I don't have kialoa hulu but dj has a few and he dw on it alot i'm not sure about surfing.
According to kioloa the hulu = If racing competition is your thing, then you need a light stand up paddle with an aggressive catch and a quick release. This is our Formula 1 race blade.
Also look at the insanity, pipes, and gl paddle.
The Hulu small is a great Surf paddle.. My second favourite Kialoa surf paddle is the new Pipes2.. My next favourite Kialoa surf paddle is the new GL small.. btw the Insanity is also a great surf paddle.. I have all four and tend to use the Pipes2 the most when surfing. Mostly because the flat blade allows a better GoPro mount than the Hulu.
Yeah, I think DJ is right. I have a Kialoa Hulu and a GL Surf (and a Shaka and Methane) and have used a friend's Pipes II. I liked the pipes II best for surfing, with the GL second favourite. I haven't tried an Insanity.
i wish the Kialoa would make a smaller-blade GL surf paddle (I like the shape of the blade go surfing), say around 82 sq inches or something, but with an oval shaft. IMO it's a shame they don't use oval shafts anymore - it used to be almost an USP of Kialoa, and I think they give better control in critical situations.
c'mon Dave, give us a light, oval shafted, GL-bladed small area paddle please (75-82 sq inch range)... with a t-handle that you can hot glue on. And if you can make the blade fit to the shaft with a "seamless join" that can also be hot glued together (using a system like e,g. QB uses for the V Drive etc, with an asymmetric cut) then that would be even better. Then you could sell all pieces separately (like Ke Nalu) which would be great for all those people who seem to insist on breaking their surf paddles at regular intervals.
overall, I don't think any brand makes the perfect surf paddle YET. But there's no reason it couldn't be made.