After coaching the US National Kayak Team at various Olympic training centers, homesick, John moved back to Hawaii to coach various top outrigger canoe teams, including both the men’s and the women’s team for the winning Outrigger Canoe Club in Waikiki for six years.Īs an exceptional technical coach, John has helped push world-class paddlers to the next level in international competition. Over years of coaching, John’s own experience as an elite paddler, combined with his talent for refining technique and efficiency, have nurtured the best assets of other paddlers at the highest level of competition. John is an internationally sought after canoe builder as well as a championship- winning paddling coach, whose career as a canoeing innovator and promoter has evolved with the expanding paddling sports market. Puakea Designs team riders include world-champion paddlers Danny Ching, Jimmy Austin, and Lauren Spalding. John Puakea is the founder of Puakea Designs, an innovative paddlesport design company that delivers products and services to elite-level as well as recreation paddlers. Again, John gives a lot of really good paddling tips in this video so be sure to check it out. We are also joined by Blue Planet team rider Jenn Lee and John gave her some tips as well. In this video, Robert (from Blue Planet Surf Hawaii) and Darin (my brother) try out John’s paddling tips in the water. This is the continuation of our paddle technique coaching session with elite paddler and coach, John Puakea.

Blue planet balance surfer