I have a Ke Nalu Mana on the way. This is a brand new 90 sq inch blade design. It has a a 100 flex shaft and an ergo - T handle. This is a "blind" purchase. Got a good "kickstarter" type discount for being an early purchaser. I should arrive in the next week or so. I am hoping it will be a good one!! Will post up a review.

me too--got an 84 coming--ergo-t, and xtuf regular shaft

Where did you purchase paddle from, I'm wanting to buy the same blade but in xtuff reg shaft.

The new Mana blades will be available in Australia within a few weeks. They should already be here but the factory is dragging the chain.
Their arrival will coincide with the fully rebuilt and updated Ke Nalu Australia website.
We've got a heap of fresh new info to help people choose the paddle from the range that best suits them.
Stay tuned

Ordered direct from the owner Lane Mead at Ke Nalu.

I'm excited for this new blade and the best thing is I don't have to spend 600-800 for a new paddle simply purchase the blade at a lower cost and slip it into my perfectly fine kenalu shaft.

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Rideordie said...
Ordered direct from the owner Lane Mead at Ke Nalu.

We all order direct from Lane......national distributors and US based individual customers alike

Has anyone ever had any trouble with the glue? i.e. letting go or letting in water? Looking at a new paddle. This k, the other k, or a qb. Cheers.

Yeah my blade and handle kept turning on me. So I used 5min araldite. No movement now......

You can still remove the 5 min glue it just takes a bit of persistance.

DONT use the super strength glue though, because that stuff is there forever.

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kikaha said...

DONT use the super strength glue though, because that stuff is there forever.

Haha. Yes, the last paddle i shortened had the 24 hour gear on it. Took some brute force to get it apart!

Yes my handle let go and started spinning.
I did the same 5 min araldite no problem.
Wish they would make them with inbuilt edge protector, just like fanatic paddle because it seems to scratch my board quite a bit ??

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Deano72 said...
The new Mana blades will be available in Australia within a few weeks. They should already be here but the factory is dragging the chain.
Their arrival will coincide with the fully rebuilt and updated Ke Nalu Australia website.
We've got a heap of fresh new info to help people choose the paddle from the range that best suits them.
Stay tuned

Deano is there a pic of the front of the blade ?

This is the only other pic I have until they arrive in the country.
The blade face is similar to the Konihi except the dihedral concaves are deeper and there's more scoop it the tip to give it a more powerful catch.

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Brenno said...
Has anyone ever had any trouble with the glue? i.e. letting go or letting in water? Looking at a new paddle. This k, the other k, or a qb. Cheers.

Problems with the glue bond between components can be due to a couple of reasons.
Main one being that you're not getting enough glue into the joint. You can get the bulk of the glue in there by screwing in and out half a dozen times or so when assembling.
Another reason could be that the shaft is not sufficiently heated. If the glue hits a cold shaft it goes hard straight away and doesn't bond properly.
Make sure the bead of glue is smoothed over the joint to seal it and put a couple of winds of electrical tape around it.
Apply the tape while the joint is still hot and the tape acts like shrink wrap.
If it's all assembled properly it won't budge or leak.
Another tip.....don't leave your paddle out in the hot sun so that it gets so hot that you can't touch it!
There's some good info in our paddle assembly vid

Exactly as I would have said Deano. The adjustability and interchangeability of the components set this brand at the top of the game. No need to pop out $600 for a new paddle. Just grab a new blade and 2 minutes or so with a heat gun. Change the shaft length with the extended ergo T handle. No problemo. Change shafts from touring to racing. Flatwater to surf. If the seal is not done correctly that is operator error. Get it right and you will never have a problem.

What sizes do the Mana's come in Dean?
although I am still loving my Konihi I reckon I will be chasing one of these in an 84 if they are available.

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tightlines said...
What sizes do the Mana's come in Dean?

Two sizes will be available
82sq" (6,75" wide)
and
90sq" (7.25" wide)

They'll be able to be matched with any Ke Nalu shaft / handle.
When the new website is launched we'll have some really cool info to help people select the best suited components for them.

Just advised delivery delayed Looks like end of June now.

never had a problem with the hot glue kenalu system--and i have enjoyed the ease with which one can mess around with length and interchange of components--use a good heat gun, and be careful not to overheat

Looking at new paddle to possibly replace the Kialoa Pipes I have but who sells KeNalu in NZ now, they don't seem to be stocked many places anymore, or if they have its the last one they are trying to sell. The NZ KeNalu FB page is basically defunct and not updated for a year. Any advice who to contact ?

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kitemantim said...
Looking at new paddle to possibly replace the Kialoa Pipes I have but who sells KeNalu in NZ now, they don't seem to be stocked many places anymore, or if they have its the last one they are trying to sell. The NZ KeNalu FB page is basically defunct and not updated for a year. Any advice who to contact ?

Paddle over the ditch bro.....There's Ke Nalu paddles everywhere in Oz. Plenty of fellow New Zealanders to hang with too

My paddle is scheduled to arrive on June 21 per UPS.

same here---june 21 delivery

we shall see--i have two konihi 84's which i like a lot.......

I have a Konihi 95. Was thinking of getting the 84 when I heard about the Mana 90. It will be interesting to hear your feedback.

i will post--but i suffer from loving the konihi, potentially based on my not knowing any better

the konihi was an instantly recognizable massive improvement from my kailoa insanity

and i liked it better than a quickblade i rented in portugal

beyond that my experience with paddles is nil

so yeah i love the konihi, but i havent tried many alternatives--and i prolly wont try any alternatives--the konihi is a pleasure surfing (all i do on sup) and it's been bomb-proof durable--and i love the hotglue approach

but, like i say, if the mana is a revelation, i could have 2 sweet konihi's for sale

Just got my 82 sq inch Mana, took it for a quick spin today. First impression is great. It looks kind of a mixture between the konihi and the quickblade trifecta if that makes any sense. The blade feels has though it is thinner than the konihi with lower volume and this gives a very slick entry in to the water.
it has a lot more curved shape than the konihi and I like that , it aids the feeling of gathering water behind the blade. I will test it more intensively over the weekend and report back.

Niels, Congrats on the new blade! Looking forward to your review!

So I've had the Mana for a few days and already managed to paddle it in a lot of different conditions; flatwater sidechop, downbreezer an today finally a long downwinder.
I bougth the paddle because I wanted a smaller blade to take away some of the stress on the body. I was hoping to avoid injuries by going to a smaller blade.
I must say the the mana really delivers, it silky smooth you almost feel like you are not really doing any work. It feels like you can paddle forever. Its very userfriendly and not as technical as the konihi. The blade is quite short , so the overall paddle is a little shorter than my normal trifeta.

There is one thing were I think Kenalu could improve compared to QB. The oval tapered QB shat is superior to all shafts I have tried . The Kenalu shaft is nice, it has a nice texture and finish and its super light. But I could probably use one that a little stiffer.

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SurfNiels said...
The Kenalu shaft is nice, it has a nice texture and finish and its super light. But I could probably use one that a little stiffer.

Which shaft do you have?
There's 4 to choose from and they all have different flex characteristics.
You mustn't have the Elite 100 flex cause that thing is too stiff for most people.

good review SurfNiels.

I am looking to purchase the mana and put it onto my Elite 100 flex shaft. This shaft is stiff and I like that.
everything else Ive had before was flexy and I wasn't a fan.

curent blade is the 95 Elite Ho'Oloa.
am keen to drop down to the 84 mana though have reserves if dropping down to that will be to small.

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Deano72 said..

SurfNiels said...
The Kenalu shaft is nice, it has a nice texture and finish and its super light. But I could probably use one that a little stiffer.

Which shaft do you have?
There's 4 to choose from and they all have different flex characteristics.
You mustn't have the Elite 100 flex cause that thing is too stiff for most people.

Actually thats the one- could be the small blade that gives me the sensation of softness, when I'm paddeling extra hard?