China Canoes

Aloha kalikikopa, I misspoke! You (and the Kamanu website) are correct. The Pueo design is licensed and built in outside of the US in two other locations. By Kamanu Composites Australia, Down Under, and by Woo in France. Both locations build for their local market. It increases availability, their materials and labor are locally sourced, and the shipping costs, emissions, and packaging waste are all greatly reduced.

So what I meant to say is that all Kamanu Composites canoes built for Hawai'i and N. America, are made in the Kailua shop :)

#72 Thu, 04/17/2014 - 6:40am

That alibaba site is gnarly. Moulds from Kai's, and Maui were allowed to be used and sold?

There's your sign.

At least people will be able to buy a decent canoe from Walmart in the more rural parts of America...

Franco might have to defend his Title to some 15 year old from Arkansas in the near future.

All Kidding aside, you can't force ideologies on others, but you can inform the un informed.

Half the crap I own is probably made in china...but when I have a viable choice I want Made in the USA/HI.

Have a Happy Easter everyone!

#74 Thu, 04/17/2014 - 8:40am

yeah poopoo, $4500 sounds nuts right? until you start to think about how much money many people in the US and Hawaii make and then spend on a daily or monthly basis.

cable service? $45 a month for just basic $100 if you watch Game of Thrones (not even needed with OCP firing)
internet service? $35 a month
home phone? $35 a month
cell phone? $90 a month for smart phone (sometimes more, sometimes less)
car payment for second or third car? $250 a month (probably more)
electric bill? $250 a month (not unheard of, maybe could be halved b y using efficient lights, appliances, and line drying clothes)
eat out once a week? $160 a month (conservatively)

so just cancel cable, home phone, sell your shiny new car you're paying for, eat at home more often (out once a month), reduce electric use and here's what you get in monthly savings.

45+35+250+125+120= $575 saved PER MONTH.

so in 7-8 months you've saved enough for a $4500 canoe. so really, what is your priority? this is always the case? as you see in this example i choose to keep my cell phone, electricity, and internet service…i'm not crazy! right now many of us probably pay for a home phone we use once a month, if at all. insure one too many cars. pay for a brand new car that spends 21 hours a day not even moving (it either sits in your garage or in the parking lot at work). and some people have to stare at a tv for several hours a day out of habit.

if you can't afford the $1500 difference to buy a canoe straight from Kai, then just make these changes for three months and then go back to the "easy" life.

i'm sure people will get angry at me, so i'll put this out there. yes, i have three cars. selling one to go down to two. they're all paid for. i line dry my clothes weather permitting. i have no cable service. my wife makes me have a home phone that we don't use. we've replaced most of our lights with efficient bulbs.this over simplified example doesn't even account for insurance savings, gas savings, etc etc etc. it adds up really fast. if you really dig paddling, which i think most of us do, you'll spend more time in your new canoe than you will in your new car!

**i have a mortgage and two kids and a wife. if i can do this anyone can. all this whining about needing to save 300 or 1500 bucks and having to take care of your family is a sad song that's overused. cry me a river. the choices YOU make daily are what bleed your pockets dry. not a local built canoe from Kamanu, Kai, Maui, OC or Tiger. if having to wait bothers you, then put in your order and then start saving your money. by the time the boat is ready you'll have the money. or just put in on your unpaid credit card and live with the 14 to 21% interest capital one will charge you...

#76 Thu, 04/17/2014 - 10:11am

Now that I'm doing better in my races I need to start my comments like this. I don't normally post on here but (meaning I like watching you mere earthling endlessly squabble over the right answer and it was amusing for a while but now I need to give you the right answer) I had to say this. The guys saying don't buy the Chinese are basically acting like Chinese and saying "only do it this way and all other reasons don't matter!"Yes master! The guys buying Chinese are saying "Look we wuold like to buy American but I need to buy Chinese, give us a little Freedom so we can paddle comfortably. We not judging you don't judge us, we all have our own situation". It's not as ironic as a black fly in your Chardonnay or a death row pardon two minutes too late, or aaaa cream pie when you already aaate. but still lil ironic.

I must say Kamanu canoes are extremely well built and the service provided by them is unmatched in the industry here on Oahu. I would say each builder there seems to have a touch of concern for each Pueo that has left their shop. Having a Pueo felt like I was always being looked after not just by the owner(s) but also by the many hands that help build these canoes.

#78 Thu, 04/17/2014 - 12:31pm

"I must say Kamanu canoes are extremely well built and the service provided by them is unmatched in the industry here on Oahu. I would say each builder there seems to have a touch of concern for each Pueo that has left their shop. Having a Pueo felt like I was always being looked after not just by the owner(s) but also by the many hands that help build these canoes."

I must say I agree 100%. I have purchased 1 Aukahi from them and Luke was awesome. I bought a 2nd hand pueo2 and Luke was still awesome. Ive bought roughly 6 canoes from Kai, and they are just as awesome. Buy local when you can. Its better, in my opinion. But if the only way you can get on the water is to buy China, then buy China.

Glad to see OCP can still be alive and well.

#80 Thu, 04/17/2014 - 1:05pm

jc9, I am as some would say "chinese."

What Hawaii really needs is a reliable illegal workforce.

#82 Thu, 04/17/2014 - 2:34pm

LOL poopoopaddler.

Kalikikopa, you forgot misinformation about Gelcoat too. ***

*** Tiger's is correct.

aloha,
pog

#84 Thu, 04/17/2014 - 2:50pm

Bonjour Fabrice,

look at Va'a Factory for instance. They do produce a Va'a Toru in France:

http://www.vaafactory.fr/catalogue-3/catalogue-pirogue-vf-europe/

#86 Fri, 04/18/2014 - 6:00am

"- Very scarce shipping of east european made OC6 (east of europe is somewhat our "china" regarding composite work)"

I'm surprised more manufacturers aren't building their lower-cost boats and such in places like the Czech Republic. The composite work and build quality I've seen in products manufactured in the Czech Republic has really been first rate, costs are low, and you don't seem to have the rampant violatiosn of patent rights that occur in China (as well as other issues with doing business in China). Surely the language isn't any harder to learn. :)

#88 Fri, 04/18/2014 - 8:41am

Just one thing to think about, paddling the boat that feels the best for you. I have paddled several different types of boats to find one that "fits" me and I feel confident in. It ended up that the boat that felt the best for my style and body was the Storm. No options there to buy local. That said living on Maui with Mike Giblin on island, the service has been amazing. Mike has lent a friend an Ama when we broke his ama. Mike has given me an extra pair of iakus when I damaged mine, at no charge.

As stated before, service goes a long way.

Not sure what I would do if they had a locally made Storm, but its an interesting thought.

-J

#90 Fri, 04/18/2014 - 9:12am

Since no one chimed in for the east coast, U.S., I'll add my 2 cents. When I start paddling about 15 yrs ago, there was one choice for OC1...Huki or nothing AND I have always liked Judes canoes (I still have my original V1A). After several years, a couple of reps sprang up and we had the choice of maybe 2 or 3 boats from Ozone (First HUrricanes, then Kai Wa'a) and Outrigger Connection boats became available too (who can't forget the "chine" discussion). You could get a yellow one, blue one, red one or green one. Cookie cutter. Recently, some of the reps have moved or shut down so one has to search a bit harder for an OC1. Good Used ones can be had for not that much off of the original sale price. Whenever I look in the classifieds at custom canoes with their splashy graphics, etc. I KNOW that I could go faster if I had one of these! Seriously, I would and DO pay more to "buy American" if and when I can! (I might add...nothing against foreign goods...buying "American" is buying "local" for me)

#92 Sun, 04/20/2014 - 9:24am

redpepper : I'm as surprised as you are. "Idoine diffusion", a french dealer is going that way. I'm pretty sure their products are some of these you mentioned.

#94 Wed, 04/23/2014 - 8:05pm