Author Topic: My first experience on a Konihi  (Read 22322 times)

robon

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #30 on: November 22, 2014, 10:20:00 AM »
For downwind, the Konihi works good... for surf, I don't like at all. It's specialized.... I've been using mine for for a few months and I'm still on the wall about it.

When u catch an edge on this blade.... damn better have rail tape on your board

I have the Ho'oloa and have experienced the same thing in regards to hitting the rails on my board. I haven't had as much rail contact with any other paddle actually. Even on my old Starby Race that was 31.5" wide I rarely had rail contact and one of my paddles had a bigger face than the 95 Ho'oloa. If my board wasn't AST tough, the rails would be completely trashed. It is much more prevalent when I start to fatigue after a couple hours of paddling. I was told the Konihi and Ho'oloa reward good form and there is a learning curve, and this is very much so with the Ko'oloa compared to other paddles I have used, and it seems even more prevalent with the Konihi. 
« Last Edit: November 22, 2014, 10:22:04 AM by robon »

headmount

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #31 on: November 22, 2014, 10:46:30 AM »
For downwind, the Konihi works good... for surf, I don't like at all. It's specialized.... I've been using mine for for a few months and I'm still on the wall about it.

When u catch an edge on this blade.... damn better have rail tape on your board

Haven't tried it yet in surf but know what you mean about that sudden grab.  Fortunately, with the 84 I've been using, you can twist out of a grab like that fairly easy. 

Haven't heard this expression 'on the wall' before.  Similar to 'on the fence'?

JF808

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #32 on: November 22, 2014, 10:52:05 AM »
Robon, yep.

 I understand the whole reward and punishment thing. I've had to change my stroke technique yet again for the next Gen of Kenalu paddles. My problem is that in hawaii we dont have flat water it's always windy or choppy. It's rare that it's flat like a lake. So simple changes in water peaks and valleys change the exit point of the blade. If your pulling out the blade on a side chop or a weird peak of a wave.... man that thing catches and bam, right into the rail. 

One of my cons about kenalu... one shouldn't need to constantly adjust stroke to adapt to a paddle. Not everyone has the same stroke technique, and when it comes down to flat out hammering, 99% of us can throw technique out the window

JF808

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #33 on: November 22, 2014, 10:55:49 AM »
Headmount,

I've been going back and forth with the Vdrive, Trifecta, & Konihi. It's a wall because it's so fricken expensive for either!! 😠 there are little attributes that set them apart. 

PonoBill

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #34 on: November 22, 2014, 12:13:06 PM »
I've found the Konihi to be very forgiving in a straight line, except for getting the blade in far enough. Even then all that happens is that is sounds like a toilet flushing and gets hard to pull. Only paddle I've ever tried that's harder to pull when it's halfway in the water. I haven't had rail banging issues, and I'm a banger. It pulls straight no matter what. The problem with it is that it pulls straight ahead no matter what. You can't do any of the cute little things you might like to do with angling the blade.

I've pulled it past my feet with no problem except it tosses a bit more water than a standard blade. I can tell Boyum from a distance these days, even in a crowd, because when he's charging for a bump he pulls long, and he looks like someone set off an explosion in the water.

The one thing that no one who has tried these blades will deny is that, love them or hate them, those little teeny wings are very effective.
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.

JF808

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #35 on: November 23, 2014, 08:45:01 AM »
I'm using the 95sq. Compared to the maliko 95 I was using before I feel that it's slightly smoother, the bite is just as strong if not stronger. With that being said, I'm about 180lbs, and I find that this paddle is kicking my ass!!!! Maybe I need to step down to a 84. But that seems like such a small blade.

I love the trifecta, it doesn't kick my ass nearly as much as the kenalu does super smooth....  A lot of the guys who owned Kenalu paddles from the 1st Gen were talking to me about my Konihi and they have ditched their kenalu paddles for other brands because the blade was just too strong and these guys are way faster and a bit more fit then me in the water. With that being said now I can see why I hear so much better responses about the 84

It just so expensive! To say I'll switch to an 84 is a matter of $300 ish dollars

JF808

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #36 on: November 23, 2014, 08:48:34 AM »
But... like I said since in an earlier post, and since this is a downwind thread. I feel the Konihi really shines paddling downwind. It gets the power to the wheels if u know what I mean.

I'm still doing more testing...

headmount

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #37 on: November 23, 2014, 09:04:04 AM »
I'm using the 95sq. Compared to the maliko 95 I was using before I feel that it's slightly smoother, the bite is just as strong if not stronger. With that being said, I'm about 180lbs, and I find that this paddle is kicking my ass!!!! Maybe I need to step down to a 84. But that seems like such a small blade.

I love the trifecta, it doesn't kick my ass nearly as much as the kenalu does super smooth....  A lot of the guys who owned Kenalu paddles from the 1st Gen were talking to me about my Konihi and they have ditched their kenalu paddles for other brands because the blade was just too strong and these guys are way faster and a bit more fit then me in the water. With that being said now I can see why I hear so much better responses about the 84

It just so expensive! To say I'll switch to an 84 is a matter of $300 ish dollars

Is there someone on the BI to let you try out an 84?  When I checked it out my thoughts were the same as yours.  Looked like a salad tong not a blade.  But try if you can, then you'll know whether it is worth it.

JF808

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #38 on: November 23, 2014, 09:09:11 AM »
Headmount... I wish. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one with a konihi blade on the Big isle. The Kenalu following here seems to be a dying fad. Most of the guys here have switched back to QB or starboard blades.

But I'd be willing to swap with someone. Anyone on the boards interested in tying a 95sq konihi for  84sq. Send in the mail, try it for a week then send back?

Luc Benac

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #39 on: December 21, 2014, 04:27:33 PM »
I had my first paddle with the XTuf-S and the Kohini 95 instead of the 100Flex.
Bill suggested that it was a great combo and he is right from my point of view.
The catch is even smoother (separated right shoulder so a little bit sensitive) but it feels that it is easier to get the blade right where it should be.
The pull gives a good feed-back and you can definitely feels clearly when you are close to passing your feet and there is not much power left.
It is slow cadence but that feels powerful and with the ease of glide of the Javelin and the nose going through the water like butter, it is a good feel.
I had a good paddle in our inlet just when the fog started lifting. No GPS but I think that I was going fast and a good work-out for sure.
I still think that it is a big boys blade. Even if I it give my best there is no way that the blade would slip. It feels like a wall.
All in all I am an even happier camper. The XTuf-S shaft, an added 2 inches with the ergo handle and all is good.

Cheers,

Luc
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Luc Benac

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #40 on: December 29, 2014, 10:45:15 AM »
Well I had to shorten to my usual length in order to save my shoulder.
A couple on inches can make all the difference in the world for a bad shoulder.
So I am back running the normal shaft length with a Ergo-T handle on both blades.

Cheers,

Luc
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Luc Benac

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #41 on: March 23, 2015, 07:37:14 AM »
I did try the Kohini 95 and the Hoola 84 back to back on a lake with a little bit of wind.
While it feel that I had a "higher" cadence with the 84, it looks like I was faster with the 95 (8.15 km/h on fastest 100m versus 7.60 km/h).
After the 95 with XtuffS the 84 with 100flex feels like a toy.
I guess that with my slower cadence the 95 is not too much as I though it was.
In confused chop the quickness of the 84 might make more sense.

Cheers,

luc
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TallDude

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #42 on: March 23, 2015, 09:55:38 AM »
Though I don't have a Konihi, I do have the Xtuf - Ergo- Maliko 95 set-up. I also have an 85 in another brand, and the pull is like you say. The 85 feels like a toy, but I can get a higher cadence. Still, when ever I need to pass people near the final stretch of a race, the dig deep and slower diesel stroke is what works for me. I reach further and pull longer, and the speed goes up.   
It's not overhead to me!
8'8" L-41 ST and a whole pile of boards I rarely use.

Luc Benac

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #43 on: March 23, 2015, 10:21:33 AM »
the dig deep and slower diesel stroke is what works for me. I reach further and pull longer, and the speed goes up.

That's me....
Except that I am not a tall dude at only 6' and 168 lbs, but I am slow with a long stroke that is for sure.
On confused side chop, that is probably not the best time so that is why I got the smaller paddle to get quicker, easier strokes and leave the blade in the water more often than not before the swim...

Cheers,

Luc
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TN_SUP

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Re: My first experience on a Konihi
« Reply #44 on: March 23, 2015, 03:26:35 PM »
The Kenalu blog advice about leaving the shaft the same length when upgrading to the longer Konihi is those w/ strong shoulders. I alternate between a Konihi 95/xtuf and Hooloa 84/carbon 90, find the average speeds to be the same but top speed much higher with the smaller Hooloa. I'm 6', 155#, so the Konihi is more of a workout at 81". The Hooloa is 80". Just got a Konihi 84/xtufS and am surprised that it's killing my shoulders at 81", a bit better at 80", still experimenting, but have to take time off for shoulders to heal between paddles. Think I need to slow the cadence down on Konihi 84 from the Hooloa 84. Automatically slower with the 95 of course.
'13 SB Sprint, '15 SIC X-14 ProLite, RH Coastal Cruiser, Think EZE Ski, Kenalu Konihi 84  & Mana

 


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