review of the Ke Nalu (Pono Bill) paddle

[StandinDan]

I used Gorilla Glue on my Ke Nalu paddle and blade with some electrical tape to finish it of and pretty it up. That stuff expands a little bit so you have to keep a eye on the seams and keep wiping them down until the expansion is through. No problems, water tight and solid as a rock, but you need to be sure about things because with that stuff there is no taking it back, its a permanent deal - kind of like saying the F word in front of your mother.

[Kojack]

StandinDan.  I laughed out loud at that one!

[LM]

I don't mean to hijack the thread but we FINALLY have the T-Shirts listed on the website & I figured this was the most appropriate place to let you know & as promised I've set up a "Zoner" deal. You have to be logged on the site to make a purchase so if you don't have an account you'll need to set one up. Then you need to go all the way through the purchase process but on the Checkout page there is a "Have a Coupon?" window, in this window enter 83150 and you'll get $10 off a T-shirt. All the T's will come with a free logo sticker. Thanks a TON for all your support!

[Takeo]

I don't mean to hijack the thread but we FINALLY have the T-Shirts listed on the website & I figured this was the most appropriate place to let you know & as promised I've set up a "Zoner" deal. You have to be logged on the site to make a purchase so if you don't have an account you'll need to set one up. Then you need to go all the way through the purchase process but on the Checkout page there is a "Have a Coupon?" window, in this window enter 83150 and you'll get $10 off a T-shirt. All the T's will come with a free logo sticker. Thanks a TON for all your support!

I have to brag that I got my shirts and decals and love them a lot! These are quality t-shirts as you'll see from the website pics! Thanks Lane for the "Zoners" deal!  I know you were working hard on getting it up on the website!

[Big Ed]

I started with xtuf Maliko it was too flexy at my full shaft length of 82”  I felt like I was sprinting on a 1980’s carbon fiber noodle bike. It was cool if you timed the whip kick, but my wave productivity suffered. So quickly I moved to Xtuf S and my body and surfing was happy.  The blade design is flat out amazing. With my new L41 Sim SUP I needed to make paddle change to get my stroke rate up and spin a lighter gear. So I ordered a 100 Flex Wiki and I love it. The smaller blade and stiffer shaft are my friends. I used it in the Mongoose Cup this last weekend for short sprint race and surfing on Sunday. It felt like I had found the right gear on my bike to “do the work” at hand. Listing to Jimmy Terrell talk this weekend he is seeing a trend toward shorter  paddle heights and also mentioned about using 1.12 multiplied your height to find a starting point for length. How lucky we are to have self adjustable paddle kit to make changes. Thanks Ke Nalu!

[Boludo]

I've had my xtfuf with wiki elite for a while now.  Absolutely the best however I keep getting a little bit of water in it.  I have pulled the blade and handle off at least 7 or 8 times now and reglued it.  I thought I was doing a good job with it but in just a little bit of time a little bit of water starts to enter.
What's the best solution?   Are others having this problem as well?

Update:  no luck!  I'm at a dead end and will probably just end up ordering a new one.

Believe me, I've tried and exhausted every option.  High strength glue, trying lots of it, little bit of it, running my finger on the grove to create a seal, twisting handle, moving it up and done, making sure glue is plenty hot, pre-warming up the blade end and shaft, using electrical tape, self fusing silicone tape... water keeps getting in from the blade end.

I have a friends Ke Nalu that I cut and glued and he has had zero issues with his.

For some reason a very small amount is getting in on the blade end and I can see it slowly leak after a session.

I showed Big Ed the shaft on my xtuf and he said he can definitely feel a ridge or vein running down the entire shaft.  I've compared with others and none others have that.  So I am wondering if that could be the problem.  It has pretty much leaked from day 1 that I've had it.

[PonoBill]

If there's a flaw then it's certainly a warranty thing. PM Lane and I'm sure he'll take care of you.

[Boludo]

Ok will do. I also think it may be the shaft because the handle will leak too but not every session. My thought is because its not always in the water like the blade. Thanks!

[jdmotes]

 Yes; By all means file a warranty claim on the website... If you've gone through all of that, there's something wrong - either with an 'out of round' shaft or the frog of the blade...  Paddle on,   JD

[jd]

I've had my xtfuf with wiki elite for a while now.  Absolutely the best however I keep getting a little bit of water in it.  I have pulled the blade and handle off at least 7 or 8 times now and reglued it.  I thought I was doing a good job with it but in just a little bit of time a little bit of water starts to enter.
What's the best solution?   Are others having this problem as well?

Update:  no luck!  I'm at a dead end and will probably just end up ordering a new one.

Believe me, I've tried and exhausted every option.  High strength glue, trying lots of it, little bit of it, running my finger on the grove to create a seal, twisting handle, moving it up and done, making sure glue is plenty hot, pre-warming up the blade end and shaft, using electrical tape, self fusing silicone tape... water keeps getting in from the blade end.

I have a friends Ke Nalu that I cut and glued and he has had zero issues with his.

For some reason a very small amount is getting in on the blade end and I can see it slowly leak after a session.

I showed Big Ed the shaft on my xtuf and he said he can definitely feel a ridge or vein running down the entire shaft.  I've compared with others and none others have that.  So I am wondering if that could be the problem.  It has pretty much leaked from day 1 that I've had it.

Have you checked the foam that is sandwiched between the carbon on the blade near where the shaft inserts into the blade?  I was noticing on mine that it has a bunch of small holes in it.  Might be getting in there.  Just a guess on my part though.

[LM]

The faithful will know what these are...even though the topic was quite a while ago. What I've learned over the past couple of years is EVERYTHING takes longer than you think it will, or should but they're on the way, no more confusion.

[Rogue Wave]

The new shaft logos look great Lane!

To everyone in Canada, we will have new paddles in stock in a few weeks, but you can pre-order now if you wish.

It's going to be a great season!

Lee

[mdsurf]

Lane,

The new labels on the shafts looks great and a great way to identify the components.

One small change and it looks like a new beautiful paddle.

[Takeo]

Awesome Lane!

[Henrik F]

Those are beautiful!

Henrik F