Author Topic: Black Project Surge Paddle  (Read 10114 times)

surfafrica

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Black Project Surge Paddle
« on: February 16, 2017, 02:27:51 PM »
I just pulled the trigger on a Black Project Surge paddle.  I should get a first try with it in mid-March.

http://www.blackprojectfins.com/sup-paddles/surge-wave-sup-paddle-lightweight-carbon/

I went with the 77 square inch and the soft flex (I'm 5'7 & 148 lbs).  I like the idea of its surf-focused design and the small shaft diameter.  The small blade and soft flex will hopefully help with my shoulders and help me up my cadence for quick drops.  I'm moving down from an 84 square inch Ke Nalu Konihi which has been a great paddle for me. I really bashed the hell out of the edges of it on one of my older/wider boards when I first started out and my DIY maintenance is starting to see its end of days. I like searching out new gear so I thought I'd give this Surge a try.

Here's a post that piqued my interest:

http://www.blackprojectfins.com/2016/09/12/surge-re-defining-sup-wave-paddles/

In the often frantic scramble to turn and catch the set or avoid destruction paddle stroke technique it at its worst. With riders jabbing more than stroking we needed to adjust how the paddle behaved. In essence we needed the paddle to grab the water and correct the stoke quickly so that power and acceleration was not lost.

Anyone else try one?
50 years old, 5'7", 150 lbs, intermediate
Infinity RNB: 7'6 x 28, 95 L https://goo.gl/SqlWR4
Kronos LB: 8'10 x 26.5, 84 L https://goo.gl/4iQdps
Kronos Nano: 7'4 x 26, 81 L https://goo.gl/kAM8W6

Night Wing

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Re: Black Project Surge Paddle
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2017, 02:40:44 PM »
I just wish the smaller 77" square inch paddle came in an adjustable length.
Blue Planet Duke: 10'5" x 32" x 4.5" @ 190 Liters (2 Dukes)
Sup Sports Hammer: 8'11" x 31" x 4" @ 140 Liters
SUP Sports One World: 11'1" x 30" x 4.5" @ 173 Liters
CJ Nelson Parallax: 9'3" x 23 1/2" x 3 3/16" @ 78.8 Liters (prone surfing longboard; Thunderbolt Technologies build in Red construction)

PonoBill

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Re: Black Project Surge Paddle
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2017, 05:42:22 PM »
Nice paddle, looks very Ke Nalu-ish, right down to the ferrule vs. frog connection. I hope they took advantage of that to do the assembly with hot glue. One of the big advantages of a ferrule besides the ability to reinforce it on the inside with a spar.
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.

surfafrica

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Re: Black Project Surge Paddle
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2017, 07:48:57 PM »
Nice paddle, looks very Ke Nalu-ish, right down to the ferrule vs. frog connection. I hope they took advantage of that to do the assembly with hot glue. One of the big advantages of a ferrule besides the ability to reinforce it on the inside with a spar.

Yep. It's hot glue. That would have been a deal breaker for me. I'm short enough that I can carry the shaft onto a flight with the blade off. I'm actually not sure what the height limit is--maybe I'm over--but I keep doing it without any problems. I just wrap it in pipe insulation and throw it into the back of an overhead compartment.
50 years old, 5'7", 150 lbs, intermediate
Infinity RNB: 7'6 x 28, 95 L https://goo.gl/SqlWR4
Kronos LB: 8'10 x 26.5, 84 L https://goo.gl/4iQdps
Kronos Nano: 7'4 x 26, 81 L https://goo.gl/kAM8W6

surfafrica

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Re: Black Project Surge Paddle
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2017, 02:36:39 PM »
I just got back from a 10-day trip to Mexico.  The Surge was great!  I LOVE the reduced shaft diameter--picking up my old paddle feels strange now.  The 77 sq inch blade was nice on my injured shoulder too. The rounded edges on the blade seemed to help protect my boards' rails a bit.

The ergo-t handle was comfy. And the red handle is a nice touch.  I dropped my paddle after taking a fall and the handle was easy to spot in the impact zone.

This paddle is LIGHT.  I cut mine to 68" and it came to 375 g.  My 84 sq in Ke Nalu Konihi with the XTuf shaft cut to 70" and comes to 490 g (I assume though that the Ke Nalu would come in lighter with the Elite shaft than the XTuf).

My buddy picked up my paddle on the first day of the trip and I caught him ordering one online the next morning! 

Black Project did some good work here on the design--nice to have a paddle geared 100% towards surfing.
« Last Edit: March 22, 2017, 02:44:53 PM by surfafrica »
50 years old, 5'7", 150 lbs, intermediate
Infinity RNB: 7'6 x 28, 95 L https://goo.gl/SqlWR4
Kronos LB: 8'10 x 26.5, 84 L https://goo.gl/4iQdps
Kronos Nano: 7'4 x 26, 81 L https://goo.gl/kAM8W6

JEG

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Re: Black Project Surge Paddle
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2017, 05:10:27 PM »
These new BlackProject paddles are nice and the customer service from Chris is top ;)

kayadogg

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Re: Black Project Surge Paddle
« Reply #6 on: March 30, 2017, 08:12:07 PM »
I met up with Chris, owner of BP, yesterday before I left Maui.  He brought a bunch of his paddles and fins down to the harbor for me to try. I had heard lots of positive stuff about his stuff but had not actually seen one firsthand. Really nicely made and some design elements that just seem to make sense. I especially liked his 3-piece travel design that uses hex shaped joints which eliminates any wobble or loose fitting connections. Good stuff.

 

JP4

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Re: Black Project Surge Paddle
« Reply #7 on: March 30, 2017, 10:19:32 PM »
I saw these today in Big Winds. They have a bunch of them. I don't know what they weigh, but I'm guessing it's the lightest paddle I've ever picked up. Seemed crazy light. Nice looking paddles.

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Area 10

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Re: Black Project Surge Paddle
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2017, 09:46:09 PM »
Is light the most important characteristic in a surf paddle, or durability? Is there a way to measure durability before you buy a paddle?

burchas

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Re: Black Project Surge Paddle
« Reply #9 on: May 14, 2017, 04:46:20 AM »
Is light the most important characteristic in a surf paddle, or durability? Is there a way to measure durability before you buy a paddle?

I'd go for durability first. My ZRE is 11oz or 311grams and it's at 78" length, probably would be under 300grams if cut that short. I wouldn't use it as a surf paddle but I do use it for downwind all the time. For my upcoming ZRE with 6" adjustable handle I had surf in mind, so I went with a more sturdier shaft, it should come at around 14oz.

Mind you, my weight range is between 170-190lbs. I think swrfafrica is around 140lbs so if that
is the case, he can probably get away with such a light paddle.
in progress...

ukgm

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Re: Black Project Surge Paddle
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2017, 12:06:37 PM »
I met up with Chris, owner of BP, yesterday before I left Maui.  He brought a bunch of his paddles and fins down to the harbor for me to try. I had heard lots of positive stuff about his stuff but had not actually seen one firsthand. Really nicely made and some design elements that just seem to make sense. I especially liked his 3-piece travel design that uses hex shaped joints which eliminates any wobble or loose fitting connections. Good stuff.
I'd agree with this. He's a good innovator.

surfafrica

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Re: Black Project Surge Paddle
« Reply #11 on: May 15, 2017, 11:09:13 AM »
I think swrfafrica is around 140lbs so if that is the case, he can probably get away with such a light paddle.

Absolutely.  I'm in that 145-150 range so I can get away with lighter paddles with less durability than heavier guys.  I have two friends in the 220-230 range who have both broken paddle shafts before.  For them, I recommended the 27 North Pro Surf Kevlar.  It's a bit heavier than what I'd use, but it comes with a lifetime guarantee.

That being said, my other friend is 220 and uses the same Black Project and Ke Nalu shafts as me (with bigger blades) and has had no issues.
50 years old, 5'7", 150 lbs, intermediate
Infinity RNB: 7'6 x 28, 95 L https://goo.gl/SqlWR4
Kronos LB: 8'10 x 26.5, 84 L https://goo.gl/4iQdps
Kronos Nano: 7'4 x 26, 81 L https://goo.gl/kAM8W6

JEG

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Re: Black Project Surge Paddle
« Reply #12 on: May 15, 2017, 02:16:43 PM »
I got to test a few of those Black Project paddles in short term & some long term and they are nicely made, super light and design to suit your needs. Like all paddles, just make sure you select the correct size blade paddle & shaft flex & length.

burchas

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Re: Black Project Surge Paddle
« Reply #13 on: May 15, 2017, 07:07:44 PM »
Looks very well made. I like that T grip. I'll give it a go next month when in Maui.
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surfafrica

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Re: Black Project Surge Paddle
« Reply #14 on: May 23, 2017, 03:53:00 PM »
I forgot my paddle at the beach the other day. The next morning, I found this note on a bush near where we parked. Cool on so many levels.
50 years old, 5'7", 150 lbs, intermediate
Infinity RNB: 7'6 x 28, 95 L https://goo.gl/SqlWR4
Kronos LB: 8'10 x 26.5, 84 L https://goo.gl/4iQdps
Kronos Nano: 7'4 x 26, 81 L https://goo.gl/kAM8W6

 


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