Kevin Seid shows Everpaddle Bamboo and Carbon Fiber Stand Up Paddle – Video Interview
I shot this video of Kevin Seid from Everpaddle at the Wet Feet Hawaii expansion party. I got a chance to try this for a couple waves out at Puena Point. It’s really light weight and the look and feel is very cool. I’m waiting to see what they come out with in smaller blade sizes since that’s my preference.
About 90% of the paddle’s volume is bamboo with a little bit of carbon fiber for strength and a foam core
Here you can see a slight scoop in the blade
The T handle is made from Albesia, a fast-growing wood from the Big Island
(click thumbnail to launch video)
Transcript:
Evan: So your company is?
Kevin Seid: Everpaddle.
Evan: What do you got here?
Kevin Seid: It’s our bamboo paddle, it’s bamboo and carbon fiber, foam core (:00:13.8). It’s under 2 lbs., getting a lot of good feedback from the great people here. (0:00:20.5)
Evan: What do you mean, it’s bamboo and carbon fiber? (0:00:22.7)
Kevin Seid: Yes, so you could see some carbon fiber here. (0:00:25.1)
Evan: So, you lay bamboo over the carbon fiber? (0:00:28.2)
Kevin Seid: Yes. Exactly, it’s about 90% bamboo of the volume and it’s a little bit of carbon fiber for strength (0:00:36.4) and it’s foam core, it gives it more buoyancy outside the water for good exit (0:00:43.6). It’s got a scooped rail, scooped entry here for the blade (0:00:49.)
Evan: There’s only a slight scoop on your tip. (0:00:51.6)
Kevin Seid: Slight scoop, slight dihedral here. Real light (0:00:56.0)
Evan: What’s the top of it look like? (01:00:59.7)
Kevin Seid: This is woven (0:01:01.9) So one side as you can see is woven 0:01:03.8)
Evan: It’s like my bowls I have in my kitchen. (0:01:04.1)
Kevin Seid: This resist flex much better and this resist compression. So this combination of the type of the weave on this side (0:01:17.6) and veneer on this side is a very good feel and strength. It just performs well. (0:01:25.5)
Evan: What’s up with the shaft then? Is there carbon in your shaft too? (0:01:28.4)
Kevin Seid: There is carbon. There are many layers of bamboo over it though. So it’s very smooth surface, you don’t feel the knots.
(0:01:37.2)
Evan: Will it splinter?
Kevin Seid: No. There’s no splintering.
Evan: This feels pretty light, maybe like 23 oz., 24 oz.? Something like that?
Kevin Seid: Something like that. Around there.
Evan: Pound and a half.
Kevin Seid: Yeah.
Evan: What about your handle? You got just a regular T-handle on there. You guys looking at making palm grips or any of that? (0:02:02.5)
Kevin Seid: We’re going to be changing our grip a little bit, but actually a lot of people seem to like this. Even over a lot of palm grips. It’s made of Albesia, which is a fast growing wood on the big island. We do like to use the eco-friendly materials and that’s a big part of Everpaddle. (0:02:19.7)
Evan: It feels like there’s an oil of some sort.
Kevin Seid: Yes.
Evan: You have to keep it oiled or what? (0:02:26.2)
Kevin Seid: No. It’s maintenance free (0:02:27.6) so if you get nixed in it, you just finish it like regular wood. It’s very user friendly. (0:02:33.4)
Evan: So you don’t have to put a clear coat or finish on it at all? Because it’s already slippery(0:02:35.5)
Kevin Seid: No. It’s finished. It’s polished sealed? (0:02:39.5) And the surface you can tell when you grip it, it has a good traction(0:02:45.6). It’s never slippery; you never have to wax it or anything like that. It has a good grip. It got a slight oval shaft too. (0:02:53.4)
Evan: Is this already glued in to your handle? (0:02:57.9)
Kevin Seid: Yes it’s already glued in but we’re making un-cuts coming up soon, we’re developing that right now. (0:0303.2)
Evan: How much are these?
Kevin Seid: The retail around $395 to $375 depending on the model.
Evan: What’s the difference in the models then? How many are they? (0:03:14.2)
Kevin Seid: Size, blade shapes, so we make slightly bigger ones and some smaller ones are cheaper. (0:03:22.2)
Evan: So this blade, looks like about 9 even or bigger maybe?
Kevin Seid: This is a 9 1/8, it’s a pretty big bite but some people like different ones, so we can tailor to people’s needs. So, we’re getting Doug Lock here an 8 ½ inch blade and he likes them smaller, so we kind of potentially get anybody’s set up to what they want.
Evan: Okay. And then what is it? Just Everpaddle.com?
Kevin Seid: Yup, that’s correct. That’s Everpaddle.com (0:3:50)
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