Author Topic: Sunova Balsa Paddles  (Read 11886 times)

rbgar

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Sunova Balsa Paddles
« on: January 04, 2019, 06:52:46 AM »
Sorry if these have been reported on already, but just noticed these on their website, look beauty! Anyone out there have some time with them, how's the flex?

Blade size is perfect but don't want it to stiff, found that my shoulders like a little softer flex!

Cheers,
JB
« Last Edit: January 04, 2019, 06:58:44 AM by rbgar »

Badger

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Re: Sunova Balsa Paddles
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2019, 08:19:57 AM »
Wow those are nice. The balsa veneer looks fantastic. I wonder how the availability is.

I love the Sunova paddle I have now, but if it breaks I'm stuck. I could go for one of these depending on the price.

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Kalama E3 6'1 x 23" 105L
Axis HPS 980 / PNG 1300
Sunova Flow  8'10 X 31"  119L
Me - 6'0" - 165lbs - 66yo

JimK

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Re: Sunova Balsa Paddles
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2019, 09:54:18 AM »
Badger,

That paddle isn't in the US but I could get it for you might be expensive shipping from Thailand
Give me a call after 3pm 484 515 5758 or PM me here

JimK
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Area 10

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Re: Sunova Balsa Paddles
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2019, 10:55:07 AM »
Presumably if you chip your paddle, the balsa would suck up water even faster than Trump sucks up to Robert Mercer?

supthecreek

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Re: Sunova Balsa Paddles
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2019, 03:16:55 PM »
Sorry if these have been reported on already, but just noticed these on their website, look beauty! Anyone out there have some time with them, how's the flex?

Blade size is perfect but don't want it to stiff, found that my shoulders like a little softer flex!

Cheers,
JB

Hi Johnny

I haven't paddled the balsa yet, but I love my Sunova carbon!
Flex is perfect on that one..... just enough give to be easy on the shoulders.

I'll ask Tino about the flex and performance.

James Casey absolutely loves  his balsa Paddle.... only paddle he uses now.

They are in stock right now in the US.

-----------------------------------------------

Area 10 said:
"Presumably if you chip your paddle, the balsa would suck up water even faster than Trump sucks up to Robert Mercer?"

Yes....That is exactly why Bert Burger chose balsa to make his boards and paddles.... because it sucks  ::)

Area 10, I assume you arrived at your conclusion after exhaustive scientific analysis.
All I have to offer is this short video of why Bert Burger uses Balsa in his boards.
I know he's not discussing his paddles, but it is an insight into why he prefers sucky balsa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXZWF6L--qM






Area 10

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Re: Sunova Balsa Paddles
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2019, 04:19:59 PM »
That video contains no information at all that speaks to the issue I raised.

So I assume you either haven’t understood the problem, or you are deflecting. These are also characteristics often displayed by Trump, who you admire so much. So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

Not so long ago I saw a cross-section cutaway of a Sunova board that a shop was using to demonstrate the Sunova construction. It was a thick wood sandwich. This could be a good thing. But actually the laminate was so thick that it was clearly very difficult to get it to adhere to the foam, and as a consequence the cutaway showed clear areas of delamination. So that really put me off the Sunova construction. But maybe it was just a one-off.

Personally, I prefer a PVC sandwich, since it won’t suck water. Repairs to wood finish boards (or paddles) are also going to be expensive and/or ugly, because matching the wood will be very difficult. By contrast, I remember my Jimmy Lewis M14 (full PVC sandwich) tumbling across the beach into a concrete groyne in 40 knots, but the ding didn’t let in water, and after a cheap repair with easy-to-match paint, I couldn’t even detect anything had happened.

rbgar

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Re: Sunova Balsa Paddles
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2019, 06:25:50 PM »
Bringing BS politics into a paddle review is asinine to it fullest, and your ignorance in composites is telling along with your political spewing.   :o

Badger

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Re: Sunova Balsa Paddles
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2019, 06:27:49 PM »
The balsa used in the Sunova boards will suck water if the outer epoxy layer gets cracked. It happened to my board and required a costly repair. One good thing about it is that if water does get in, the tan colored balsa will quickly turn dark brown when wet so you get plenty of warning before it gets too far.
Kalama E3 6'1 x 23" 105L
Axis HPS 980 / PNG 1300
Sunova Flow  8'10 X 31"  119L
Me - 6'0" - 165lbs - 66yo

Area 10

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Re: Sunova Balsa Paddles
« Reply #8 on: January 09, 2019, 03:07:20 AM »
Bringing BS politics into a paddle review is asinine to it fullest, and your ignorance in composites is telling along with your political spewing.   :o
Thank you for your thoughtful reply.

It would help me greatly to be more accurate in the future if you’d let me know which part of what I wrote was inaccurate.

Bean

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Re: Sunova Balsa Paddles
« Reply #9 on: January 09, 2019, 12:54:17 PM »
Quote from: Area 10 link=topic=34395.msg391662#msg391662
...It would help me greatly to be more accurate in the future if you’d let me know which part of what I wrote was inaccurate.
[/quote

Well, you wrote the following, which is clearly inaccurate:

"Presumably if you chip your paddle, the balsa would suck up water even faster than Trump sucks up to Robert Mercer?"

How do you expect a civil response when you offer up such drivel A10?

Area 10

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Re: Sunova Balsa Paddles
« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2019, 03:31:29 PM »

Well, you wrote the following, which is clearly inaccurate:

"Presumably if you chip your paddle, the balsa would suck up water even faster than Trump sucks up to Robert Mercer?"

How do you expect a civil response when you offer up such drivel A10?

Matters of civility apart, is not the case that the balsa will suck water? I’d be happy for someone to explain why not. A few years ago I was offered a Fanatic wood paddle at a good price, but didn’t buy it because a friend of mine had put a small crack in his which he hadn’t noticed, and it sucked in water super fast, and he ended up having to throw it away. I keep seeing balsa being referred to as “extremely porous” on the internet, so it seems a natural question to ask whether it is the best material for building something relatively fragile that will be immersed in water.

For instance:

“Balsa Drawbacks
The wood's extreme porosity sometimes presents a drawback. Since it is so porous, it absorbs moisture much like a sponge, which changes its weight. Changes in moisture within the wood may cause it to warp...”

From: https://www.hunker.com/13411379/difference-between-basswood-and-balsa-wood
« Last Edit: January 09, 2019, 03:33:50 PM by Area 10 »

Badger

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Re: Sunova Balsa Paddles
« Reply #11 on: January 09, 2019, 04:26:14 PM »
Balsa has been used as a core material in boat hulls and decks for 40 years or more. It's lighter and stiffer than foam cores. If a balsa cored boat hull is damaged in a collision, water quickly permeates the balsa and the repair can be an expensive nightmare. It's just something to be aware of. Same as with carbon boards, you have to be aware that carbon construction is not as strong as other constructions. The weaknesses of balsa and carbon fiber are often trade offs for weight savings, performance and sometimes aesthetics.

.
« Last Edit: January 09, 2019, 04:38:08 PM by Badger »
Kalama E3 6'1 x 23" 105L
Axis HPS 980 / PNG 1300
Sunova Flow  8'10 X 31"  119L
Me - 6'0" - 165lbs - 66yo

eastbound

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Re: Sunova Balsa Paddles
« Reply #12 on: March 11, 2019, 06:06:26 AM »
a10---i think the point is that folk want to keep politics in the clearly political threads

this is clearly not a political thread

disagree that carbon is necessarily weaker than fiberglass or other construction--in practice, i have found the opposite, and many manufacturers claim carbon to be their strongest construction---and so many variables given different layup techs, manufacturers etc

dings ive repaired on sunova and firewire balsa didnt seem to present any unique issues--now i dont bother trying to replicate the original wood grain finish look--but  my ding repairs on painted boards dont look so great either--i try to get close with standard spray paint, but i dont sweat perfection at all--mostly concerned that board stays dry, and that surface is smooth and strong, and that i dont add much weight--and that the board rides same as ever

plumber's epoxy putty has been my friend--and i follow creek's advice: rather than rip the board to pieces, be minimal as possible cutting out the ding, and be liberal about waiting til certain the board is dry---of course creek has 83 boards to choose from at any given time......so if a couple are on a 6 week dryout rehab, he's still quite wet!

i would think the balsa absorbs some of the epoxy?? that make sense?? if the grain soaks up epoxy, it shd be strong as hell--might weigh more tho
Portal Barra 8'4"
Sunova Creek 8'7"
Starboard Pro Blue Carbon  8'10"
KeNalu Mana 82, xTuf, ergoT

 


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