Which KeNalu: Wiki vs Ho'ola vs Konihi?

[viatormundi]

Thank you for your comments. Ordered a xtuf wiki 74 with xtuf shaft to surf with my new Sunova Speeed 8'5.


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[eastbound]

if i am blissfully ignorant, so be it--but i love my konihi 84 in the surf

[mrbig]

I have that exact setup Viator. As the Aussies say - it works a treat in the surf! On my shortest board - 7'6" JP Slate, and my Huge 8'10" Angulo.

SUPJorge now has the giant Molokai blade I started with initially. What a maroon!

[PonoBill]

if i am blissfully ignorant, so be it--but i love my konihi 84 in the surf

It's the fastest blade I've ever paddled, I'm probably just too clumsy to like it in the surf.

[Dkyachtphoto]

Hey guys quick question about the Ke Nalu paddles. It seems like alot of you guys race or surf. I'm more into long distance exploring/fishing on all day excursions. We pack coolers and have snorkel/fishing gear on our boards. I'm 6'3" 245#s. I've had the same paddle for a few years now it's a Riviera carbon fiber "nothing  special". Can't remember the size but I think it was like 115-120 square inches... Which is huge compared to what you guys are using. I've really wanted to buy one of the Ke Nalu xtuf paddles but I'm just clueless as to what size I should get. Any suggestions? Thanks much.

Dave

[PonoBill]

Hard to say precisely, it depends a lot on your stroke and whether or not you care to improve it. If you aren't surfing I'd get a Konihi blade, probably the 95. If you want to improve your stroke and you're doing the "push down before you pull" Johnny Puakea/Dave Kalama method, get the 82. I know it sounds too small. It's not. It's all I use these days for racing or cruising, and I'm 6'2", 235.

[Dkyachtphoto]

Hard to say precisely, it depends a lot on your stroke and whether or not you care to improve it. If you aren't surfing I'd get a Konihi blade, probably the 95. If you want to improve your stroke and you're doing the "push down before you pull" Johnny Puakea/Dave Kalama method, get the 82. I know it sounds too small. It's not. It's all I use these days for racing or cruising, and I'm 6'2", 235.

The 95 is the one I've been mostly looking at. My wife has a 85 and it just feels to small when I've tried it out.

Hard to say precisely, it depends a lot on your stroke and whether or not you care to improve it. If you aren't surfing I'd get a Konihi blade, probably the 95. If you want to improve your stroke and you're doing the "push down before you pull" Johnny Puakea/Dave Kalama method, get the 82. I know it sounds too small. It's not. It's all I use these days for racing or cruising, and I'm 6'2", 235.

Dave

[PonoBill]

You have to set the catch to really use that size. Since your wife has one it's easy to try this. Reach way out, concentrate on pushing down with your upper hand and don't start pulling until the blade is completely buried. Continue pushing down with your upper hand as you pull. When I do that the 82 feels like it's stuck in mud and the 95 is stuck in concrete--too much.

[Dkyachtphoto]

You have to set the catch to really use that size. Since your wife has one it's easy to try this. Reach way out, concentrate on pushing down with your upper hand and don't start pulling until the blade is completely buried. Continue pushing down with your upper hand as you pull. When I do that the 82 feels like it's stuck in mud and the 95 is stuck in concrete--too much.

But coming from my current huge paddle don't you think the 95 might be right in the middle? That's exactly how I try to paddle when we're moving along good, obviously not when we're just cruising the mangroves.....

You have to set the catch to really use that size. Since your wife has one it's easy to try this. Reach way out, concentrate on pushing down with your upper hand and don't start pulling until the blade is completely buried. Continue pushing down with your upper hand as you pull. When I do that the 82 feels like it's stuck in mud and the 95 is stuck in concrete--too much.

Dave

[PonoBill]

If you make setting the blade a practice, there's no reason to paddle any other way. I do it now even for casual paddling and for surfing.  Bigger blades work better when the catch isn't set because even though they're working inefficiently, they still have enough surface area to move you. But you are doing a lot more work to gain that movement. the blade slipping through the water costs YOU energy.

But sure, the 95 is fine. I used one for a long time and liked it best--until I started concentrating on an efficient stroke. Then it's too big. I thought blade size was all about cadence, but it isn't. It's catch.

[Luc Benac]

I thought blade size was all about cadence, but it isn't. It's catch.

And I find that bringing the paddle back for recovery is so much easier with the Mana 82 than the Mana 90. I had not noticed until I made a conscious effort to slow down the pull in the water and fasten the recovery to the next stroke. (Disclaimer I am a puny 165 lbs so somewhat size and weight of the paddle seems to make more difference than before).

[Dkyachtphoto]

I thought blade size was all about cadence, but it isn't. It's catch.

And I find that bringing the paddle back for recovery is so much easier with the Mana 82 than the Mana 90. I had not noticed until I made a conscious effort to slow down the pull in the water and fasten the recovery to the next stroke. (Disclaimer I am a puny 165 lbs so somewhat size and weight of the paddle seems to make more difference than before).

Ok so since you brought that up how much does height, weight, and strength play into paddle choice?

Dave

[PonoBill]

Very little, once you start improving technique. Dave Kalama is as strong as a bull, and Quickblade made a special paddle for him, the Kalama Big Mamma. But since he changed his technique he's using a tiny blade.

Devin Blish comes up to about my chest and weighs about as much as one of my legs. She paddles the biggest blade Ke Nalu makes--a Molokai--and she's fast as hell in downwinders and surfing. She sucks at flatwater. I think it's technique. If she had the time or desire to develop flatwater paddling technique I think she'd be one of the fastest in the world, and I suspect her blade size would get small, fast.  But she doesn't. So she's happy with a big blade.

[Dkyachtphoto]

Very little, once you start improving technique. Dave Kalama is as strong as a bull, and Quickblade made a special paddle for him, the Kalama Big Mamma. But since he changed his technique he's using a tiny blade.

Devin Blish comes up to about my chest and weighs about as much as one of my legs. She paddles the biggest blade Ke Nalu makes--a Molokai--and she's fast as hell in downwinders and surfing. She sucks at flatwater. I think it's technique. If she had the time or desire to develop flatwater paddling technique I think she'd be one of the fastest in the world, and I suspect her blade size would get small, fast.  But she doesn't. So she's happy with a big blade.

Interesting..... Really is all about technique....

Dave

[warmuth]

   Everyone I've talked to is skeptical when I tell them about my experience with downsizing the blade. Probably mostly a macho thing. "82? That's what my wife uses." Not everyone would benefit but I think most would be surprised. This came up last weekend at the Larry Cain clinic. One of the guys who was a bit older asked about paddle size. Larry was using  a 90 QB and while his answer was a pretty diplomatic and truthful "it depends" he did hint that the guys 110 sq/in paddle was probably too big.

  As a side note just watching Larry take two strokes to demonstrate a technique was amazing. His board just rockets off.