Select to expand quoteArea10 said..
Nice.
C'mon then, what's the story with the bent shaft paddle?
Kialoa have been making double bend OC1 paddles for years and their more recent design with a kink towards the handle works so much better than the common s bend like many others (and Kialoa also still make) because the s bend only allowes for a very small sweet spot for the lower hand.. I was really keen to buy a Werner double bend paddle a few years ago and lucky for me I tryed one before buying.. It felt pretty bad IMO.. One nice thing about it was a comfee ergo lower had possition.. but everything else was bad.. Way too thick in the shaft.. felt clombersome changing sides.. Plus it felt way too stiff like paddling with a piece of 2 by 4..
When I first heard about the new Kialoa double bend paddle (at least 6 months ago) I had seen a picture of Gerry Lopez using one.. and I had heard that he said it was the best paddle that he'd ever used.. He loved it.. I was keen to buy one for myself.. I asked about it and after a few months of waiting I was thinking they'd given up on putting them into production.. Anyway.. a couple of weeks ago I was buying myself two new surf paddles.. The new Pipes 2 and the new Gerry Lopez Surf Wahine.. and at the same time I asked one more time about the double bend race/downwind paddle.. Dave Chun from Kialoa replied to me saying that it is definatlly going into production.. Still a few months away.. But would try a let me buy one early so they can be shipped together with my other surf paddles.. Well Dave came through and it arrived recently.. I assumed the shape was an ergo thing like the Werner.. and the added blade angle was to bring back any reach lost from the bend in the shaft.. I asked Dave Chun and this was his reply..
"Why a double bend? The double bend allows the paddler to bend the elbow of the top arm. More bend in the elbow, keeps the shoulder joint in a more ergonomic position. Paddling with a straight top arm, puts pressure on the rotator cuff. Which is bad." and he said the extra angle on the blade is not so much for reach but to put the blade in a more virticle angle in the water during the power part of the stroke..
Even though this paddle feels very different to any paddle I've used before I loved it.. Even though it was the same 'Hulu Small' blade size that I'm used to it felt more powerful and smoother through the water.. I was surprised at how quickly it felt normal.. I'll probably swap between the straight shaft Hulu and double bend Hulu for a while and see what I end up using the most.. I'm guessing the double bend.. 
DJ - next time you are talking with Dave Chun, can you please ask him to pair the Gerry Lopez paddles with OVAL shafts, not round ones - maybe as an option. I love the shape, smoothness, stiffness and strength of the GL blades, and I love Kialoa's oval shafts, so to not be able to buy both together in one paddle any more is frustrating. I'd really like an oval shaft version of the GL Surf Wahine paddle or the GL Surf II. The shaft from the Pipes II with a GL blade on the end would be a superb DW paddle IMO. Cheers.
Select to expand quoteArea10 said..
DJ - next time you are talking with Dave Chun, can you please ask him to pair the Gerry Lopez paddles with OVAL shafts, not round ones - maybe as an option. I love the shape, smoothness, stiffness and strength of the GL blades, and I love Kialoa's oval shafts, so to not be able to buy both together in one paddle any more is frustrating. I'd really like an oval shaft version of the GL Surf Wahine paddle or the GL Surf II. The shaft from the Pipes II with a GL blade on the end would be a superb DW paddle IMO. Cheers.
Will do.. I agree that is odd.
Any truth to the rumour they're planning to call this new Kialoa paddle the Uri Geller?
Very nice vid. Love that paddle. Just send an inquiry to Kailoa. How do I get one of these to Europe. So hard to get a Hulu over here.
Select to expand quoteCarvers said...
Very nice vid. Love that paddle. Just send an inquiry to Kailoa. How do I get one of these to Europe. So hard to get a Hulu over here.
There's a retailer near me here in the UK who could probably order them and regularly supplies people all over Europe. PM me for details. I got a limited edition Hulu from them, signed by Gerry Lopez himself...
Select to expand quoteArea10 said..Carvers said...
Very nice vid. Love that paddle. Just send an inquiry to Kailoa. How do I get one of these to Europe. So hard to get a Hulu over here.
There's a retailer near me here in the UK who could probably order them and regularly supplies people all over Europe. PM me for details. I got a limited edition Hulu from them, signed by Gerry Lopez himself...
Thanx, email send.
Select to expand quoteCarvers said...
Very nice vid. Love that paddle. Just send an inquiry to Kailoa. How do I get one of these to Europe. So hard to get a Hulu over here.
Unfortunately the new double bend Hulu will not be available until Jan 2016.
Select to expand quoteDavidJohn said..
"Why a double bend? The double bend allows the paddler to bend the elbow of the top arm. More bend in the elbow, keeps the shoulder joint in a more ergonomic position.
So, as i already paddle with a somewhat bent top arm, does it mean this paddle will work better for me?
I don't get the pressure of injuries yet, but im still (relatively) young. So that helps...
Select to expand quoteDavidJohn said..Carvers said...
Very nice vid. Love that paddle. Just send an inquiry to Kailoa. How do I get one of these to Europe. So hard to get a Hulu over here.
Unfortunately the new double bend Hulu will not be available until Jan 2016.
That's why you have one LOL 
