Ke Nalu

For shorter boards, I use huge powerful blades. It allows to take off in one paddle stroke (well, two if you count the first progressive one to make the fins get into laminar flow and get traction), which give the same kind of rush as a prone surfboard "pop up" takeoff. And the leverage for turns in the wave is great. However, the drawback is that they are heavier in the blade (at least the ones I use: Salt paddle "Kenu"), which make them hard to move around a lot and change hands, and it is easy to get too much drag with them in your turns. So they may be a hindrance in contests. I guess my optimal choice would be a featherlight huge blade, and that I am eager to try a Ke Nalu when available in France, which seem to have all the good ideas done right.

So I often use a compromise with a less powerful blade (the Gong "Surf": something a tad more powerful than the Kialoa Saka'Puu to give a comparison) for more agility when conditions are not challenging, but I tend to go for huge blades when conditions are tricky. I was using - and enjoying - small blades (I had a Kiaola Methane a long time at first), but I cannot stand them now, I am "why I am not taking off yet? I want to be on the wave already surfing, not paddling for miles" or "heck, why did the paddle yield under my weight in the turn? dit it break?"

Of course, this is for my 100kg. Lighter people will need less power. Also, big blades can be traumatic, using small blades is a good idea at first to build up your muscles progressively.

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