Which KeNalu: Wiki vs Ho'ola vs Konihi?

[PonoBill]

Tough question. I find the fastest paddle for a sprint is the konihi 84, by a substantial margin, almost a silly margin.  But if i go for an hour with the 84 i start getting slow. Its not because im tired, at least i dont think so, it because the high cadence isnt natural for me.  In a race where other people around you make you keep going, the 84 is fast all the way, but if you start picking daisies and dont pound it, then its vey slow.  So for me the 95 Konihi is overall faster. And it still doesnt feel like ive done anything, at least not in my shoulders.

I dont have the same problem with wikis. I go faster if i up my cadence, though nothing like the konihi 84, but i dont get the big fall off and swizzle stick feel if i stop paying attention and fail to keep my cadence up.  Hope that helps some though i dont see exactly how it would.

[Board Stiff]

Thanks for all the replies, everyone! This has confirmed my intuition that the Konihi is probably the best choice to increase my cadence, speed, and endurance, while decreasing wear and tear on the arms and shoulders. Now to decide which size! 

PonoBill - your post definitely gives me food for though, and seems to mirror Covesurfer's report that he was faster initially but then slowed down late in his session with the 84. How do you feel in terms of overall level of effort (e.g. heart rate) when paddling with the Konihi 95? Can you push a fast enough cadence that you feel like you can really crank it up to 100% effort in a sprint or during intervals workouts, and sustain a high level of cardiovascular output over miles of racing, or does it hold your cadence back to a level that you're not able to maximally tax your cardiovascular system?

My natural paddling style tends towards long, deep, (relatively) powerful strokes, and I certainly enjoy the rhythm of paddling with slower, heavier strokes more than an Energizer Bunny-style, frantic up-and-down cadence. If the 95 Konihi is smooth enough to relieve my arm and shoulder fatigue, allowing me to push my cadence just enough to fully engage my cardiovascular system without having to force an unnaturally high cadence, that would be ideal. If it's still going to be too much paddle for me to move efficiently upwind or to increase my pace enough tofully engage the cardiovascular system, though, then it might not be sufficiently different from my Maliko, and the 84 might be a better choice.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to demo one or both of these too, but it's always helpful to hear from people who have spent a lot more time with some equipment than I could in a brief demo. 

[SUPcheat]

Ever take two paddles with you, one for lift off and cadence then the other for overdrive maintenance stroke?

[covesurfer]

I've got the option to exchange the 84 for the 95 Konihi. I'm not ready to give up on the 84 after just one try. I very well may have lost my focus near the end of my downwinder yesterday as there was commercial ship traffic entering the narrow harbor entrance that you have to navigate and it was a big (literal and figurative) distraction.

The 84 didn't feel as if you had to be speeding along cartoon-character style but it definitely performed better when you moved it faster. But, yeah, I don't like going like a madman all the time cadence-wise. Maybe the 95 would be better. It's just that that little 84 feels great to swing. No fatigue. Even with my V-Drive, which I think is just a 91, you can feel the difference. The sprints were pretty addictive. And, as PB and others have observed, it didn't feel like you should be wringing that much speed out of the level of effort you'd put in. I'm anxious to give it another go. Yesterday was just downright weird, both the conditions and the experience with the Konihi.

[PonoBill]

Neither the 95 or the 84 ever feel like I can really put all my effort in. It's a strange feeling. I go faster than I do with other paddles, but I always feel like there should be more oomph. Hard to describe, but I bet there are other people that feel the same thing. I know Bob does. Even if I'm paddling like mad, going as hard as I can make it go, it feel like I'm not making full effort. Hard to understand. I thought I'd get used to the feeling and it  would become the "normal", but it hasn't.

I think it's the total lack of wobble or vibration. The same thing that makes it feel dead or that other's describe as feeling like butter. I think the vibration normally gives you some feedback about the amount of effort you put into a stroke, and the lack of feedback translates as "not pulling hard enough". I know paddling hard for a long time (like two viento runs back to back) has no effect on my shoulders but my abs and quads are toast--cramp city.

As I said many moons ago, this is one weird paddle. But it's a good weird, once you get it tuned.

[PonoBill]

I've got the option to exchange the 84 for the 95 Konihi. I'm not ready to give up on the 84 after just one try. I very well may have lost my focus near the end of my downwinder yesterday as there was commercial ship traffic entering the narrow harbor entrance that you have to navigate and it was a big (literal and figurative) distraction.

The 84 didn't feel as if you had to be speeding along cartoon-character style but it definitely performed better when you moved it faster. But, yeah, I don't like going like a madman all the time cadence-wise. Maybe the 95 would be better. It's just that that little 84 feels great to swing. No fatigue. Even with my V-Drive, which I think is just a 91, you can feel the difference. The sprints were pretty addictive. And, as PB and others have observed, it didn't feel like you should be wringing that much speed out of the level of effort you'd put in. I'm anxious to give it another go. Yesterday was just downright weird, both the conditions and the experience with the Konihi.

I'd be really interested in what you get as top speed from the various paddles you have. Make sure to set the 84 up so you get the blade all the way in the water--just to the joint--before you pull. The numbers I got were stupid. I don't want to share them until someone else tries it.

[covesurfer]

All I know is that I was averaging in the high 7's to low 8's in nice bumps but wind only around 20 mph. That's moving pretty good for that amount of wind. I was able to accelerate the board using high cadence strokes to the point where it was easy to get into stuff that I'd likely have missed using another blade. I could feel an insane amount of speed at times on small bumps with a lot of paddling. It was very noticeable. But, as I said before, it felt way out of proportion to the effort I was perceiving. So flipping WEIRD. But, then, later on, I was slower than a coconut floating down the coast. Just going to have to try it again. Kihei looks like it's going to be epic later so maybe I will  get to try again. HM says the 95 is weird too but that's all he uses now.

Laps10
View Splits
Split
Time
Distance
Avg Speed
Summary   1:22:30.7   9.30   6.8
1   7:58.6   1.00   7.5
2   7:25.0   1.00   8.1
3   7:52.1   1.00   7.6
4   7:48.3   1.00   7.7
5   9:03.9   1.00   6.6
6   8:18.6   1.00   7.2
7   8:37.8   1.00   7.0
8   10:44.2   1.00   5.6
9   10:49.2   1.00   5.5
10   3:53.0   0.30   4.6

I never really heard the 'toilet swirl' sounds I've seen described. Unless I purposely went past my feet. Where the paddle seemed not very effective was if I tried to do a really strong and long power pull. Much better off if I made 3 or 4 quick hits than a single hard pull.

[SUPflorida]

So there is a 84 and a 95...maybe what's needed is a 90?

[stoneaxe]

I've always thought its all because the Konihi has no flutter at all....zero, nada, zilch. I think most of us that have tried lots of paddles have seen paddles flutter when you first start using them only to have it go away when you get used to it. It's not the paddle changing it's you adjusting to the paddle. All the micro-adjustments you don't even realize you are making with other paddles after awhile never happen with the Konihi. That's the smooth as butter or dead feeling depending on how you feel about it. It's tough to explain. I think I may describe it as dead because I depend so much on the feedback my paddle gives me. It's become part of my balance system on the water and the Konihi changes the dynamic enough for me to be bothered by it. I won't ever use it for surf or tough conditions, feedback and bracing are everything then....but won't do distance or race without it. One thing I especially love about them is how my shoulders feel the next day. Shocking difference.

[covesurfer]

Smokin' south side run today. Used the Konihi 84 again. I am conflicted on whether I love this paddle or if I should put it away and forget about it.

I made a serious effort to keep the paddle moving faster, reach out in front and keep my board in the glides as much as possible. The Konihi still feels like butt-ah. Super smooth and not nearly as fatigue inducing as other blades. But the lack of umph when the wind backed off at the end of the run was annoying. Still, I feel a lot of love for this thing but at times it feels like you are giving something up - power.

My V Drive, which is only a little bigger at 91, seems to have better power, it's still easy to swing and keep your cadence up. It's also a little more confidence inspiring when you use it to brace. That said, the Konihi still braces fine, I had a no-fall run. And, it is almost addictive when it comes to speed. All I can think to do now is demo the 95. This has got to be the smoothest, easiest paddle on the shoulders that I can imagine existing. I am just not sure I am as fast with it, in all the conditions encountered during a typical d/w run, than I am with my V Drive. There is no contest between this blade and the Wiki, I'd take this one every time. I have to get a hold of a 95.

[PonoBill]

Ok, so, take your gps and time some short sections with the 84, just see what kind of speed you get, then time any other paddle in the same distance. Somebody do it.

Greg, I suspect you're gonna need the 95, unless you can convince yourself to hammer the whole way. I can't do it. I know you've noticed days when I stay right with everyone for the first couple of miles, then fade off into the distance, that's the 84. With the 95 I don't go as fast at first, but my speed stays up.

I think people that are naturally high cadence can make the thing fly, but I can't manage the mental discipline. It's nothing physical, I always feel like I've hardly done anything with that paddle, but it's hard for me to stay on point for an hour.

[covesurfer]

I know, you're right. <Look, it's right there, in writing!

The 95 is probably going to be mo bettah for me overall. But, the attraction of the 84 is lower fatigue - I'm thinking channel crossings. Trouble is, when the wind backs off and you have to add some muscle to the fast stroke, that lower fatigue seems to go out the window.

I'm texting the rep to get a hold of the 95. If it's as nice to paddle as the 84 in terms of shoulders, less fatiguing because of the smoothness but it has a little more umph factor, it could be the ticket. Might even take the V Drive's place.

Hope you're getting out on the water a bit. Right now more than ever.

Abbey is doing the paddle camp and she said it was nuking at 6:30 AM today.

[PonoBill]

Had to make a short trip to Canada, and then to San Diego, but I'm back in the Hood. Should get in a few downwinders today.

[kayadogg]

I'm very interested in seeing your results cove, specifically because I recently switched to a 91 V-Drive for racing and distance paddling. Still using a Wiki and Ho'oloa in the surf but have been so torn about trying a Konihi. GPS numbers would really be interesting between the Konihi 84, 95 and the V-Drive. I know there are so many other factors involved but since you seem to like the V-Drive quite a bit, I'm interested to hear how things shake out with the Konihi. Pono's words to me during the BOP last year about the Konihi have stuck: "It feels like shit, to be honest, but I'm getting the fastest GPS speeds I've ever seen"... or something along those lines. 

[covesurfer]

I'm thinking when PB says that the Konihi 'feels like shit' he means it feels slow. So far, using this blade just 2x, I have had sections of runs that feel fantastic and sections that feel extremely slow.

I did some comparo's on Strava to see the numbers. I have a LOT of those Kihei runs so I compared three of them, with similar conditions to yesterday, all made using my VDrive.

The Konihi appears faster in some places and slower in others. Interestingly, it was faster in the places where the wind/bumps were the worst, the very top of the run and the very bottom.  The Konihi did feel fast on the top of the run, but I was fresh and eager. I was tired and it was sticky and slow at the bottom but I was working hard to get the most out of my stroke. But the paddle felt like it didn't generate much thrust at the end of the run, yet the speeds tell a different story. Overall, my speeds were comparable with runs made using my V Drive. There wasn't a big difference, for the most part.

The Konihi felt really, really fast in the best bumps, which went on for miles. But my Garmin did not show any outstanding results. My fastest mile was 7.75 mph avg. which is respectable but not enough to keep up with the really fast guys. When pace gets into the mid 8 mph range or faster, then we're talking fast. Lately, using my V Drive, I have been breaking the 8 mph avg. for at least a few miles. Is it the paddle or the conditions? Who knows! This is kind of driving me a little nutz.

I don't know how quick I can get hold of the 95. I could do a test over on the flat water behind the breakwall in the harbor to try and get a paddle by paddle comparison but that likely won't happen for a while. I am still giving the Konihi a few more chances before I go back to the V Drive. I need more speed (data)! Reading all this, I feel like I definitely have a freaking obsession with standup. Only cure seems to be more downwinders. And that's only temporary.