Needing more feedback on Ke Nalu Mana

[PonoBill]

In fact it's pretty insistent about it. I can't help but think of mine as a cast-iron bitch. I think she and the coaching voice in Motion-x must be close relatives. "Your current speed is 4.5 mph. Weenie."

[Rideordie]

JP, I paddle mostly flat water as well.  Your detailed description above was excellent and is consistent with what I am feeling with the blade.  The catch is automatic and requires little to no concentration.  The rest of the stroke is consistent with an even pull feel.  You can be rather careless about it and it just grabs the water anyway.  Not abruptly, like a Vdrive, but it does have a bite.  I too was expecting some middle ground in terms of feel, but it feels like a 95 to me as well.  I have not had a chance to paddle it much yet.  Will get some times on it and see whats up.  I have it on a 100 flex shaft and I usually paddle the Konihi 95 on an xTuff(s).  I think I need to switch the blade over to the xTuff(s).  I don't think I am a fan of the 100 flex.  I suspect I will pick up a little bit of speed from the Mana.  We shall see. 
           

[JP]

Rideordie - I like your style as far as your selection of boards.  Among my quiver are 2 boards which I have been paddling almost exclusively this summer - the SIC X-14 Pro and the SIC FX 14.  Love them both! Although I do have a couple suggestions for improvements - but that's another conversation.

I only have the 100 flex shaft and really have nothing else to compare it to, so I guess I wouldn't know the difference the shafts might make.  Maybe next year.  I might have to get my wife (wink,wink - ya of course it's for me as well) the 82" Mana to compare with.  I have a feeling that an 88" blade might be about perfect for me, but that's obviously being quite particular.  And although I still need to spend more time with the Mana 90 to be absolutely sure, I do feel like it's my best option for what's available.

[PonoBill]

I tried an xTuf(S) shaft yesterday with my Mana 90. Bizarre. I'm not sure what's going on there, but the paddle feels very different. I'm also not sure if I like it better. I'm going to change back to the 100 Flex for the race this weekend and I'll circle back to this later. I did a 1:17 Viento run with it, so I don't think I lost speed, but it was blasting, so it's a little hard to tell.

[Rideordie]

Bill, Interesting.  Have you ever noticed such a difference when switching shafts among other blades?  How, does it feel differently?  I am curious.     

[PonoBill]

No, I haven't seen this kind of difference before. The most I usually feel is a tiny delay in full power from the xtuf but really it's probably a figment of my imagination. The Mana with xtuf felt just weird. I'm not sure what the heck I was feeling.

It might be the paddling style I've been using since I got the Mana. Very short pulls out front, quick recovery. And sometimes I can just give a little lame dab and pull myself into a bump when I don't want to accelerate down the face too soon--like when there's just a blank wall or water in front of it. Doesn't feel like I'm doing anything, but I catch bumps with that.

[Luc Benac]

I cannot really describe the difference between the 100Flex and the Xtuf(S). I have now paddled both shaft with both my Mana (90 and 82) and I just simply prefer the Xtuf(S).
It just gives me more feeling of the paddle. The 100Flex just does not seems to give me the subtle response to adjust my stroke.
If you have ever been in an Aston Martin, the suspension is first class not too hard but leaves teh car flat and square. It just does it job and you can forget about it. Some other sport car are way more demanding and showy. That is the same feeling for me.

[PonoBill]

Yeah, the 100 Flex/Mana is definitely not subtle for me--just bam, hooked. Which is what I want for downwind.

[Luc Benac]

Hello Bill,
Did you get to do further testing on flat water between Konihi and Mana as per your other thread on tri-fin.single fin Blackfish.
So far I have found the Mana 82 to be faster than the Konihi 84 but it could also be that my stroke is improving (seriously it is possible  :-)) as I have been using Mana(s) lately.

I have not had the chance to try the Mana 90 on flat/open water, only for down-winding.

[mrbig]

Have tried my small Mana with the 100, xtuf, and xtuf stiff.

No DW. XtuffStiff is the best for me..

[Luc Benac]

First time I tried the Mana 90 on flat water.
This is just one paddle so not really that relevant but it does not seem to work for me.
The Mana 90 is stellar for downwind but the Mana 82 seems way faster on flat water.
Rather then trying to understand and test some more, I will just use the M82 on flat and the M90 on downwind.
Fairly simple after-all.
Well except maybe what on choppy water not down-winding, still need to try both.....

Both are on Xstuf(s), the 100Flex seems to kill my neck for some reason.

[Stefan]

Anyone else feel like a shorter stroke worked better on the Mana? I paddled the 82 with the 100 shaft and it felt good as long as I shortened my stroke... less reach & focusing on middle 3rd. I may try it with a more flexible shaft... need to spare my shoulders. I haven tried it downwind, still building strength in flatware and small chop. I know paddling from canoe's and sea kayaks so I'm not a total rookie.

[PonoBill]

Yup, to me it's all catch. the first third of the stroke range is very powerful, then it tapers off. Great for downwind and surfing. Also very powerful braces without being abrupt.

[Luc Benac]

Some more feedback on the Mana (s).
 
Mana 90
The best on a downwind. Cannot say necessary why but it just works, gets the board going and is faster than other paddles I have.
It is technically easier to paddle than the Konihi with less “missed” stroke and can live with a shorter stroke too.
I am in a quandary regarding the shaft.
The 100Flex is I think a touch faster than the Xtuf(S) but seems to kill my neck/shoulders the day after. Especially if the paddle distance gets longer than expected.
I am wondering if the 90Flex would be a good compromise.
On flat open (like our inlets) it does not seem to work that well for some reason and I find it slower than all my other paddles.
 
Mana 82
Seems to work really well on flat open (inlet not real lake flat).
Pono Bill found that his Konihi 95 is faster than is Mana 90 on flat (see above) but it looks like for me the Mana 82 is faster than the Konihi 84.
It is very easy to paddle.
On choppy water, I sometime feels that it lacks a little bit of size to get the board accelerating but if sprinting on flat it seems to work so not sure….
So for me it works best for paddling when there is no need to stop and go like for downwinding or really choppy waters but for maintaining a fast pace continually.
It I would not sound like an idiot, I would almost thing that a Mana 86 might be perfect to complete the quiver and take on choppy waters with distance.
Mana 82 flat, Mana 86 choppy, Mana 90 downwind.
Of course I am 165 lbs so it would likely be different for somebody else….
I am using it again with a Xtuf(S) that seems to really work nicely for me for flat and distance giving a nice balanced ride.
I did not try it with the 100Flex which might improve on the choppy at the expense of comfort on the flat.
 
Overall love the new blades and replace my Konihi 84 as a little bit easier and more versatile to paddle.
The shaft seems to make even more difference on the feel of the paddle than before and I have a 90Flex on the way to try on the 90 for downwind (crossing fingers that we still have some before next year) and on the 82 for distance in the chop.

[PonoBill]

I haven't tried the Mana 82 (I don't have one), but other than that your findings are nearly identical to mine. I'm surprised how special-purpose a paddle blade can be. Lots to figure out here.

The other surprise is how big the differences are. Almost all 14's give me similar times for Vieto runs--perhaps in part because I never get used to them, I keep trying to find one that is demonstrably faster. So far the Blackfish and the Bullet 14 are the fastest, but it's much less than 10 percent difference--on the order of 1:31 for an average Viento run vs. 1:36.

With the Mana 90 my Viento times on my Bullet 17 went from 1:26 to 1:19 the first time I tried it, and I've managed three 1:16's so far. I feel like I can break 1:10 on a perfect day. Almost a ten percent difference. Huge.