Weird Konihi 95 Blade

[blackeye]

"If it works right?!"

Ya gotta go on the internet to find out. Ya gotta ask questions and try to figure it out before you commit the cash. You have to try to understand it so you don't buy the holographic gyroscopes option.

In an effort to be internet-quality succinct, I over-edited. My point was that a pro is usually the wrong guy to ask for gear advice, especially one who doesn't know why stuff works. I tried some elite paddles because they were F1-fast. Well not for me. I wouldn't have lasted 30 mins with those stiff rods. My wiggly noodle paddle is much faster for me because I could use it for the duration a la the Honda.  What's faster for the pro is probably not so for the enthusiast.

But like an F-1, its fascinating to see new technology arrive and to figure out how it works. That is why the internet is full of amateur engineers. Bill, your well thought out assessment doesn't stop me from wanting to try and buy a Konihi, but rationally it's probably not for me. JF808, maybe if the pro understood the technology, he could be a little bit more than a little bit faster, or get that little bit faster sooner.

[PonoBill]

We  couldn't agree more. I get some coaching from pros, and I've found the most important thing is to separate the doable stuff from the alien lifeform stuff, though you can strive to do the alien things as well. Dave Kalama told me several times to get my feet closer together. I thought "easy for you to say" but I worked at it. Now I paddle with my heels touching much of the time.

I've also tried pro gear--especially boards. I can make them go, but I certainly can't go fast. If you're bracing after every stroke you ain't going fast.

I wouldn't go so far with paddles though. People adapt quickly to paddles. The standard Ke Nalu paddle is easy to use, easy to tune to suit you, and easy to change when your stroke changes. It's also very high performance and very forgiving. Konihi is a little more specialized, though if you get the length right it seems to make everyone a little faster. The really fast guys can tell right away that it's doing good things. I'm not sure why or how.

[Luc Benac]

1) The standard Ke Nalu paddle is easy to use, easy to tune to suit you, and easy to change when your stroke changes. It's also very high performance and very forgiving.
2) Konihi is a little more specialized, though if you get the length right it seems to make everyone a little faster. The really fast guys can tell right away that it's doing good things. I'm not sure why or how.

I have used the Konihi 95 for some time now with various shaft lengths. It is easy to use but I cannot help feeling that I canot get the most out of it (neither from my board for that matter) and I am somewhat stuck around 5 mph top speed. But it has most certainly challenged me to try to improve and change somewhat my stroke.
I am actually considering getting a Ho'ono 84 blade to work on my cadence for a while, improve (hopefully) and then come back to the Konihi when I am a better paddler.

Cheers,

Luc

[PonoBill]

I have used the Konihi 95 for some time now with various shaft lengths. It is easy to use but I cannot help feeling that I canot get the most out of it (neither from my board for that matter) and I am somewhat stuck around 5 mph top speed. But it has most certainly challenged me to try to improve and change somewhat my stroke.
I am actually considering getting a Ho'ono 84 blade to work on my cadence for a while, improve (hopefully) and then come back to the Konihi when I am a better paddler.

Cheers,

Luc

You hit the nail right on the head. I come in from a downwinder with a Konihi feeling like I'm not getting much from the paddle, and for some reason I'm just not working hard enough,  then I look at my time and think WTF?? How did that happen?

I watch how Rod Parmenter uses his Konihi 95, and I can see a big difference. The easy stroke makes me feel lazy but I go pretty fast. It seems to act as a spur to Rod, and he's paddling harder and going faster than I've ever seen him. Of course I don't see him for long, even though I'm doing personal record runs on my Bullet 17/Konihi combo.

[stoneaxe]

I was bummed out on Saturday to have a lame finger and screwed up head. I was curious to see how the Konihi was going to feel racing but I was so screwed up I couldn't tell. From the tests I've done I'm definitely faster, but just like everyone else it doesn't feel like I'm working all that hard. It was a mixed blessing for the CCBC, easier on my shoulders and arms for sure but I it doesn't work as well for me when bracing and I can catch the winglets sometimes.

[headmount]

I have used the Konihi 95 for some time now with various shaft lengths. It is easy to use but I cannot help feeling that I canot get the most out of it (neither from my board for that matter) and I am somewhat stuck around 5 mph top speed. But it has most certainly challenged me to try to improve and change somewhat my stroke.
I am actually considering getting a Ho'ono 84 blade to work on my cadence for a while, improve (hopefully) and then come back to the Konihi when I am a better paddler.

Cheers,

Luc

You hit the nail right on the head. I come in from a downwinder with a Konihi feeling like I'm not getting much from the paddle, and for some reason I'm just not working hard enough,  then I look at my time and think WTF?? How did that happen?

I watch how Rod Parmenter uses his Konihi 95, and I can see a big difference. The easy stroke makes me feel lazy but I go pretty fast. It seems to act as a spur to Rod, and he's paddling harder and going faster than I've ever seen him. Of course I don't see him for long, even though I'm doing personal record runs on my Bullet 17/Konihi combo.

Would it help a guy like me?  Love my X-tuft shaft and would hope I could keep that with that new blade.

[PonoBill]

You won't like it, but you'll be faster. I have my Konihi 95 on an xTuf S now, and the 84 on a 100flex

[TN_SUP]

Received my Konihi 95 Friday (thanks Jim K) and put it on my Xtuf, paddled a few miles and found my average speed to be .1 mph lower, mostly because I can't figure out how to sprint with it yet. This will take some time, I extended the handle for next session. Noticed that the newer extended ergo handles are 3" longer but only 10 grams heavier. Weird thing about the paddle is that my body didn't hurt so much afterward and was able to go out again that afternoon. Never done that before. Will update later, I run the same buoy laps every paddle to compare.
Just remembered I was going against the wind when my speed dropped, so call it even with Maliko.

[stoneaxe]

Weird thing about the paddle is that my body didn't hurt so much afterward and was able to go out again that afternoon. Never done that before.

I've definitely noticed that it's easier on the body...arms and shoulders anyway. I think it's because it paddles so smoothly. We've all discussed how sometimes you have to get used to a paddle before it will stop fluttering but I have to think that's because we have unconsciously learned to control it. That means our muscles are making micro-adjustments as we stroke...take that away and voila...easier on the muscles.

[PonoBill]

TN--you have to play with the length. It's critical. There's a sweet spot that's probably only an inch wide. Too long and you work harder but don't go faster, too short and it makes a huge sucking noise and it's slow. Best way I've found to tune is to time it. The jump in speed is very sudden.

[TN_SUP]

Thanks Bill, I'm putting some white tape on the shoulder. May be too much blade for me, I love my Hooloa 84 but always need to switch to the Maliko at times to slow down and improve my stroke, thought the Konihi wouldn't tire me out as much as the Maliko. The Konihi blade seems huge!

[55NSup]

I had a giant carbon blade and stiff shaft first 2 years. Then I bought the wiki blade and s shaft. What a difference. It's like hard tail mtb of 80's vs full suspension x- country mtb of '00.

[PonoBill]

well, the damned thing works for surf too. The waves at San O have been pretty dinky, but the water's warms and there's some clean swells, so what the heck. But of course you have to paddle llike hell to catch them. I've been using a Maliko with a xtufS shaft, but since I was surfing the 11'11" that SIC loaned me I decided to use my Konihi racing paddle. I immediately started catching more waves. A LOT more waves, like everything I went for. I was standing around trying to figure out what was going on, and Chris Koehner (Capobeachboy) paddles up and says "I see why people like this Konihi for surfing. Im catching everything."

weird. The stange part is that I don't know why I'm catching waves. I tried limiting myself to four strokes and I still caught  almost everything. I went back to the beach and swapped to my Maliko--couldnt catch a cold. Back to the Konihi--and I'm getting into waves that aren't waves.

the frustrating part is that I can't tell what it's doing. I don't feel anything that feels like the paddle is doing something special. 

[LM]

well, the damned thing works for surf too. The waves at San O have been pretty dinky, but the water's warms and there's some clean swells, so what the heck. But of course you have to paddle llike hell to catch them. I've been using a Maliko with a xtufS shaft, but since I was surfing the 11'11" that SIC loaned me I decided to use my Konihi racing paddle. I immediately started catching more waves. A LOT more waves, like everything I went for. I was standing around trying to figure out what was going on, and Chris Koehner (Capobeachboy) paddles up and says "I see why people like this Konihi for surfing. Im catching everything."

weird. The stange part is that I don't know why I'm catching waves. I tried limiting myself to four strokes and I still caught  almost everything. I went back to the beach and swapped to my Maliko--couldnt catch a cold. Back to the Konihi--and I'm getting into waves that aren't waves.

the frustrating part is that I can't tell what it's doing. I don't feel anything that feels like the paddle is doing something special.

...it's magic    Say hi to Chris for me.

[eastbound]

next waves i will be in the water with my new konihi 84, which i will mount on my xtuf shaft, cut to 76" (me be 73.5", 200 lbs dry).
only paddling i do is to get out, into waves, and away from dbags.

jimk had it to me in 3 days, with the zoner discount. thx jimk

given i currently use the hooloa 95, it wont be apples/apples, but i wanted to try a smaller blade. consensus seems to be that the konihi is the blade to try at this point.

i will update if we ever have waves again round these parts!