We started making paddles in 2012 because we had a hard time getting quality race blades from Hawaii.

You needed to know someone who knew someone else who could get you in contact with a paddle maker.

If you did manage to get in contact with a paddle maker, the wait time was months and sometimes years long. In the end, we decided to try and build our own and the rest is history.

Our first paddle was a prototype that looked as bad as it performed. We had nothing to go off of, so we improvised and tested our prototypes with our own club paddlers and paddlers from Hawaii. It was a slow process, but we listened to feedback and made improvements with each new design.

We wanted to make high quality wood blades that were both comfortable and effective in all conditions. We wanted to give people the opportunity to customize their blades to their liking. Making the paddle accessible to anyone at a reasonable price was also a top priority. We know a good product cannot stand solely on it’s own, so we pride ourselves on our customer service.

We use a variety of woods such as balsa, poplar, and cedar. We also incorporate composite materials such as carbon fiber and fiberglass. Finding the right combination of natural and composite materials is what makes paddle making so challenging and fun.

We make a wide variety of blades for almost every condition and paddler. Our two most popular models are our Puhi and the Kala race blades. The Puhi is our OC6 blade that is geared more towards the male paddler. The Kala has a smaller surface area and works really well for women’s crews as well as OC1 paddlers. We’re a custom paddle maker, so we also cater to personal adjustments that people want to make to our current models. We understand that not everyone is built the same and that having the ability to customize your blade both in specs and aesthetics is a good thing.

You can find our blades at Island Paddler or Polynesian Paddle Products (P3). You can also contact us online at kaikoopaddles.com .

Pacific Paddler is A MAGAZINE FOR PADDLERS BY PADDLERS: to bring the excitement of outrigger paddling to a larger audience. Pacific Paddler covers all facets of paddling and outrigger racing including OC6, OC1, OC2, V1, O6, V6, OC4, SUP, Surfski, Canoe Surfing and more from all around the world! Our Focus is on paddling and the active lifestyle that goes with it. Paddling is a sport for everyone, any gender any age from 6 to 86. We want to encourage novice paddlers to join clubs and older paddlers to try it out.

http://pacificpaddler.com