As if on cue, after a week of on-and-off rain and forecast for a rainy Halloween, I received a beautiful day for paddling. Yes, I'll take the credit for it. How awesome is it that on my first day back after my week hiatus, due to an uninvited cold, I am presented with a beautiful, sunny, only-in-San Diego day!
I was stoked to get out on the water because I finally received my Kialoa Methane and I was eager to try it out. The blade is a little bit narrower than my Quickblade at 8". The short came with a stock shaft at the length of about 77", which is about 1.5" longer than I wanted. I decided to try it at that length and just double-sticked the handle until I decide whether to keep it or cut it down to what I originally wanted, 75.5".
I paddled 4 miles today and it was a breeze with the Kialoa. I was able to keep my pace even when fatigue started to kick in. Because I kept it at the longer length, I was able to reach out further for a longer stride. I love the oval-shaped shaft. It makes it easier to grip and know the position of the blade. I bought this paddle for surfing. The intention is to have it cut shorter for quicker strokes to catch waves. I'll have to wait to cut the shaft until after my next race in two weeks. I think it may help me improve my time if I'm able to keep my pace throughout the race. With the Quickblade, I felt like I was stroking through mud on the tail-end of the race when I was getting tired. Hopefully this won't occur using the smaller Methane. I'll keep you posted as I train with it for the next couple of weeks.
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