Well on Saunday morning went for a surf and low and behold after about 30 mins my paddle breaks. Not that i am to worried as it came with the board and not the best quality out there.
Now the question is what do i get, i am a solid lump so i am not concerned about being the lightest i mainly use it int he surf or just cruising around with the wife so durability is more important than lightness. I dont want to spend a fortune as i am only a punter but still want full carbon.
Thanks in advance
My vote is for quickblade. Ive got 3. Had one since i started SUP pretty much only surf and have given it a flogging. Still going strong
I would recommend Quickblade also.
I have two and they have been used a lot. One for distance and downwind and one for surfing. Have not had a single problem.
THEY CAN BE EXPENSIVE DEPENDING on the model you buy but are worth every cent.
ET.
Gareth has the Wave LE been updated? What's the difference if so?
Have had my eye on one of these for a while, and I'm due for an upgrade.
Hi mate, here is a photo of the handle on the Wave LE paddle, really comfy to hold.
The new 2016 paddles are tougher, stronger and more efficient than ever. Biggest changes are with the HELE, Wave LE and Race LE.
Link to the Naish paddles is www.naishsurfing.com/product/wave-le-fixed/
Another vote for Quickblade. Really great product. I've got 2 that I've been using for a few years now and they're still going strong. As previously mentioned though, they are expensive.
Another Quickblade here. Although i only have one that i DW and surf with...
maybe i should look at getting another one...
still haven't snapped my ke nalu demo paddle with the x tuff shaft.......so that would be the piggy bank where I would be placing my hard earned pennies
Ke Nalu all the way. I broke 2 other know brands before getting a Ke Nalu Moliko, have never had an issue with it or my race paddle. Even when having it stuck it a hole at Padang while I was wrapped around it going over the falls it didn't even crack.
I've had my naish makani fixed and Kaholo vario for 2 years now.still in good shape ...I use the Kaholo which is full carbon in the waves .it gives a quick ,firm action .Its very tuff.i have hit rocks with it ...and it hardly marked it .
Thanks for all the replies.
Quickblade seems to get the general nod, any recomendations within the Sydney region.
I've still got my first paddle (2010 100in? QB adjustable composite) and used it last night on the Nalu - great for paddling on to small fat beachies & flatwater cruising. Over the past few years I've mainly used a Kialoa Shaka-puu for surf (although snapped 2 shafts so wouldn't recommend them) - the main issue I have with the Kialoa is the stiff shaft creating shoulder soreness. I recently bought a board through SB buy'n'sell and threw the extra coin at a Naish LE wave paddle - definitely my favorite so far! Soft shaft, lightweight and so far has been tough enough to handle my bulky weight when throwing a board around & paddling hard to catch the early waves.
Kialoa builds some awesome paddles, and they're really stout, the new Quickblade designs are really elegant, and the construction quality is topnotch. You can't go wrong with either. But I'm particularly fond of KeNalu and not just because I co-founded the company (sold it, too much work). I like the component construction and the design that lets the components be assembled with hot glue. If you break something with a KeNalu you replace the broken bit. If you want to try a smaller blade, or a high aspect blade, or the whacky but really fast Konihi blades, you just get a blade. I think Lane is still doing the "forever paddle" warranty, which means if you break a part you can replace it at a deep discount. Doesn't matter how you broke it, just that you prove it's broken. At least that's what we were doing when I was part of the company.
Ke Nalu people wind up with a lot of bits that they mix and match from. I change my paddles to fit conditions, board thickness, the kind of activity, and how my back feels. The xTus(s) shaft is like medicine for my screwed up shoulders, and the 100 Flex stiff shaft gets the power into the catch right now.
My 2 cents.
I have a QuickBlade that separates into 3 pieces, which was handy, but the blade was >100 sq inches so I bought a Ke Nalu for surfing which was closer to 92 sq-in. As Pono Bill pointed out, the fact that you can use a hair dryer to remove the blade (and handle) makes it great if something needs to be replaced, etc., but it is also good for travel. And the Ke Nalu shaft has a texture which makes it easier to grip - I found the QB slipped in my hands much more.
I've had the Kialoa Methane for about 5yrs, to me it was great though sometimes wishing it was a bit softer, just recently I bought and used the KeNalu wiki with xtuff shaft, well what a revelation this piece of equipment is. It seems to propel me on to the wave quicker and more importantly is easier on the body and boy is this body feeling it lately, highly recommend KeNalu wiki blade with xtuff shaft, I'm 53yrs 83kg, 5'10" and extremely good looking.
My vote goes for Ke Nalu (easy to replace components + texture to facilitate grip) + I've got a Laird Carbon X Stiff (I put monster grip on part of the shaft for extra grip) which has really been banged about & it's still going strong. I briefly owned a Wave LE but I personally found it to have too much flex + the diameter of the shaft felt too thin
Vote for KeNalu. Have the Xtuf Maliko, surprisingly light! Love the Ergo-T handle, highly recommend. I tried quick blades, but for the price and what KeNalu provides, I personally find it hard to take the plunge.
Hi Portstretch,
Recently bought the fanatic carbon pro after many years using/snapping lower end paddles.
So far so good. It's light, handle is comfy, easier to switch from side to side & I reckon I catch more waves with it.
Yep - and it especially applies to cheap carbon. Once it gets hit, is scored, or gets continuous strain in one concentrated area, it weakens fast - and isn't long before failure hits. You never see it coming either. A "join" or second piece just makes it worse: