Well I just purchased the new naish wave 8.0 paddle .I now have to do more paddles to catch a wave on small days .
i actually paddled back in to get my fixed 8.5 makani ..I was a bit pissed off.
I must admit it was good jamming the paddle into the wave to swing the board around ..so steering the board ,once on the plane was good .The release and quick action through the water was good ,but I don't think I 'll be throwing my 8.5 away yet ...Is it just because I 'm 96 kg that a need the extra horse power ? Or do I just have to get use to paddling quicker .?
i really didn't think it would be so much of a change ..what are you guys using .
tardy . 
There's nothing wrong with needing to do more paddle strokes.. 
I'm also about 96kg and I'm using a Kialoa Hulu Sm and new Kialoa Pipes for surfing.. Both about 7 1/2" wide blade..
I think if you stick with the smaller 8" blade for a while.. (one quick paddle is not enough) and once you're used to it going back to your 8 1/2" blade will feel wrong.. IMO
You will develop a better stroke with the smaller blade and put much less wear and tear on your joints.. Spear the paddle blade in deeper at the start of your stroke before pulling on it..
Its more to do with technique.
as DJ said, nothing wrong with quicker. Just back off the power. You will have a better result.
And you definitely won't go back.
Thanks guys for the advise much appreciated ... I'll give it another shot .
with using my bigger paddles I do tend not to dig in as deep I reckon that where I went wrong
Its Got to work .7.5 DJ ? That seems so small .
yes ....it got to be ..technique ..
tardy .
Actually, with shorter boards, you need to better place yourself to be closer to the take off "sweet spot", rather than motoring with the paddle until the board takes off.
Read the incoming wave, position yourself where it will break and "wait to see the blank of its eyes before firing"
A shorter board will not paddle as fast as a longer one. That's life. You need to adapt your take off...
Thanks calos ..when I tried the 8.0 it was on the long board and small waves ..so not a good test
today was bigger and it was a lot better ...I dug the paddle alot deeper ..and it was fantastic ..
sure one or two more paddles but ..I didn't even get tired...I now can see the advantages of a smaller blade . 
Unfortunatley you cant be in the right position all the time . So its good to hear its working.
I use a Fanatic 7.25. Hate anything larger
Select to expand quoteTardy said..
I dug the paddle alot deeper ..and it was fantastic ..
Yup, fully submerging the blade helps a lot.
Actually, it is the opposite: try to look at the blade: if it is not fully submerged, a big bubble of air appear in the front when paddling, you can see it is awfully inneficient.
One of the benefit of a smaller blade is that they are easier to dig and submerge fully, and cleanly (without dragging lot of air with it), and thus be more efficient.
