Quickblade 8" Slimline - Review

Quickblade 8" Slimline

Mona Vale
11 February 2010

I was visiting Andrew from Balmoral Boards the other day and we got talking about paddles. He was raving about this Slimline Quick Blade he had been using and even though I was very happy with my current paddles I accepted his offer of taking a brand new one for a spin. It wasn't until a few days later that I finally found the time to cut it down to my size and get it wet.

One word: Control.

The 8" Slimline supplies so much control between the paddler and the water. No wiggles, no wobbles, just 100% smooth drive resulting in direct forward momentum.

I cut it down to eight inches overhead - a nice length for flatwater paddling, in my opinion, as I thought this would be an ideal paddle for me on my longer boards.

I went out at Mona Vale Basin on my PSH 12'0" Gun. It was only small - about 2 feet on the biggest sets with a very light onshore wind. The water was empty which is almost unheard of during daylight hours at the Basin when there is any kind of clean wave breaking there - probably had something to do with the shark attack that happened there about an hour earlier. Heaps of photographers and TV news crews were shooting me which was very flattering - but that also probably had something to do with the shark attack that happened there about an hour earlier.

The length felt great on the first few strokes - I sit higher out of the water on my 12 footer than I do on my 8'8" and the blade was sitting nicely in the water during a natural stroke.

This is the first blade I've used for a while with a dihedral or spine down the middle. I used to think maybe these were unnecessary but the control you get with this paddle is unbelievable. You can push it as hard as you like without it wavering even the slightest. All your effort goes directly where it is supposed to with no wasted drive caused by cavitation. The overall effect is total stability, control and direct power - just what we all look for in a paddle.

The power comes into its own when you are trying to get onto waves. Those tiny peelers were tricky to get into but I didn't miss a single wave with my big board/powerful paddle combo.

Even though smaller than most, the 8" Quick Blade is bigger than I generally use in the surf. However, the 575 grams of Slimline is easily nimble enough to swap hands quickly and move around the board without being a hindrance at all. Its easy entry and smooth release from the water makes those quick little strokes while surfing a breeze and it's a great width for pushing your board around with plenty of power - especially when your board is 12'0".

The grip on my version of the Slimline is soooo comfortable. The ergonomic carbon handle is sheathed in a thin layer of EVA foam which supplies great, non slip control and exceptional comfort in the hand. I love it. All paddles should have these I reckon. It makes using the paddle a luxurious pleasure.

When Andrew gave me the paddle he pointed out the red line around the edge of the blade, stating that it was some kind of PVC which minimises the damage to your rails as it is much softer than carbon fibre. I felt it. It felt sharp and hard. I was sceptical. I've use the paddle quite a few times now both in the surf and in frantic race situations - not a mark on my rails at all. Cool. It must really work.

The quality of this paddle is awesome. I'm not sure how they are made but it looks like a machine has popped out this little puppy - no amount of hand glassing expertise could create a piece of engineering this perfect. Have a close look at one sometime - even the carbon weave is perfectly aligned.

Highs:
- Heaps of controlled power.
- Light weight.
- Extremely smooth through the water.
- Beautifully comfortable handle.
- Quality construction.

Lows:
- Doesn't come with a cover.

These are the Specs from Jim Terrell of Quickblade and the Kialoa website.

Quickblade KANAHA Carbon 9" x 18" 110 square inches.
Quickblade KANAHA Carbon 8.7 x 17" 100 square inches. 19oz 540g
Quickblade KANAHA Carbon 8.3 x 16" 90 square inches.
Quickblade KANAHA Carbon SLIM 8.2 x 18" 100 square inches. 19oz 540g

Quickblade KANAHA FG blade 8.7 x 17" 100 square inches. 20oz 570g

Quickblade RACE ELITE 8.7 x 17" 100 square inches. 16oz 450g