 In the world where stand up paddle surfing is not limited by the ocean, Kahuna Creations is king for high performance land paddles. Our long time readers may recall reading the review we did on the original Kahuna Big Stick several years ago. We were definitely impressed back then and Kahuna has outdone themselves introducing an unparalleled candy store of Big Stick constructions and styles, including the Kahuna Snow SUP for snow paddling. While we were hoping for a snow storm in Hawaii to review a Snow SUP, we were stoked when a box arrived here on the North Shore of Oahu with Kahuna Creations' latest adjustable land paddle. And we were double stoked when we took it to the pavement. In this review, we are having a look at the Adjustable Big Stick land paddle. (And check out the INSANE DISCOUNT on all Kahuna Creations products at the end.)
First of all, what has Kahuna changed from their earlier versions of the Kahuna Big Stick? The most prominent change, and the shining star of the Big Stick is where the stick hits the road. The Kahuna Road Blade has replaced the rubber donuts of the original model Kahuna Big Sticks. In water stand up paddling, we often speak of the “catch” that a paddle has. The “catch” is the ability of the paddle to grab the water when it makes its initial contact. The new Kahuna Road Blade definitely has more catch that the original models. It sticks to the road allowing for longer strokes and more power delivery without slippage. The rubber used in the blade seems slightly softer than previous technology which gave us more confidence when really leaning our weight on the stick.
Next, the stick we received was the “Moko” version of the Adjustable Big Stick. In water stand up paddling, among adjustable stand up paddles, there are 3 qualities that we look at: range of adjustability, durability, and how much play there is in the adjustable connection.
 The Adjustable Big Stick has an vast range of adjustment sizes. Kahuna recommends it for rider heights from 4'5” to 6'4”. While we failed to take measure of all our testers' exact heights, as the stick was passed from the guys to the girls to the kids, everyone was able to adjust the stick to the perfect height. Not only is this convenient for those who need to share a stick, but those who are traveling with Big Sticks, will find that a fully shortened stick is much easier to travel with than a full length stick. The stick can quickly be adjusted with the push of a spring loaded pin.
This this seems indestructible. After laying on the stick with our our weight through turns, the Adjustable Big stick always felt solid in our hands, due to the aluminum shaft construction. This construction also seems to be the magic ticket for minimizing play in the connection. When you have moving parts, there is always room for play and possible breakage. We found the play to be extremely minimal, making the adjustable nature of the stick not an issue in performance.
Enough with the technical stuff, the gut reaction of our testers was clearly excitement. All of our testers were owners of the old school model of the Kahuna Big Stick, and the new school model got them giddy all over again. While the casual onlooker may think that excitement may comes simply from how much more sexy the new Kahuna Blade looks compared to earlier technology, it was clear that the level of performance was raised with this piece of equipment. In the parking lot, turns were sharper and more critical, with quicker spurts of acceleration.
In conclusion, the Kahuna Creations Adjustable Big Stick is not just a toy. It's a solid piece of equipment with the convenience of adjustability and the performance of the Kahuna Blade. If you own an earlier model Kahuna Big Stick, you will be stoked when you make the decision to upgrade to a new model featuring the Kahuna Blade. We're hooked on it!
To watch Kahuna Big Stick video, see photos, and check out the wide range of Kahuna Big Sticks, Snow SUPs, longboards, surfboards and other gear be sure to visit www.kahunacreations.com .
WAIT!!! The Adjustable Big Stick is just $99 through their website, which is not only about seventy five bucks cheaper than we anticipated, but now you can get a FAT 30% OFF EVERYTHING Kahuna Creations has to offer exclusively for Stand Up Paddle Surfing Magazine (www.supsurfmag.com) readers! To get the promo code, click through the banner at the top of the page at www.supsurfmag.com . Happy paddling!
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GEAR INSIGHTS 
January 15, 2012
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