KIALOA Makai Review
Cons: Heavy, not adjustable
Manufacturer: KIALOA
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
KIALOA Makai | |||||
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| Awards |  |  |  | ||
| Price | $144 List | $364.00 at Backcountry | $170.00 at REI | $189.95 at Amazon | $285 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | High performance, relatively inexpensive | Lightweight, easy to adjust, high performance | Cuts cleanly through water, durable blade | Easy and sturdy adjustment, lightweight, high performance | Beautifully crafted, lightweight, well-balanced |
| Cons | Heavy, not adjustable | Pricey, blade can flutter | Heavy, looks like a toy | Smaller adjustment range | Snap-button adjustment system isn't the easiest to use |
| Bottom Line | The Makai packs a performance punch, but it is a bit on the hefty side | A high scorer, this model is a lightweight high performer | The vibe provides excellent value for a high performing paddle | High-performance with an easy locking mechanism, this paddle is for serious users | Not just another pretty paddle! This model combines aesthetics and high performance materials |
| Rating Categories | KIALOA Makai | Werner Trance 95 Performance | Werner Vibe | Aqua-Bound Challenge 85 | Bending Branches Balance |
| Performance (30%) | |||||
| Weight (20%) | |||||
| Ease Of Adjustment (20%) | |||||
| Locking Mechanism (20%) | |||||
| Aesthetics (10%) | |||||
| Specs | KIALOA Makai | Werner Trance 95... | Werner Vibe | Aqua-Bound... | Bending Branches... |
| Paddle Weight | 2 lbs | 1.2 lbs | 1.7 lbs | 1.3 lbs | 1.6 lbs |
| Blade Design | Dihedral | Dihedral | Dihedral | Dihedral | Flat |
| Blade Shape | Teardrop | Rectangular | Rectangular | Rectangular | Rectangular |
| Offset | 8 degrees | 10 degrees | 10 degrees | 10 degrees | 10 degrees |
| Blade Material | Nylon reinforced fiberglass | Carbon | Injection molded fiberglass | epX engineered polymer reinforced with carbon | Red Alder, Basswood, Roasted Basswood |
| Blade Dimensions | 85 sq in | 95 sq in | 100 sq in | 85 sq in | 85 sq in |
| Shaft Material | Textured fiberglass | Carbon | Fiberglass | Carbon | Carbon |
| Adjustablility (inches) | 16" | 8" | 16" | 10.5" | 10" |
| Length Range (inches) | 70" - 86" | 70" - 78" | 74" - 82" | 80" - 88" | 68" - 84" | 70" - 80" | 70"-80" |
| Number of Pieces | 1-piece | 1-piece (available in 1, 2, or 3) | 3-piece (available in 1, 2, or 3) | 2-piece | 1-piece (available in 1 or 2) |
| Compact Size | NA | NA | 34.5" | 66" | NA |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 2 years | 1 year |
| Comes with cover | No | No | No | No | No |
| Locking Mechanism | Handle LeverLock | Handle LeverLock | Handle LeverLock | "Performance" Snap Button | Snap Button |
Our Analysis and Test Results
As mentioned before, the main thing holding back the Makai is its weight. While this isn't too noticeable over a short distance, you can start to feel its heft over marathon paddling trips.
Performance Comparison
Performance
The paddle's dihedral blade design delivers a smooth pull, and a teardrop blade shape offers better catch than similarly shaped models, most likely due to the deeper V of the Makai's dihedral. The catch of this model isn't quite as smooth as higher scoring products, but for the recreational paddler, this product offers adequate pull. For the price point, the Makai delivers medium to high performance, a pretty gentle catch, and stable forward pull.
Weight
At 2 pounds, the Makai is one of the heaviest models in the review. For recreational paddlers, this weight difference probably doesn't matter, but if you're doing anything beyond a chill afternoon paddle, you might want to think about a lighter paddle.
Ease of Adjustment
This model features 16-inches of adjustment, which sits in the middle of the range of adjustment lengths seen in our review. The Makai is marked so that you can adjust it based on paddler height or by the height of the paddle itself.
This minor detail makes quick adjustments when switching between paddlers that much faster, as the user only needs to know their own height. Plus, the superior locking mechanism (which we discuss in detail below) allows for incredibly quick adjustments.
Locking Mechanism
The Makai features the same LeverLock system found on all the premium paddles. This feature is by far the most solid locking mechanism and the easiest to use. The lock mechanism itself flips up rather than out. As a result, it has fewer moving parts than other designs. This means that our testers found no play at all in the locking mechanism.
This system is super quick to adjust, and it is the most low-profile of the locking mechanisms in our review, which adds to the Makai's performance score. Even better, this locking system makes it a breeze to adjust the length of the paddle on the water if you want to fine-tune its length to match current conditions. It doesn't take a ton of effort to engage or disengage the locking mechanism, which directly contrasts other models where you can even get thrown off balance while struggling to open their adjustment mechanism.
Aesthetics
While the KIALOA Makai isn't necessarily the immediate frontrunner when it comes to looks, we found that we grew to like its clean lines and minimalistic style. It doesn't have any accent graphics but the bright blue of the blade contrasts nicely with the grip and the handle. It is a perfect option for someone with a more minimalistic sense of style, especially if their stand up paddleboard matches the blue of the blade.
Value
The Makai is on the middle-to-lower end of our price range. If you're searching for a high performer and you don't care about how compact the model can be, we think this is a good option for you.
Conclusion
The Makai features a good blade design that allows it to achieve a great catch and a powerful pull. This is a high performing paddle, but it falls short in weight. If these aren't metrics that matter to you, we feel that this product is a good offering for the value.
— Shey Kiester