review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle

[PonoBill]

First thing to understand is that flex isn't exactly a bad thing. When you load up an efficient spring like a carbon shaft, you get most of that energy back. It comes a little later in the stroke, but you get it all. Not only is that easier on your joints because it spreads out the load and gives your muscles more time to stabilize, it's also good for the blade because it lets the air get off the face. Depending on the kind of stroke you do, it can increase efficiency a little.

But yes, the 100 flex is noticeably stiffer than the 90. The difference is mostly in the bottom half of the shaft. Both the 90 Flex and the 100 Flex bend between the lower and upper hands, but the 100 Flex bends less between the lower hand and the blade, which gets the blade moving a little sooner and holds the blade angle a little steeper. The upper shaft flex doesn't affect blade angle much. it just moves your lower hand back a little in relationship to your upper hand. That lower shaft stiffness translates into a feeling of immediate connection, and it's why I use it for racing, I don't think its faster, I can't measure a difference with a GPS, but it gives me confidence that I'm getting everything I can into the stroke. And 90 percent of this game is half mental.

Understand we're not talking big numbers here. it's about 1/2" different at 100 pounds. It's mostly feel, and joint cushion.

I don't recall what blade you have on your 90 Flex, but you might try swapping the Wiki blade onto the 90 shaft and try it for a few days. You might even want to try that xTuf Wiki in some flatwater. It might surprise you. It's a counter-intuitive combination, but as I posted earlier in the Gorge thread, I used Rod Parmenter's Wiki xTuf on a downwinder today, and I was really surprised at how fast it was. The xTuf mellowed out the Wiki's ultra-fast cadence and made it so smooth I was catching bumps effortlessly. I was holding a faster cadence than I normally do, but it wasn't tiring, in fact it was kind of... well effortless is the best word I can come up with.

[kayadogg]

Thanks for the different perspective on flex, I wasn't looking at it as a good thing in racing... guess I was just focused on not feeling like I was getting everything out of the stroke.  Your view makes perfect sense though. 

I have a Maliko blade on the 90.  I have taken the Wiki/xTuf on a bunch of flatwater paddles and it's so smooth that it almost lulls you to sleep.  I think I'll give the Wiki blade a shot on the 90. 

[Scottiver]

Is the blade attatched to the shaft with hot glue or is it epoxied on? I thought that I read somewhere deep in this thread that it was epoxied which would cut down on the versatility of being able to swap out different shaft/blade combos.
I think that would be a much bigger selling point than only being able to change/adjust the handle.

[Takeo]

Is the blade attatched to the shaft with hot glue or is it epoxied on? I thought that I read somewhere deep in this thread that it was epoxied which would cut down on the versatility of being able to swap out different shaft/blade combos.
I think that would be a much bigger selling point than only being able to change/adjust the handle.

Both ends hot glue.  The KeNalu is probably the most versatile paddle on the market, and more options keep becoming available.  Works for those who love to fine tune their paddle, for others, I'm sure it may cause a lot of buyer anxiety! Best way to select is to find a local dealer and demo.

[Ucycle]

I was able to demo the Kenalu paddle with 100 flex and Xtuf shaft. I like feel of the xtuf shaft more than 100 flex for surfing.  My normal paddle is Kialoa methane so paddle on the Kenalu, i was surprise how smooth the blade enter the water and how smooth the pull compare to my Methane.  People are right about KeNalu, they crack, once you tried it once, you want more.  Im just waiting until i can demo the Xtuf (S) shaft, it will be either the of those shaft with Maliko blade and extended ergo handle.

[PonoBill]

NEVER! The blades go on with hot glue. We doan need no Stinkin' epoxy (gratuitous spaghetti western reference)

All our components are designed to use hot glue. It's a bit of a trick to make hot glue work but YES, the blades go on with hot glue. The retrofit adjustable paddle collar goes on with hot glue.

The only exception is the three piece paddle converter which can be done either way--All hot glue or epoxied into the lower section and hot glue for the top. Both ways work, but people might find it more reassuring if the lower section is epoxied in so it won't slip down when you heat the ferrule to put the shaft together.

[Scottiver]

Cool, that's what I like to hear!
So, what makes gluing the blade harder than gluing the handle?

My new paddle will be on a UPS truck tomorrow morning. 

[PonoBill]

Nothing, it's easy. I'm not sure what you mean. I don't recommend CUTTING the blade end of the shaft, in part because the taper makes the hole smaller, but mostly because the blade end of the shaft is reinforced.

There's a bit of a trick to designing parts for hot glue. Is that what you mean?

Every Ke Nalu paddle you see has had it's blade hot-glued on by either the dealer or the owner. We ship them disassembled. You'll be hot-gluing your blade on tomorrow.

[Scottiver]

It was this line in your previous post:

"All our components are designed to use hot glue. It's a bit of a trick to make hot glue work but YES, the blades go on with hot glue."

You made it sound as if it was "a bit of a trick" to glue the blades, but what I guess you meant was that it was a bit of a trick to design them to be able to be hot glued.

Anyway, the UPS man arrived while I was still in bed so I had a nice little present on my front porch when I went out to get the paper this morning.

Yes, I will be glueing today, I just found an old hair dryer in one of my junk drawers. Then I shall go give her a test drive. Too bad there's no surf today. I'll report back later after the maiden voyage.

[PonoBill]

Sometimes I even confuse myself.

I was down at Nichols Boat Basin this morning testing a paddle design (didn't work) and this nice kid came up to see what I was doing. "Wow, Ke Nalu paddles, I hear they're good, can I try one"? So I let him try mine. He came back about 15 minutes later and said "This is amazing, do people know about these"? So I told him about this thread on the Zone. He said "Oh, yeah, I saw that. 800 replies or something--it's too long to read".

I'm still laughing. Kids are funny.

[soepkip]

Will my Maliko/Xtuf shaft become noticeably stiffer when I cut off another 4" from 6'6" -> 6'2"?

I was planning to shorten one of my paddles to my length +0 for my shortboard (6'8") anyway...

The Xtuf shaft is just a little bit to flexible for my taste, especially when really pulling it when catching a wave.

[SEA]

I received my XTUF S shaft today and put it on my Maliko. I adjusted it to about 84".  It is considerably stiffer than the XTUF , It is supposed to be 20mph with up to 30 gusts and has been blowing for a few days now. I am taking it out for a run tomorrow, Will let you know how it works out on a down wind run. I'm sure it will be a blast !!!

Thanks Bill

Aloha

Scotty

[soepkip]

Will my Maliko/Xtuf shaft become noticeably stiffer when I cut off another 4" from 6'6" -> 6'2"?

I was planning to shorten one of my paddles to my length +0 for my shortboard (6'8") anyway...

The Xtuf shaft is just a little bit to flexible for my taste, especially when really pulling it when catching a wave.

I saw in the above post the length of a paddle measured in just inches instead of in inches and feet like it is done with boards.

So I want to shorten my paddle from 78"  to 74" , will it become noticeably stiffer?

Why don't you all just switch to metric,much easier

[Henrik F]

Why don't you all just switch to metric,much easier
[/quote]

Yes! 

[Celeste]

Will my Maliko/Xtuf shaft become noticeably stiffer when I cut off another 4" from 6'6" -> 6'2"?

I was planning to shorten one of my paddles to my length +0 for my shortboard (6'8") anyway...

The Xtuf shaft is just a little bit to flexible for my taste, especially when really pulling it when catching a wave.

I saw in the above post the length of a paddle measured in just inches instead of in inches and feet like it is done with boards.

So I want to shorten my paddle from 78"  to 74" , will it become noticeably stiffer?

Why don't you all just switch to metric,much easier

Those of us that think wish the same thing, but far to many people are to lazy to think or do the work of switching.  to someone who does not have to use measure to make a living, there is no incentive to make the switch, and incentive to fight switching.  In the 70's our congress decided we would switch, a lot of money was spent preparing for it, as the time got closer for the switch to happen, people started complaining and congress lost its resolve. 

You have no idea the problem it causes, remember the Mars probe that hit the surface at several hundred MPH because the contractor and NASA were using different units of measure and someone forgot to convert?  Remember the defects in the Hubble mirror?  Any idea how much extra we pay for many contracts because the contract specifies SAE specs and foreign contractors can not affordably retool from metric tooling and stock?

I did race engine development for a while and had to maintain two complete sets of measuring tools to avoid the possibility of conversion errors.  Even then, I vastly preferred working in metric over even decimal inches.  don't even get me started about fractional inches.