previous paddle for this kind of paddling: ______75"____
Brand___Quickblade_____________ and Model Kanaha Timber small blade__________ of your previous paddle
Length and type of Ke Nalu: __75.5" Wiki Elite (2nd) with Tufx shaft____________

There are not many reviews from women for the KeNalu so I promised Bill I would post my impressions.  I opted for the Wiki/Tufx combo after reading many of the posts in this thread.  I like small blades for surfing and I have had some shoulder and elbow problems with too stiff of paddles thus the tufx.

Received paddle a week ago.  Easily assembled- hot glue worked perfectly with no need to add any glue.  Have had the opportunity to surf with the paddle 3 different sessions as well as a flat water paddle to experiment with catch and stroke.  It took a bit to adjust to the extreme lightness of the paddle but once accustomed to the feel of the paddle - I am really impressed.  I really like the flex in the shaft of the tufx- it creates some real power especially when digging for a wave.  A bit strange at first to feel the paddle flexing but it starts to feel good.  To save a bit of money I went for one of the Wiki seconds- looking at it you would never know it was not a second.  Paddle tracks great- even in windy demanding surf conditions and works beautifully once riding a wave for turning, speed adjustment etc.  I cut the paddle just a half inch longer then my Quickblade and so far it feels good.  Actually, I am not sure if I would notice much difference- especially in the surf.  I can see it shorter but leaving it for now.

I let a friend, another woman who has a bunch of paddling experience (outrigger and SUP) try the paddle on flat water and she gave it an A+ for paddle mechanics.

Over the 7 years of SUP surfing, I have owned a Kialoa, 2 Werners, an original Infinity Otter and most recently the Quickblade Kanaha.  The KeNalu is definitely an advancement on the best paddles available today.  Unbelievable, how much this sport advances each year in terms of equipment! 

Thanks Bill for your email support as I decided how to cut.  Great product and really excited that I can purchase separate components moving forward. 

Annette

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #788 on: June 11, 2012, 11:57:53 AM »
Cutting:

The cutting is a little bit disconcertning for those of us who don't work with our hands much...

I went out and picked up a $4.99 mitre box from Lowes to make sure that my cut was clean... and kept rotating the paddle as I cut...

It worked well...

Girl Scout cookie boxes work well for handle adjustments too... duct tape one end shut... shove dryer and end of paddle into other end... turn on, monitor... adjust.  Takes about two or three minutes.

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)

swordfish1227

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #789 on: June 11, 2012, 03:56:20 PM »
Alright cool. I'm going to give one a shot, kinda hoping in a way that I don't love it because I don't want to spend the money at the moment.
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If you pull that off I think you'll be the first.


You see that's what I'm worried about. New paddle = money. A little tough when the new engine for my truck is halfway out of its donor vehicle.

Now im stuck between the xTuff s and the 100 elite. It sounds like I will like the elite better, but I'm not sure.


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JakeSupTX

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #790 on: June 11, 2012, 04:29:28 PM »
I should have my Mailko 2nd and 100 shaft setup here on thursday. You can try mine maybe the beginning of the next week  (I'll be working anyway).  Any word on that 10'6?

swordfish1227

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #791 on: June 11, 2012, 05:17:10 PM »
I should have my Mailko 2nd and 100 shaft setup here on thursday. You can try mine maybe the beginning of the next week  (I'll be working anyway).  Any word on that 10'6?

Our fiberglass guy is currently in a hospital in El paso after a blood clot went from his leg to his lung. He should be back tomorrow and I will let you know as soon I know.

Beginning of next week would be great on the test paddle.

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PonoBill

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #792 on: June 11, 2012, 07:10:39 PM »
xTuf S and a second blade. Unless you're a pure racer you'll love it. And save some bux.
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.

swordfish1227

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #793 on: June 11, 2012, 08:28:44 PM »
xTuf S and a second blade. Unless you're a pure racer you'll love it. And save some bux.

Sounds like a winning combo.


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littleray

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Re: review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle
« Reply #794 on: June 11, 2012, 09:32:09 PM »
I am interested in a Ke Nalu paddle but do not have the chance to demo them. I use a Kialoa Methane and was wondering  what others were using before switching to their Ke Nalu paddle and maybe some reasons why. This info could help in my choice between the Wiki or Maliko size blade as well as all the shaft options.
I mainly paddle ocean flat water and wind chop/swell around Vancouver Canada and will use it in small to medium surf all to infrequently. I am 5'9" at 175lbs, fairly strong paddler i think and have lots of tob.(time on board,old windsurfing term)
Thanks for any input.

XTuf with Maliko is what I tell everyone who private messages me. I also tell them the wiki is better left to women.  Maliko is right for most people.

Compared to kialoa, biggest difference is blade feel. Dihedral blades have a smoothness about them flat blades don't have. KeNalu blades have a slight hook tip. It bites better at the catch and forces you to use correct technique at exit. It's a rewarding stroke.

Thanks for the info DW. Maliko with the XTuf it is then. Now if i can just get the order form to cooperate.

 


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