Friday, December 17, 2010

How to Choose a Surf Paddle

We believe Kialoa makes the best surf paddles on the planet. But how do you pick which one is best for you?

We recommend the Methane for most men, the Shaka Pu’u for surfers who have a lot of upper body strength, and the Pipes for women and some male performance surfers. Here's why:


The Methane's narrow design and featherweight construction allow for high cadence, fast acceleration, and swift paddle placement in critical sections of the surf. Kialoa’s unidirectional Ergo-T design handle fits comfortably in your palm and provides excellent blade control. If you need to whip the paddle behind you or to the opposite side of your board, you’ll be able to put it there in the blink of an eye.
Kialoa Methane Surf Paddle

Compared to other paddles on the market, the diameter of the shaft is smaller but a slimmer shaft doesn’t mean a weaker paddle. The 21 ounce Methane has an extremely high strength to weight ratio.

The Methane is the result of extensive product testing. It’s the choice of many top stand-up surfers on the water today.

Specs -
100% Carbon Fiber
Surface Area: 97 sq in
Blade Width: 8"
Blade Length: 16.5"
Weight: 21oz

Check out the Methane in action:


If you're a big, strong dude with a lot of upper body strength, you may prefer the Shaka Pu'u to the Methane. The blade has 100 square inches of surface area and provides more power than the Methane.

Kialoa Shaka Pu'u
The Shaka Pu'u was inspired by Mel Pu'u, a Makaha lifeguard and stand up paddler, who says, "The comfortable oval shaft allows for a light, relaxed grip. When you want the extra power you've got it - and when you want to up the RPMs, you can adjust by burying less of the blade. It gives you the ability to spin and move quickly in critical situations." 

Elite athlete Chuck Patterson says the Methane "has the best blade I've ever used for surfing. It allows for super-fast paddling and it's great in bottom turns. Leaning on the blade is really smooth."

Specs - 
100% Carbon Fiber
Surface Area: 100 sq in
Blade Width: 8 5/8"
Blade Length: 16 1/2"
Weight:  22 oz

Here's a video of Kialoa's Dave Chun talking about the Shaka Pu'u.



The Kialoa Pipes is light, lithe, quick, POWERFUL, and beautiful. It's awesome for women in all conditions and also great for male performance surfers.

Don’t let the tiny surface area fool you, the precisely contoured blade cuts ultra-smoothly through water yet still has enough power to get you into those late takeoffs.

No wobble at all, even when you really step on the gas and push it hard. Entering, moving through, and exiting the water feels almost effortless.

Kialoa Pipes 
Once on a wave, the Kialoa Pipes really excels. It’s more agile than any paddle we’ve come across. You can manipulate it quickly and easily. It has plenty of surface area to turn the board when you need to yet it's so nimble and light (560 grams), it almost feels like an extension of your arm.
The T-shaped handle is very comfortable and provides excellent blade control. The thin, oval-shaped shaft is also very nice to grip.

Specs - 
100% Carbon Fiber
Surface Area: 87 in²
Blade Width: 7 3/8"
Blade Length: 16 ½"
Weight: 21 oz
Made in the U.S.A.

The Pipes in action:

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We love talking paddles almost as much as we love talking boards.
We're very proud to carry the complete line of Kialoa stand up paddles, including the  exciting new entry level price-point Ikaika collection. We also offer sweet Kialoa stickers, T-shirts, paddle covers, and more. Check out our complete Kialoa lineup now.

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