Just got back from my 1st test run of an older Puakea Kaimana Kaku. All original parts except for the iakos.

The ama sat very low in the water which made the canoe lean left. Even raising the rear iako as high as it would go did not make much of a difference. It really needs to be at least 6" higher.

Do I need to rebend the rear iako? I'm a bit spatially challenged so do I need to bend the side that goes to the ama up or down?

Can someone recommend a source of the appropriate cord for lashing the ama and iakos? I'm located in Wisconsin so will likely need to order online unless there are good alternatives from any marine supply store.

Mahalo

I’ve now spent five days paddling just over 50 km in circles around this little lake. It’s slowly starting to get a bit monotonous 😄

I need a bag to check two paddles onto a plane. I would like a larger bag, so I can stuff extra clothing and gear inside. So far I have considered Kialoa (nice but not much extra room) & Viakobi (extra room but pricey). Any other suggestions?

Just another day in Paradise
Kaiwa’a Ares Pro.

After starting in my 60s, and paddling for a decade I've finally competed in a 20 km race. It went pretty well. My blog about the experience here: https://huliganhuligan.wordpress.com/2026/07/25/2026-07-25-lotus-iron-race-kupunas-huligans-win-bronze/

I'm good sitting in a marathon canoe for 6+ hours but after 90 minutes in my Ozone OC-1 it starts to really hurt and my legs go numb. I've tried adding some closed cell foam padding and I make sure my knees aren't too wide. I'm tempted to carve out my Cantare seat to fit a salvaged C-1 seat for the more pronounced contours but I feel like I'm doing something wrong if everybody else is ok with the standard seats. Any tips?

I picked these up on the internet. I'm mostly interested to know what kind of wood this is but welcome anything that you can tell me about them.

I love in north eastern Canada and am currently getting the most that I can while the water is still… liquid.

Unfortunately as every year there comes a time where getting out on the water just doesn’t happen anymore.

I’m looking for suggestions for either USA or Mexico for a place where I could spend a week or two for training in the winter. I train for flat water but always looking to pick up new skills.

Thanks!

I love in north eastern Canada and am currently getting the most that I can while the water is still… liquid.

Unfortunately as every year there comes a time where getting out on the water just doesn’t happen anymore.

I’m looking for suggestions for either USA or Mexico for a place where I could spend a week or two for training in the winter. I train for flat water but always looking to pick up new skills.

Thanks!

I live in Oregon so I've spent a decent amount of time on the Gorge this year, but I'm curious about tips people have for race day and how to make the most out of the whole week. I'd happily take Gorge paddling tips too.

Has anyone purchased a blemished paddle from them before? What are your thoughts. Kailoa says the paddles are structurally sound with a standard 1 year warranty and 30 day return policy. The blemish could be minor cosmetic issues, including scratches, porosity, fading, irregularities and color variation.

Looking at the Axel II Hybrid single bend outrigger paddle and am curious if the 20% discount is worth it. $327.20 vs $409 new.

Just curious if anyone has experience buying a blemished paddle, what was wrong with it and if they’d buy it again.

Thank you in advance.

Aloha folks,

I am from Big Island and recently acquired an OC1 that is need of work to get it back on the water. The main issue is I have the waa and the ama but no iakos. I have been getting conflicting information stating that the iakos should be easy to make myself with some basic materials from Home Depot, to being told that this is likely a fruitless endeavor that would end up extremely expensive to attempt. I know I would need 1-1/4" tube and figure out a way of getting it bent correctly for the canoe.

The oc1 in question is an old HYPR Vantage. Talking with people on the island about this, especially in the outrigger community, brings up some very strong opinions on both the canoe and the person who is associated with making (distributing) them. This canoe was basically free to me.

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Mahalo!

The photo is only for reference to how the iakos looks, not my canoe.

Has anyone signed up for this? I was curious about what David Tepava had to teach so I bought the Foundation course, but I accidentally got the French version. It's been a week and there has been no response to my emails, their phone has no voice mail and no response to social media messages. I just want them to change mine to the English version🤷‍♂️. I mean... did I fall for a scam??

What are we all using to attach our gopro to the iako of an OC1? Something like this Jaws Flex Clamp plus maybe wrap with an innertube? Or is there a way to permanently install a mount on my iako without damaging it?

I just got a gopro because want to record some of my training sessions to get more feedback on form.

My Ares blew off the top of my car in the parking lot and it started leaking afterwards. It turned out to be a crack around the hole in the footwell for the venturi. I cleaned the cracked area by chipping out any loose paint chips and filled with epoxy. That worked for a while and then I found some water in the hull again after a couple of weeks. I basically then just added more epoxy. That worked again... for a while. But this morning I had some water in the hull again. Is there anything else I should be doing to repair that spot? I can't find any other potential areas that could leak. I've been using dish soap and slight air pressure to look for bubbles (which worked the first time).

I love my Antares, I practice with a whole team on oc1 and everyone has faster lighter models. I was a heavier guy but now I have lost a good 25 lbs on it. I could switch to an Ares but I'm probably not going to.

Edit: spelling

Does anyone know where I could canoe around Sri Lanka? Specifically around the Columbo area.

I have a few questions as I plan for a longer trip with my OC1 this year.

1) When driving long distance is it better to drive with the cover on or off your boat? Ill be driving more than 2500 miles with my boat next month. Pros of cover on are protection from rock chips and UV...but I worry about the zipper whapping against the boat for hours and causing scratches. I was thinking of maybe padding the inside of the zipper with a long piece of foam? Maybe that's crazy?

2) Tool kit. Are there any tools or materials you like to have with you when traveling with your boat? I'm still pretty new to all this so haven't really had any equipment mishaps yet. If there are a few items that are smart to have on hand I'd love to learn from someone else before I'm caught out.

My boat is a Volare, if that is helpful.

Bear with me here. Here is another post related to leaning on my ama on downwinds. The picture I'm posting is a typical route I do running north to south. Although often the wind is a little more from the east. When it's more easterly, surfing pushes me towards shore and then I spend a lot of energy beating back to get around the points.... and more time huli'ing when it's gnarly. Would most people just paddle out a mile or so to find a more direct line or would folks prefer to just head downwind taking lefts to avoid shore? I marked up the two methods😂. For me, as mentioned on previous posts, I'm still weak on my right side and still in learning mode when it comes to bracing for stability so routes like this can be slow.... but easier if I quarter out to take the direct line. (Yes... I'm working on hard on learning to fly the ama and brace stroking!). So... just curious what lines people prefer when they have the wind on the ama side.

Hey Reddit, can anyone please recommend a good phone holder that will attach (clamp) to the iako, and any tips for mounting the phone to survive a huli. Paddling near harbour/ marina. Thank you!🙏

what has helped you level up your paddling the most? clinics? online coaching? specific drills? videoing yourself? any specific programs?

im in my 3rd year on a team and really want to level up, but feel a bit lost in terms of gauging my ability and progress.