NEWSLETTER SIGNUP
WindPaddle is a small company based in Hood River, Oregon that makes paddling gear for canoes, kayaks and SUP’s, including sails, shades, fish nets and SUP locks. Their flagship product is their sales which they design for canoes, kayaks and SUP’s. We received the WindPaddle Makani SUP Sail which is designed to easily clip to existing deck bungees or clip inserts on your board and once attached it turns your SUP into a sort of sailboard
The Makani SUP Sail adds diversity to your paddle board by allowing you to harness the power of the wind to gently sail down lake without the effort of paddling. If the wind speed picks up this 54” sail will get you moving super fast with minimal effort. When not in use you can fold the Windsail into a compact 20” coil and lay it flat on the deck of your SUP. If the wind picks up again simply uncoil and pop it back up into sailing position and you’re off.
The ideal mounting position is about 18-24″ in front of your SUP’s carrying handle. You can use existing or owner-added deck hardware or adhesive mounts to clip the WindPaddle to. You’ll need one free hand to hold the sail upright so that it inflates while the other hand can be used to rudder the SUP across the wind or simply follow the wind down lake. With a large built-in see-through window, you’ll avoid any obstacles ahead as well as be able to just admire the scenery.
The WindPaddle’s ease of use is ideal for beginners, with near instant deployment and compact packability it’s easy to take on any paddling adventure.
No matter which way you paddle on a SUP the wind always seems to be against you. Even if you launch in calm winds they ultimately kick up around noon and typically linger until dusk. This is the down side of stand up paddle boarding, the wind. With the WindPaddle Makani SUP Sail you can harness this power to transform your SUP into a more efficient sail board.
I first saw the WindPaddle in action last summer as a kayaker effortlessly sailed back to shore in gale force winds. I figured this would be an ideal accessory to my SUP since the wind tends to blow around here quite often. Even with a light breeze the WindPaddle Makani SUP Sail is affective in moving you down lake. It saves you precious paddling energy and is pretty fun to boot.
The WindPaddle folds down small and is easy to take along on your SUP by storing it beneath your bungee straps on the SUP’s deck. I do wish though, that it came with a light weight case for storing, so that it didn’t get wet and was more contained.
Hooking the sail to my SUP and letting it take flight was pretty easy, as was taking it down when you no longer needed it or the wind died.
If you’re a stand up paddle boarder, canoer or kayaker you should check out the WindPaddle sails as they’re super handy when the wind picks up. All you need is one windy day and you’ll be thankful you have it.
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CONS:
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Price: $174.95US
Colours: Blue, Red, Yellow
Weight: 540g / 19oz
Deployed diameter: 132.08 cm / 52″
Coiled/folded diameter: 50.8cm / 20″
Sail area: 1.589m² / 7.1sq ft
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