FAQs about the "land paddle" - aka Big Stick

Is that a wheel at the end of the paddle?

No! The "wheel" is a replaceable Road Grip that doesn't rotate. It is made of carbon rubber to get the best grip of the road. The Road Grip is soft enough to allow a smooth, jar free stroke but also strong enough to endure intense riding.

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How do you use a land paddle?

The motion is virtually identical to stand up paddle boarding. You stroke with the paddle and push against the road surface with the Road Grips.

You can also drag the paddle to slow down.

The paddle also provides balance, especially when you're in a big lean carving.

Unlike stand up paddling you have to keep the paddle slightly away from the board and wheels, otherwise you'll discover the Road Grips are an excellent wheel brake stopping the board almost instantly, with the rider stopping a bit later, a short distance ahead


What do you do when the Road Grips wear out?

The road grips are replaceable and quite durable. Their life will very much depend on your style, how hard you ride and surfaces you ride on.

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How do should I stand on the board when paddling?

Styles vary from rider to rider and what they are doing (eg cruising along vs. carving hard). Typically its a surf style stance.




What length paddle should I get?

The length choice varies based on rider height. Typically the paddle length is around the same as the rider height or a bit shorter, it comes down also to personal preference and ride style style. A 6' tall rider would typically choose a 5'6" or a 6' length paddle.

If you're serious carver like the guy below then might consider a longer one.




What are land paddles made of?

The Kahuna Regular and Classic Big Sticks have a shaft crafted from the genus Pseudotsuga, ie Douglas Fir wood . The Classic also has Hawaiian fabric covered with a layer of fiberglass wrap and a cherry wood laminate handle.

There is also the a Bamboo Big Stick made from Phyllostachys edulis, otherwise known as Moso Bamboo These are a high performance heavy flex design for better "flex and snap" energy return.


How heavy are land paddles?

The weight ranges are based on material and length. Since they are made from natural materials the exact weight will vary slightly from paddle to paddle. See the table of typical weights below (gramms) :

Length Regular Classic Bamboo
------ ------- ------- ------
4'0" 800 - -
4'6" 800 - -
5'0" 900 1000 1000
5'6" 900 1100 1000
6'0" 1000 1100 1200
6'6" - - 1300


Can I get a carbon fibre land paddle?

As far I as I know there are none on the market yet, but I expect they will come as the sport and demand grows.

Are these street SUP's good to use on flat as well as hilly areas? Where i live is mostly flat and all of the vid's i've seen are hill SUPing.

And also what board siuts this the most?

Cheers.

The longboards perform really well on both flat and hilly areas.

To help decide what type of board best suits a rider and their typical environment, here are couple of chacteristics you might consider :

Board length

The longer board, the greater the distance between the trucks. As the distance between the trucks is increased, so does the turning radius. This is countered by risers and cutouts on the deck so you can get maximum lean and turn.
The additional length makes for nice smooth stable carving, not as twitchy like many shortboards. So if you like lots of long down hill cruises and carves the longer the board the smoother the run. Conversely around town, if you going around lots of street corners etc. if your board is really long (eg. a 57" type) you might find you have to jump off and change the board's direction 90deg at each corner.

Deck Flex

The flex boards have a really fun feeling when you ride them. The flex of the board also has the characteristic of further changing the camber of the trucks as the board flexes. This is very cool when carving. As you go into a turn you can jump a bit harder on the board to really tighten up the radius. The additional change in camber of the trucks shortens the turning radius.

My feeling is the unique flex board design is the ideal longboard for the widest range of environments, especially around town, along beach boardwalks etc.

However if I was going out for a long down hill cruise or carve, I would probably grab one of my stiffer decked boards. Same reason as why in most of the down hill vids you see the guys riding longer stiff deck board. The stiffness and length adds to the stability and smoothness on these types of runs.

Hey guys completely new to the hole street sup thing but im loveing the look of it.. I have no skate board knowlidge altough i can ride one if that makes sence (trucks, size, shape all confuses me) ..

So from what i understand its all basicly personal preference in terms of board size and shape and paddle size etc.. But as far as i know no one in perth sells or has these things to demo..

So i guess what im asking is what would be a good set up for someone about 5,10 and a huge 65kgs to have some fun on ?

Hope this makes sence im just looking for a bday present for the misses to buy me haha

Thanks heaps Belly

Thanks heaps mate that helps alot

Do you guys sell and send boards and sticks to perth buy any chance ?

And also i cant really find any prices how much would a board and stick set me back ?

Thanks Belly