Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => SUP Marketplace => Ke Nalu => Topic started by: LM on March 04, 2016, 01:12:00 AM
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Just wanted to let you all know Ke Nalu has a new blade design that will be available soon; the "Mana" was inspired by the Konihi & since there's been so much talk about a 90 sq. in. blade that's one of the two sizes offered. The other will be an 82 sq. in.
So what's new?
The Mana has a slightly narrower tip for a smooth as silk entry, a more parallel outline with more cupping added and deeper concaves to provide more power from smaller sq. in. blade sizes. We've also incorporated the "winglets" of the Konihi but lowered them down just a bit (from the shaft end of the blade) doing this helps reduce the "sucking" sound that was reported from the Konihi when not fully planting before starting your stroke. All this combined gives you more power with less fatigue.
I was thinking of running a "Zonestarter"special (kinda like Kickstarter but just for you guys) that would both help with the production costs as well as get some paddles in your hands for an "early bird" special price. The Mana will retail for $475 but for the Zonestarter special I'll offer them for $100 bucks off at $375. Since the goal is to help with production costs it will require payment up front. Production is yet to start but I'm VERY much hoping to have these available in about a month. Those that take advantage of this will have the first production models available. Please PM me if interested.
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Just wanted to let you all know Ke Nalu has a new blade design that will be available soon; the "Mana" was inspired by the Konihi & since there's been so much talk about a 90 sq. in. blade that's one of the two sizes offered. The other will be an 82 sq. in.
So what's new?
The Mana has a slightly narrower tip for a smooth as silk entry, a more parallel outline with more cupping added and deeper concaves to provide more power from smaller sq. in. blade sizes. We've also incorporated the "winglets" of the Konihi but lowered them down just a bit (from the shaft end of the blade) doing this helps reduce the "sucking" sound that was reported from the Konihi when not fully planting before starting your stroke. All this combined gives you more power with less fatigue.
I was thinking of running a "Zonestarter"special (kinda like Kickstarter but just for you guys) that would both help with the production costs as well as get some paddles in your hands for an "early bird" special price. The Mana will retail for $475 but for the Zonestarter special I'll offer them for $100 bucks off at $375. Since the goal is to help with production costs it will require payment up front. Production is yet to start but I'm VERY much hoping to have these available in about a month. Those that take advantage of this will have the first production models available. Please PM me if interested.
I am in line for one :-)
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I forgot to mention a couple things: The price quoted is for the complete paddle. For this deal I'm only offering the complete paddle. I also forgot to mention, if you decide to go for this please include in a PM your requested blade size (90 sq. in. or 82 sq. in) shaft type & handle type also your email address so I can send a Paypal payment request & when paying please make sure your address is a physical address (rather than PO box) since these will be sent UPS (shipping charges of $30 will apply) & please only one paddle per person. Finally, I'm only able to offer this to shipments within the US
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Just wanted to send out a quick thanks for those that have taken advantage of the "Zonestarter" deal so far & also give this a bump for those who might not have seen it. I'll be running this offer until we start production so if you're interested make sure you get in touch with me. This is a one time offer that'll save you $100 don't miss out.
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Can you explain is this a good surf blade.
Would the winglets detract from using this style blade in the surf.
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Can you explain is this a good surf blade.
Would the winglets detract from using this style blade in the surf.
I think it would work great, but I like the Konihi for surf too. The winglets don't seem to bother me or get in the way but others have reported they don't like the winglets in surf, so I suppose it's kind of a personal preference thing.
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Can you explain is this a good surf blade.
Would the winglets detract from using this style blade in the surf.
I use the comparable, WINGED Konihi exclusively in the surf. 2 thumbs up.
The advantage is efficiency and light weight. I have been using the blade for 10 months and caught 1,487 waves ranging from 3 to 25 feet using the paddle. I have never experienced any "edge grab" in fact I don't know what people are talking about. With regards to using the paddle on the face of a wave I do it all the time even in big critical stuff. The Konihi is great. If the Mana blade is better sign me up.
Here are examples where my Konihi blade is clearly scraping the surface.
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Probably just my heavy-handedness, and the fact that I'm so used to KeNalu molikos and Molokais in the surf that it feels odd. I learned to back brace it a little, which is actually good technique anyway. But I get occasional grab. Didn't try them long enough to get used to them. It's all I use for downwind and racing--faster than any other paddle I've tested.
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It's all I use for downwind and racing--faster than any other paddle I've tested.
I assume you are talking about the Konihi? That speed is what I like. However I am not surfing punchy, 2 strokes and you're in, shore break where a Molokai could be, maybe, better for 0 - 60 as opposed to 0 - 100.
With regards to the back brace the best examples I have had were when get chased by 2X overhead and closed out. I have been getting better at INSISTING I DON'T FALL a la John John Florence Eddie style. When you get blown up from behind a quick forehand or back hand through the foam can save you. On my back hand recovery (e.g. 3rd leg of stool) I still haven't experienced the grab.
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I've been using my Konihi 95 in the surf all el nino, I mean Winter. It is awesome. I especially like that I can tap out high cadence and build up nice speed when I'm trying to get out between sets. I also feel that I have just the right amount of power in the blade when I'm taking off. I have had zero issues with bracing. I love how the Konihi accelerates and it has a super nice feel.
That said, when I first got the blade, I used on on some downwinders and it did feel a little 'catchy' when bracing. I don't know why but that feeling went away and I don't notice it at all in surf. I would use the Konihi for downwind too except that I've set up the paddle about an inch or so shorter than my QB V Drive. With the thickness of my DW board, I need more length when paddling it, especially compared to my SUS board. Once our surf gets less common, I will probably set up the Konihi paddle for downwind. I have an adjustable Ke Nalu handle on the Elite 100 flex so I can lengthen the paddle. Only issue I've had is the wings getting chipped up from rail bangs. I coated them with epoxy and it's helped.
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I was looking to downsize from my Konihi 95 to the 84. Do you think that the Mana 82 will be comparable/better? I'm only 66kg and the 95 has been too much paddle for me (got it on a deal that I couldn't pass up).
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I have an original elite with a 95 and Hoo loa 84 my
guess is a 90 would be somewhere in between as far as
power is concerned, would this be correct.
I have been pretty much only using the Hoo loa and I just
go out with the intention of surfing.
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I decided to take my Konihi 95 surf paddle (see post above) on a downwind run today. It's about an inch and a half shorter than my V Drive, which is my normal downwind paddle.
It was a very good downwinder due to the conditions but my paddle was a major factor. I LOVED the Konihi today. The shorter length that I would normally just use for surfing was made even more noticeable by the thickness of my 17 4 Bullet V1. But, I was curious. I've heard a lot of folks are going shorter so I thought this would be an interesting experiment.
On the short (1 mile or so) of flatter water, I did notice the length and had to adjust my technique a bit. More bending but it also made me more aware of the importance of my reach. Once the waves began to seriously stack up and I was just downwind paddle surfing, the shorter length became an advantage. I LOVED it. Can't wait to try it again. I was able to get nice high cadence sprints to chase my way into glides and found that I could wring power strokes out of the Konihi more comfortably and certainly more efficiently than with my V Drive, which I also love. If I am able to verify that today's performance from the Konihi wasn't just a fluke due to conditions, it will become my go-to downwind paddle as well. I'm now thinking that I could go even shorter for my surf paddle. I'll measure the paddle length tomorrow.
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love my konihi 84--but figger ill try the new special sauce, and I need to leave a paddle in FL given i will need to be checking on my father down there more and more
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Took the Konihi 95 again today on a downwinder with wind in the low 20's. Yesterday does not appear to be a fluke. I am definitely faster with this paddle. Love it and it's going to be my go-to downwinder/racing paddle from this point forward.
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I had issues with the winglets catching when I 1st got it and stopped using it for surf. Distance and downwind it ruled but I liked my Maliko and Molokai better, Then I mistakenly found it was the only paddle in my bag once when I went surfing and had no problem with the winglets. I still prefer the Molokai most of the time for its rock solid bracing (nobody has to brace as much as I do). I think the issue I have with the konihi is that there is such a difference between a front brace and a back brace and even small stuff can screw me up. It's tough for me to change.
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Can you explain is this a good surf blade.
Would the winglets detract from using this style blade in the surf.
I use the comparable, WINGED Konihi exclusively in the surf. 2 thumbs up.
The advantage is efficiency and light weight. I have been using the blade for 10 months and caught 1,487 waves ranging from 3 to 25 feet using the paddle. I have never experienced any "edge grab" in fact I don't know what people are talking about. With regards to using the paddle on the face of a wave I do it all the time even in big critical stuff. The Konihi is great. If the Mana blade is better sign me up.
Here are examples where my Konihi blade is clearly scraping the surface.
...Finally just finished the testing of the prototype, you're gonna love the Mana, it has a similar feel to the Konihi (although it's kind of hard to cross compare the Mana prototype due to it's weight, it's heavy) but a more positive catch. Kind of hard to explain but it doesn't need to settle or anything, it's just there. I'm posting some pics in just a sec.
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...tried to post a bunch of times & just keep getting the little circle cycling forever. It's a re post from what I put in the review page, not sure why it's not working here (the files are all under the requirement) but it's just not working, check the "Review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) Paddle" to see the update. Thanks
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I apologize for being a bit slow getting updates on the Mana progress, I've been waiting for concrete answers from the factory. This is what I know so far; the molds have been made & some "test" blades have been produced. As of yet I'm still waiting on confirmation regarding if actual production has started yet. This I suppose is good news for those of you who are yet to put in your "Zonestarter" payment but time is running out; once I get word on production that'll be it for the Zonestarter offer. Many thanks to everyone who has taken advantage of the offer, it's been a real help & for those who haven't yet there's still a little more time.
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Update (finally) The Manas are in production so to those of you that took advantage of the "Zonestarter" offer, thank you very much for your help & support!! I'll keep you updated regarding expected delivery times. Now that we're in production things should move along in a more orderly/predictable manner. At this point it shouldn't be more than a month out but very likely sooner (fingers crossed). Thanks for your patience & help making the Manas a reality. I'm pretty happy with my experiences with the prototype but I'm curious to hear reports from you guys once we get them in your hands.
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They've FINALLY arrived!! & we've just sent out everyone's "Zonestarter" paddles. Thanks again for everyone's patience. I'm looking forward to hearing the feedback. For those of you who might want a Mana paddle don't think about it for too long or you'll miss the first batch; we've already gone through about half of the shipment & they're not yet "live" on the website (that should change in the next day or so).
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Just a quick "shout out" to say "I Love My Mana90"! Best blade I've ever stuck in the ocean... Great job on this blade, Lane. Paddle on, JD
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