Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => Gear Talk => Topic started by: Paddle On on May 13, 2018, 07:22:51 PM
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I have been using the rip stick 89 and really liking it. Thinking to try the 79 as I move down to smaller boards. Any thoughts/experience you can share?
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Same question - thinking about the Rip Stick 79, 170 lbs on roughly 104 - 110L boards.
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Each time I've stepped down in board size, I've also reduced my blade size (and shaft length). A sluggish small board with big paddle blade will hurt your shoulders and make you zigzag a load more. I also want a quick burst of strokes to get the board moving, so a smaller blade will allow pulling through the water faster even if the power isn't there.
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For surfing the smallest paddle is the best. I have a tiny wiki kenalu, and a tiny kialoa. Both are well under 80 inches.
Back in prehistoric times, Big Mama Kalama 110 square inches ruled the wasteland!🤭
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There is no right answer. It's personal preference. Small doesn't cut it for me. I need power to get moving. Individual size, strength, style of surfing, bracing needs (balance) all figure into it and everyone is different. Folks in general tend to be moving to smaller blades but that's just a trend....your mileage may vary. Mr Big weighs about the same as my left leg...he could paddle a swizzle stick..... ;)
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Typically you want shorter stokes at a higher cadence when scrapping into waves. That's why so many SUS paddles have gotten smaller in area.
I'm 145 lbs and use a 77. My buddy who is 245 prefers a 90. My friend @ 220 uses an 83.
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I have been using the rip stick 89 and really liking it. Thinking to try the 79 as I move down to smaller boards. Any thoughts/experience you can share?
I use a Ripstick 79 and really like it. If they made one with even smaller area (maybe 10% less) I would have that too. I prefer short shaft and small blade area for surfing.
If you are already familiar with the 89 and are moving down in board size the 79 would be a good choice.
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With my C'hitty balance in multi-directional swells, I like a smaller blade to chop-n-slash at the water rapidly. It perhaps takes my mind off falling and doesn't make as dramatic changes in direction.
Jim
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For surfing the smallest paddle is the best. I have a tiny wiki kenalu, and a tiny kialoa. Both are well under 80 inches.
Back in prehistoric times, Big Mama Kalama 110 square inches ruled the wasteland!🤭
The Big Mama Kalama was actually 120 sq ins I think. I still have a 110.
Stoney is right, it’s a matter of personal preference, and what board you ride and in what conditions. I really miss the bracing advantage of a medium or large blade if I go too small. But too big and I put my body under too much strain. So I tend to compromise on a middle ground.
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At 248# I prefer a 90 sq. in. paddle as a compromise between cadence and bracing ability. Started at 100.
Maybe I'll try to talk Wardog into offering an 80" paddle for the smaller members of my family? I've had a couple of his paddles for 7 years now. I guess using them as canes walking out of the water at Sano as well as bracing and pulling as hard as I can trying to get into some waves hasn't been too much for them to handle.
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When I got into SUP, at 145 lbs, my first paddle was an 85 since I had my "left" shoulder surgically repaired 16 years ago. Now I'm 146 lbs and my "right" shoulder was surgically repaired 1 year ago.
With both shoulders surgically repaired, I sold my 85 and bought a 75 on the advice of my orthopedic surgeon. This was the right choice in blade size for me.
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Stoney is right, it’s a matter of personal preference, and what board you ride and in what conditions. I really miss the bracing advantage of a medium or large blade if I go too small. But too big and I put my body under too much strain. So I tend to compromise on a middle ground.
And with the Rip Stick you have to figure in the crazy level of catch that paddle has. I use the 89" but it gets tiring after a couple of hours. I'd like a smaller blade and have been on the lookout for a 79" to demo.
Or I suppose I could get into better aerobic shape.
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Yes, Stoney is right.
Here is something to think about, NW's 75sq inch paddle at 145lbs, works out to about .50 sq inches per pound. My 100 sq inch paddle at a body weight of 205lbs, also comes out to approx .50 sq inches per pound.
At 5'10" I started out surfing with a 100 sq inch 82" long paddle, but I have slowly adapted into an easier gear and higher cadence by simply shortening of my surf paddles (about head high depending upon the thickness of the board).
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^ My BPI (Bean Paddle Index) is .47 with my current surf paddle size (which I would like to reduce).
My ideal BPI is .45 with an 85" blade. No wonder I want a smaller surf blade... I just didn't have the metrics til now ;)
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I'm not sure blade area to rider weight is linear. 100 sqin for a 205 lbs guy seems big compared to the trend. But as people have said, it really does become a preference thing. Strength, rider height, board size, paddle technique, etc.
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I use a Maliko 95 probably 95% of the time. Konihi 95 occasionally, Molokai 105 rarely and Wiki 84 never. Even I've gone smaller i guess, started with the Molokai as my weapon of choice.....but it is relative. The Maliko is a small paddle for me at 6-4 280. The Konihi is weird...I get a faster cadence but it seems like it catches bigger. I still prefer it more for distance and downwind but i have surfed with it more and more.
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DP, it's definitely not linear, not even for the same person. Clearly, if I gained 50 lbs that would not mean that I should add 25 sq inches to my paddle blade.
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I once thought that cadence was something hardwired into people, like some bicyclist like to spin and some like to torque. And so people wired for high cadence should get a small blade. Now I think it's mostly a matter of stroke quality. If you bury your blade without splashing, wait a microsecond for the blade to settle and the air to bleed off the face and back, and then catch the blade, pressing down as much as you pull, then a smaller blade will work for you. If you don't do all that then you need a bigger blade to make up for the inevitable slip and compromised catch.
I'd explain the physics and hydrodynamics behind my reasoning, but it would bore even me. Suffice it to say that if the only thing that surrounds your blade is incompressible water instead of an air and water mix, then the water flows across and off the blade relatively slowly. If that's the only way for the blade to slip through the water then a big blade isn't necessary.
Of course if your stroke really sucks, and you aren't burying the blade, then you need a big blade to compendate.
If I focus on my best catch for the entire length of a paddle, then the fastest paddle for me is the Konihi 84. If I start picking daisies it's slow. The fastest blade for my on-again, off-again focus is the Mana 90.
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DP, it's definitely not linear, not even for the same person. Clearly, if I gained 50 lbs that would not mean that I should add 25 sq inches to my paddle blade.
Yep...Just having fun...
But what if it were 50 lbs of muscle?
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DP, it's definitely not linear, not even for the same person. Clearly, if I gained 50 lbs that would not mean that I should add 25 sq inches to my paddle blade.
Yep...Just having fun...
But what if it were 50 lbs of muscle?
I'd be a total babe magnet brah! Trade in my paddles for a uke and my Birdwells for some Speedos.
But on a more serious note, me with 50lbs more muscle would probably be comfortable with a slightly bigger blade, while 50lbs more fat would probably be better with a smaller blade.
The reality is, I can't set an 84...
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I have friends with both the Rip Stick 89 and 79 and tried them back to back and prefer the 79 especially with smaller boards--had more than enough pull for me. I weigh 185 lbs. I didn't buy one as I decided to cut down my Konihi 84 to surf size and have been using that ever since.
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Of course if your stroke really sucks, and you aren't burying the blade, then you need a big blade to compensate.
Probably explains my preference.....I'm a flailer of the 1st order..... :)
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Any other opinions of the Rip Stick? I'd love to try one, but no one around me has any for demo.
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i bought one and took it for a maiden voyage.
100% better for small SUS balance, night and day, instead of having to remind/train myself to move slow, gently it felt natural and easy, also when riding the wave felt great...............
on the other hand when i paddled a long ways to the next break or when paddling for the wave it seemed to be slower, but then again i did not pull myself off balance.
i am going to follow PonoBills advise and attempt to "bury your blade without splashing, wait a microsecond for the blade to settle and the air to bleed off the face and back, and then catch the blade, pressing down as much as you pull".
i will give this a try tomorrow morning and report back.
all that said i am guessing that if i was on one of my larger boards that it would be slower, then a gain i am 200lb with lots of inertia!
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Paddle On - Did you get the 79?
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yes, after a second session with the 79 in light off shore wind it is just too small for me. not only do i have to sit inside with a small SUS board i had to catch the wave even later.
so for this 200lb barge i need more horse power, good thing i still have my 89. im kinda bummed as the paddle is so light a awesome for balancing.
anyone interested in a rip stick 79? only used twice!
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That's exactly what happens to me if I try going with a small blade on a small board. You have to sit so far inside you almost don't need a paddle. Sometimes you're going whether you want to or not...:). It takes more to get a small board moving initially anyway and for me it feels like with a small blade I'm trying to go fast with only 1st gear. I've tried changing to a fast cadence. I just do better with a bigger blades oomph.
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just like when you step down in board size until you go too small and then you jump back up ;D
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I'm still thinking about the Rip Stick 79 for my smaller boards. I still have the Hippostick Al Pro 8.0 (89 sq in.) as my primary surf paddle, I'm thinking that the smaller blade would be useful with my lower volume board when in smaller surf. Keep the AL Pro for bigger surf when I really need a ton of power.
Thoughts?
I'm 175 lbs, 100L board on my smallest one.
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At 245 lbs, I like a 100 to 110 but short, and only on my shortest totally sunk board. In the lineup, I'm constantly using it to brace. And when punching through the white water paddling out, I like that extra bracing surface. I make very few meaningful strokes when I'm sup surfing a short board. A few quick strokes trying to get past the impact zone on the paddle out, but even then I can't take a big stroke with a board that's 80% sunk. On my 10' and up boards a 95 is just fine. With the bigger boards I can pretty much stand in the lineup without bracing. And with the longer board, I can actually get a tiny bit of glide which helps with catching waves further out. My distance paddle is almost 12" longer than my SUS paddle.
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At 245 lbs, I like a 100 to 110 but short, and only on my shortest totally sunk board. In the lineup, I'm constantly using it to brace. And when punching through the white water paddling out, I like that extra bracing surface. I make very few meaningful strokes when I'm sup surfing a short board. A few quick strokes trying to get past the impact zone on the paddle out, but even then I can't take a big stroke with a board that's 80% sunk. On my 10' and up boards a 95 is just fine. With the bigger boards I can pretty much stand in the lineup without bracing. And with the longer board, I can actually get a tiny bit of glide which helps with catching waves further out. My distance paddle is almost 12" longer than my SUS paddle.
Yeah, so right now here's my setup:
KeNalu Ho'oloa 95 sq. in - 7 inches over my head - race/flat water
Hippostick Al Pro 89 sq. in - 72" long (my height)
Thinking the 79 would fit in on my smallest board and possibly go down to my forehead. Higher cadence.
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At 245 lbs, I like a 100 to 110 but short, and only on my shortest totally sunk board. In the lineup, I'm constantly using it to brace. And when punching through the white water paddling out, I like that extra bracing surface. I make very few meaningful strokes when I'm sup surfing a short board. A few quick strokes trying to get past the impact zone on the paddle out, but even then I can't take a big stroke with a board that's 80% sunk. On my 10' and up boards a 95 is just fine. With the bigger boards I can pretty much stand in the lineup without bracing. And with the longer board, I can actually get a tiny bit of glide which helps with catching waves further out. My distance paddle is almost 12" longer than my SUS paddle.
Yeah, so right now here's my setup:
KeNalu Ho'oloa 95 sq. in - 7 inches over my head - race/flat water
Hippostick Al Pro 89 sq. in - 72" long (my height)
Thinking the 79 would fit in on my smallest board and possibly go down to my forehead. Higher cadence.
I've got a good paddle that's too short now. I kept going shorter and shorter, then my back started telling me that was too short.
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Reviving this post, thinking about the Rip Stick 79 with a smaller shaft/grip based on the length I need - 72". Any thoughts on going this small in paddle size given I'm 6'0, 170 lbs, and currently on a 87 sq in blade.
I've had some shoulder issues not caused by paddling, but definitely excerabated by it. I'm thinking of using this paddle with my smaller - 100-110L boards in beachbreak, keep the other paddle for my longboard, and when I know I'll have some long distance paddling.
Thoughts?
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Thinking of buying the Rip Stick 79 because there's a decent discount on it, and I figured it would be a nice complement to my larger 87 sq in paddle for my smaller boards and when my shoulder is acting up. Any other reviews/thoughts?
I hate that I can't demo gear before buying.
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Do you have access to any small blade paddle? That might help your decision. I commented earlier in this thread on how grabby the blade is. It's such that I'm sure the 79" punches above its weight.
That said, PaddleOn ultimately found the 79" too small. So regardless of blade design, it might be just a function of how a sub 80" blade feels to you.
Where is it discounted?
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small for sure, though depends on your weight & height ratio & shaft flex.
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People tend to get excited when going for a wave and their stroke comes apart. Happens to almost everyone except people like Dave Kalama, whose stroke gets cleaner as the waves get bigger. If that's you, then a bit bigger will help. It's certainly me, which is why my surf blade is a Mana 90 and my downwind blade is a Konihi 82.
I broke my Mana yesterday and grabbed the Konihi to keep playing. It was a bit bitchy because it was too long, but once I got used to it and paid attention to getting a good stroke I started catching waves. Every time I missed on I thought through the cause--poor catch and lousy stroke--almost every time.
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People tend to get excited when going for a wave and their stroke comes apart. Happens to almost everyone except people like Dave Kalama, whose stroke gets cleaner as the waves get bigger. If that's you, then a bit bigger will help. It's certainly me, which is why my surf blade is a Mana 90 and my downwind blade is a Konihi 82.
I broke my Mana yesterday and grabbed the Konihi to keep playing. It was a bit bitchy because it was too long, but once I got used to it and paid attention to getting a good stroke I started catching waves. Every time I missed on I thought through the cause--poor catch and lousy stroke--almost every time.
That's interesting, mine definitely falls apart (depending on conditions/board). I'm mainly looking at smaller blade for faster cadence, because when I do actively make it a point to speed my cadence up and shorten my stroke it feels so much smoother.
The other issue being that I'm thinking it may help with my shoulder pain.
It's probably also key to note when I will use which paddle:
Current Paddle - Hippostick Al Pro 89 sq in - cut to 1" OH - use with higher volume board (150L longboard)
New paddle - cut to OH (1" shorter) - use with smaller volume boards (100 - 110L shortboards)
I'm 6'0", 170 lbs.
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Where is the sale on the Ripsticks?
I’m looking to get a second one.
I have the 89 adjustable 2 piece.
After a year I’ve found my preferred length and I never adjust it.
I think I’ll get the fixed one piece and keep my current paddle as a backup or loaner for friends.
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So, I've had the Rip Stick out twice now, once when I got it on flatwater, and once in waist/chest surf with a pretty stiff offshore wind which was a good test of power. Short answer, I love it, here's some observations:
Session #1: Flatwater (I used my 8'8" not my 14' board to get a feel):
I went out with both paddles going back and forth for comparsion sake. First thing I noticed - the smaller shaft. I was a bit aprehensive about it because I'm a 6'0, 170 lbs. man and I think the smaller shaft/handle is more oriented towards women, etc. It works really well, I think part of my shoulder pain was from inadverently gripping the paddle too tight taking off on a wave. Going back to my old paddle feels like wielding a battle axe. The smaller handle does take a bit of getting used to, but it's not a problem.
From a power/cadence standpoint, it's not a huge drop off from 89 to 77 sq in, what I can tell is that I can certainly increase my cadence and it feels a lot smoother.
Wave session -
i tried going back and forth, started off 15 minutes with my Hippostick, went in to switch to the Rip Stick and never went back for the Hippostick. It's probably going to be for sale now. I don't know if it's just a personal feel or what, but I definiitely prefer the Rip Stick now. That and it seemed to be easier on my shoulder, no pain, although it's only been 1 session in the waves, so I will have to get a bit larger sample size on that. Definitely feels as if it has more flex than the Hippostick as well.