Author Topic: Quickblade UV82 paddle and comparison to others I own or have tried  (Read 7762 times)

SupSimcoe

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I just purchased a Quickblade UV 82 paddle last week and I own a few other paddles that I will compare to this paddle with the reason I am either selling them or did not purchase them. I spent the better part of a month trying to research what size UV I should get as I was concerned that the 82 would be too small. The reason for this concern is I have a Kenalu Mana 82 and I find that that slips in the water when pushing my board above 5.5 mph. I also have a V drive 91 and I love the hard catch and locked in feel of that paddle. I also have a Kenalu Mana 90 which is my go-to paddle for any paddles over 1.5 hours as it has a smooth entry and is a little softer overall compared to the V91.
Since I was so used to the larger blades I was still unable to believe a UV 82 would be the right choice. I contacted June the Machine and he told me UV82 was perfect for him and he is heavier than me.
I contacted QB and they stated that the UV82 is for anyone under 175lbs. I then reached out to the local retailer and found they only carry the 82 as they find most find the 88 too large so I really did not have much choice unless I want to do an order from the US.
Through that local retailer I was able to go out paddling with one of their customers who is my height and he lent me his UV82 full Carbon for the entire 10k paddle. I instantly felt at home with this paddle. It feals like the V91 in many ways. The key differences  to the 91 that solidified the deal for me was it is a little softer overall than the V91 so I can paddle this for longer than 1.5 hours without feeling the effects as hard the next day.
Because I loved the paddle and the stock was low, I guess Covid has many upgrading equipment, I drove strait to the store and got one of their last full carbon models. Evidently there is a little more flex in the fiberglass Hex blade and I wanted to ensure I had the same feel as the one I tried.
I have now had over a week with the new paddle and have had it in many different conditions so I will now give my full impression of the new paddle.
So you can understand my size for comparison. I am 5'9" and about 157 lbs. I bench 235lbs and can row more than that. I tricep extend and bicep curl 110lbs. My normal paddle cadence is 57 strokes per min will bump up to 62-65 when I want to go over 6mph and will do 75-85 in sprints.
To understand why the catch may be about the same as the V91 I compared the size of the V cup on the 91 and the UV cup on the 82. It was not surprising to find that the UV cup is larger. The V91 V cup is 11cm wide but does not go all the way to the tip so it is only 27cm long and about 4mm deep.
The UV Cup is over 30cm long and is again 11cm wide but is over 1cm deep. I believe that the cup is where this blade gets its holding power from. The entry is about the same hard catch of the 91 but perhaps a little softer as I can paddle for more than 2 hours without the same empty tank.
The UV 82 blade loves a good smooth catch and make sure you keep downward pressure and the more the better. Falling on the paddle is very easy and there is a lot of support when you need it at the end of a long distance.
I find the the new diamond pattern raised grip on the shaft has great grip even when palms are sweaty from 90 degree heat with 80% humidity.
The top of the tapered shaft is still large enough that it feels solid when choking down. I also found that the oval area in the lower hand portion of the shaft is just enough to allow you to know that your paddle is oriented correctly and is extremely comfortable.
I have been for paddles longer than 2 hours without the same soreness and wiped out feeling I have with the V91. I believe that if I would have gone for the larger size it would have been too big and I would not be able to use it for longer than 1.5 hours.
Now to compare this to my Kenalu paddles. The Kenalu Mana 82 has a softer feel on the catch and also softer on the power phase to the point I feel the blade slipping under power. The Kenalu 90 again has a softer catch, does not have the same power as the UV 82 or V91 at the power phase but does not slip like the 82. Both of the Mana paddles can wander back and forth a little during the power phase if your catch is not perfect and you cavitate a little.
To compare with another brand I did have several multi-hour trials of the Black Project Hydro Racing Paddle Medium, 84.5 sqin, paddle in the standard shaft. For that paddle to work properly I had to be almost perfect on the catch or it cavitated. For me to have a good catch I had to really think about it and be precise which was an issue at the end of a long hard paddle so I got slower at the end where I normally maintain speed by falling on the paddle harder. If I did not cavitate the paddle had OK power. I would say it had less power than my Mana 90 and about the same as the 82 with a harder catch. This would be expected with the squared off bottom. I am thinking that the 8 degree angle and softer shaft that Black Project advertises was something that would take a while to get used to and perhaps with a lot more time I could have adapted to this paddle.
For the shaft I again took this out on a hot day and found that the shaft became slippery and I would have to have added wax or a grip tape to get the same amount of grip that the QB shaft has. Overall I did not like the paddle enough to get one and no one had the larger blade size for me to try to see if that was any better.

This is my experience with these paddles so please take it as my experience. I am not sponsored in any way and purchase all my paddles at full pop.
SUP Lake Simcoe
Clearwood VLZ 14*23 hollow wood- self-built
Starboard 2021 Sprint 14*19.75
Kenalu Mana 82
Quickblade UV 82 Carbon
SUP Reviews  http://simcoesup.blogspot.ca/

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Re: Quickblade UV82 paddle and comparison to others I own or have tried
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2020, 08:16:09 AM »
That's a really good review. Pretty much on point with my experience with all these paddles.
Just tried the new BP Hydro Texcarbon MEDIUM-SLIM so the experience is still fresh and I had the same take-away on cavitation and shaft texture ( I have very slippery palms so even the QB is not good enough for me to be fair)

As for the Mana 82, just as you mentioned the I find the entry much soft and smooth than all the other blades I own (which is something I really like in certain conditions ) the only thing I am NOT experiencing with this blade is cavitation which is why I like it. It certainly not as locked at the QB but I can't say I'm missing on stroke due-to fatigue on long distance.
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SupSimcoe

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Re: Quickblade UV82 paddle and comparison to others I own or have tried
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2020, 07:10:23 PM »
Thanks for the information. I do have to note that at slower sub 5.3mph the Mana 82 is fine and does not slip much but I prefer to go faster than that and my self built hollow wood board is fast but heavy so I have a lot of board mass 39lbs which may make this worse.
SUP Lake Simcoe
Clearwood VLZ 14*23 hollow wood- self-built
Starboard 2021 Sprint 14*19.75
Kenalu Mana 82
Quickblade UV 82 Carbon
SUP Reviews  http://simcoesup.blogspot.ca/

burchas

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Re: Quickblade UV82 paddle and comparison to others I own or have tried
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2020, 08:37:22 PM »
Given the weight of your board, did you give any consideration to stroke ratio?
Also you didn't mention the difference in shaft flex between the two. Which shafts are you using for these paddles?
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SupSimcoe

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Re: Quickblade UV82 paddle and comparison to others I own or have tried
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2020, 06:49:33 AM »
Burchas,

Can you explain stroke ratio?

For the shafts
Mana 82- Flex 100
Mana 90- Flex 90
V91- lightweight round
uv 82- Diamond elite
BP Hydro- Med round
SUP Lake Simcoe
Clearwood VLZ 14*23 hollow wood- self-built
Starboard 2021 Sprint 14*19.75
Kenalu Mana 82
Quickblade UV 82 Carbon
SUP Reviews  http://simcoesup.blogspot.ca/

burchas

  • Custom Built
  • Cortez Bank Status
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Re: Quickblade UV82 paddle and comparison to others I own or have tried
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2020, 05:34:46 PM »
Take a look here: http://kanuculture.com/brokenpaddle/doublebends

Lots of info here, a lot related to canoe but some good take aways for sup imo. Here is an excerpt:

Quote
Tahitian 1:2
Short ‘High Square’ Recovery through to Set Up (1)
Reduced Reach at Entry + Long Power Phase Past Hip (2)
@64-70spm

Tahitians went on to develop a 1:2 ratio for super long, hot, flat water races, which relied upon a short, snappy recovery, followed by a long and now slower, less aggressive stroke, with long pull back. This suited the nature of their waters, the high humidity and long duration of many of their races.

The stroke rate is very much less at this ‘relaxed’ race pace of under 70 spm. Little rotation remained prevalent and arms were not hyper-extended and locked during the pull phase.

Driving downwards with the top arm was now replacing some of the propulsive power previously created from pushing forwards with the top arm when the paddle was vertical.

Take down 10 strokes per minutes to account for the longer sup paddle. You could end up with slightly lower cadence than your usual but higher performance and efficiency on the account of the ratio. It wouldn't necessarily translate well to a 20lbs board but for a 40lbs board that should present some good benefits if done right. There are some good clips on Youtube where Johnny Puakea touches on the subject.
« Last Edit: June 15, 2020, 05:38:14 PM by burchas »
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SupSimcoe

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Re: Quickblade UV82 paddle and comparison to others I own or have tried
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2020, 06:16:17 PM »
Thanks

I already do the fast return with all my strokes and either do as described with the long stroke with less rotation or the Larry Cain style bend knees and twist or a Boothie Style  short stroke with less twist.

I go for long paddles 10-12 miles at least twice a week and my short paddles at present around 6 miles which I do 2-3 a week and then some longer 7-8 mile paddles between those.

A few times a year I do 27mile paddles and a few 14-17 mile paddles so I need a variety of strokes to prevent overuse and fatigue.
SUP Lake Simcoe
Clearwood VLZ 14*23 hollow wood- self-built
Starboard 2021 Sprint 14*19.75
Kenalu Mana 82
Quickblade UV 82 Carbon
SUP Reviews  http://simcoesup.blogspot.ca/

burchas

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Re: Quickblade UV82 paddle and comparison to others I own or have tried
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2020, 05:14:34 AM »
I already do the fast return with all my strokes and either do as described with the long stroke with less rotation or the Larry Cain style bend knees and twist or a Boothie Style  short stroke with less twist.

That explains your output discrepancies between the Mana 82 and UV 82. Are both same length?
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SupSimcoe

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Re: Quickblade UV82 paddle and comparison to others I own or have tried
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2020, 06:50:04 AM »
They are within a 1/2" of each other, Mana longer,  and I definitely bury the Mana much more as I search for grip.
SUP Lake Simcoe
Clearwood VLZ 14*23 hollow wood- self-built
Starboard 2021 Sprint 14*19.75
Kenalu Mana 82
Quickblade UV 82 Carbon
SUP Reviews  http://simcoesup.blogspot.ca/

burchas

  • Custom Built
  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 2508
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Quickblade UV82 paddle and comparison to others I own or have tried
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2020, 07:10:51 AM »
They are within a 1/2" of each other, Mana longer,  and I definitely bury the Mana much more as I search for grip.

Try little longer. Mana's effective surface is about 2" shorter.
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