review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle

[Fishman]

Bill, I was really looking find a reason why the paddle sucks toads, but I just couldn't find one. 

How about the fact, you have to paddle a lot longer to get a good work out.
How about, the only color they come in is black.
How about, all the people bug-en you to try your Paddle.
And how about that guy who makes them, I hear he's fat & really old!

So yeah they do suck toads,

Until I can afford one they do really SUCK TOADS! 

[Fishman]

All kidding aside, DurhamSUP review speaks volumes.


"I also like when I hand it off to someone else to try and they don't notice a big difference at first. Then I give them back their own paddle a little later, and the look on their face is priceless. You would think I just handed them a 2x4."

[Area 10]

So, I've finally ordered my Ke Nalu paddle from my nearest dealer, and it's on its way.

I live in the UK. It is costing me when all taxes, postage etc is paid, £400 GBP.

At today's exchange rate that is $631 US.

At that price, the damn thing had better jump straight out the box and offer me carnal relations on the spot.

PB - you are going to have to do something about that price if you want to sell many in Europe. This price is about 25% more than a top-of-the-range Quickblade or Kialoa here, and 220% more than full carbon paddles from other local brands (including one that weighs 20.5 oz).

I must have been crazy to pay that kinda money...I'm suffering post-payment guilt...this had better be a pretty spectacular paddle.

[SoCalSupper]

At that price, the damn thing had better jump straight out the box and offer me carnal relations on the spot.

It will but thats extra $ and you have to give the paddles bodyguard snax and a tip.

[Boludo]

At that price, the damn thing had better jump straight out the box and offer me carnal relations on the spot.

It will but thats extra $ and you have to give the paddles bodyguard snax and a tip.

When I showed someone my KeNalu paddle with the Xtuf shaft.  He called the shaft the "for her pleasure" shaft because it was ribbed.  Thought that was kind of funny.

[PonoBill]

So, I've finally ordered my Ke Nalu paddle from my nearest dealer, and it's on its way.

I live in the UK. It is costing me when all taxes, postage etc is paid, £400 GBP.
At today's exchange rate that is $631 US.

At that price, the damn thing had better jump straight out the box and offer me carnal relations on the spot.

PB - you are going to have to do something about that price if you want to sell many in Europe. This price is about 25% more than a top-of-the-range Quickblade or Kialoa here, and 220% more than full carbon paddles from other local brands (including one that weighs 20.5 oz).

I must have been crazy to pay that kinda money...I'm suffering post-payment guilt...this had better be a pretty spectacular paddle.

Geez.  That sucks. I thought we had a distributor lined up three times now, but so far they've all faded away. I guess we need to get our ducks in a row and go to some of the expositions to line up distributors and more dealers, but I REALLY hate doing that kind of stuff.

One thing people have been telling me is that we need an entry level version for the distributors to consider them full-line paddles. Distributors don't consider our xTuf line to be entry level, and I understand that. They really aren't.  We have a really good solution to that on the way, and some of you that understand our penchant for interchangeability can probably guess the direction already--an inexpensive molded plastic blade that fits our standard shafts. The blade design will be more or less identical to the Elite Ke Nalus, so the performance will be similar, they'll simply be a lot heavier. But once you're ready to have a full-on race blade you just buy a blade, break out the hair dryer, and presto. If you go whitewater paddling you just swap back.

What do you guys think of that? Some folks I talked to got all twitchy about the idea until they realized it would be completely upgradeable. I think we could retail it at about $150.  And yeah, our Elite blades are crazy expensive to make.

PS, Diane just walked in to my office and I told here about the price in the UK. Her comment--"I think he's already had carnal relations".

[Strand Leper]

My body was a little bit beat on Sunday so I went Wiki (elite 100 shaft) to do some surfing on my Naish Glide 14...

That little bugger grabs a lot of water for its size!  I have been using the Molokai for everything... and have been quite pleased, especially with the control during surfing... But GOODNESS gracious... the next time I am going to be logging three to four hours going up and down the coast, the Wiki will be in my hands.

I have been thinking about it for a few days (and stirring up trouble on another thread) but the only words that come to mind are words like "effortless" and "easy" and "super duper smooth."

It was such a revelation that I am tempted to try one with my regular surf standup again... (not another variable!!!)

If you have some extra coin around... and want to switch things up a bit... you could do a lot worse than picking up a Wiki blade.

Sorry Euro folks, but you are going to need to spend another $350-500 for the Wiki blade... you just are...

Dammit Bill!

SL

[Matt Ivey]

Having an entry level paddle will make a huge difference for small shops like ours.  At the $150  price range with the option to upgrade you can't beat that! 

[swordfish1227]

I may be able to get our guys in if we could get an entry level as well as the high end stuff. I really need to put the paddle in the boss's hands for a while, then hand him my old paddle.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[PonoBill]

It was such a revelation that I am tempted to try one with my regular surf standup again... (not another variable!!!)

Weird, huh. I don't know what gives with Wikis after you've been paddling Ke Nalu paddles for awhile, but anyone reading this thread early on knows I was NOT a Wiki fan. I felt like it forced me to a higher cadence that I wasn't comfortable with. I used a Molokai with an xTuf shaft for downwind and a Maliko with a 100Felx for racing and surfing. Then I tried a Wiki with an xTuf(S) shaft on the Speedboard I used at the Challenge on the Charles and it worked amazingly well. So I did a paddle test in Nichols boat basin when I got back to HR and found out that for me a Wiki on an xTuf(S) shaft with the shaft 2" shorter than I usually use is the fastest combination--by a suspiciously big margin.

I'm going to do a paddle test next week with the race team from Big Winds, because I think my data has to be bullshit. But the bottom line is that I'm using a wiki for everything lately. It's changed my stroke, I put the power into the pull very early, as soon as I goes into the water I'm pulling. Doesn't bother my shoulders at all, in fact they feel amazingly good.

TJ from Big winds is going through the same thing. He picked up a Wiki about a week ago after about eight months with a Maliko and used the Wiki to come in second overall in the Open class at the Gorge Challenge course race. The next day he raced the downwind and used his Maliko. Afterwards he told me he should have used the Wiki, like I did. He's convinced he would have been faster.

I don't have ANY idea what this is all about. Brother Bob tried the same combination and said it felt gutless. I didn't like it at all until just recently. Maybe paddling the Maliko changed my stroke enough for the Wiki to start working? I don't feel like my cadence is forced anymore.

Odd coincidence that you'd be noticing this at exactly the same time. Are you using an xTuf(S) shaft?

[kayadogg]

I'm addicted to the buttery feeling of the wiki/xTuf combo - considering using that setup for the CCBC on saturday. the girlfriend has taken such a liking to my wiki that she has already cut the shaft to her length, has her own bag for it and now calls it "her paddle".  thank god for components, hair dryers and stoneaxe having an extra full-length xTuf shaft laying around.

[Strand Leper]

That's some weird timing...

As to the shaft, I decided to use the original shaft... (elite 100 I think it is called) as I don't have an X tuff (s), just an X tuff and I wanted to make sure I was getting immediate power due to the smaller bite.

Funny, I didn't want to say in the last post that I felt faster... because that would just sound stupid... but I did feel faster.

Maybe it is because the muscles that I use to "push the lever" (as it were) can get more aggressive with a smaller load.

Looking forward to your testing feedback.  I would do my own timed test, but my time on the water is limited to 100 percent fun... no testing and timing allowed.  

Scientifically speaking, "weird."

SL

[PonoBill]

I'm addicted to the buttery feeling of the wiki/xTuf combo - considering using that setup for the CCBC on saturday. the girlfriend has taken such a liking to my wiki that she has already cut the shaft to her length, has her own bag for it and now calls it "her paddle".  thank god for components, hair dryers and stoneaxe having an extra full-length xTuf shaft laying around.

Your shoulders will love you for it.

[Area 10]

PS, Diane just walked in to my office and I told here about the price in the UK. Her comment--"I think he's already had carnal relations".

That's pretty funny.

But I'm laughing through my tears.

Bit like my wife does when we have carnal relations, in fact.

[Henrik F]

First I used my Wiki at 81" and the I went to the Maliko with a 81" shaft. After some time I cut it down to 79" and it felt better. Then I took my Wiki and shortened it to 79" too. It now feels much faster than the Maliko. Same thing in Sweden. 

Henrik F