Paddling apparel purveyors go from retail to wholesale

David G. Kim and Dede Howa, owners of ‘Oiwi Ocean Gear, are shifting focus, having weathered the economy’s tumultuous tides of the last few years.

The store at Kailua Beach Center, near President Barack Obama’s annual (but maybe not this year) shave ice haunt, opened in 2005 to serve the paddling community with its proprietary, customizable sun-blocking apparel and additional clothing and accessories for men, women and children.

The retail store’s last day of operation will be Dec. 31, but ‘Oiwi is not going out of business nor is it shutting down, Kim and Howa said.

"We were not a mom-and-pop when we opened," Kim said, as wife Dede had a full-time career as a counselor in the alcohol prevention program at the University of Hawaii. Now, however, with 13-month-old son (and adorable lady killer) Keanu, a shifting economy and a plan to grow the brand to reach a larger audience, the now mom-and-pop business is changing from retail to wholesale.

The couple’s lease was up in October, but they decided to extend the lease to give customers through the end of the year to shop in the light-and-breezy, ocean-and-beach-park themed store, and to get the word out about the transition of the business, Kim and Howa said.

Wholesale has long been a part of ‘Oiwi Ocean Gear, as its products also are in Go Bananas, Island Paddler and the Kahala Hotel & Resort on Oahu, Native Intelligence on Maui and Hilo Bay Paddler on Hawaii island, among others.

‘Oiwi has created customized paddling wear for several canoe clubs including Lanikai Canoe Club, Outrigger Canoe Club, Kai Opua Canoe Club and more, not to mention hula halau and other types of clubs, Howa said. Some have bought blank jerseys from ‘Oiwi and had them printed elsewhere, while others commissioned Kim to create a team design to have printed on the shirts.

While the company buys its proprietary, certified, 50 percent UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) fabric from Australia, every step of the process thereafter, from design to cutting and sewing, is done in the USA, and printing is done in Hawaii. As much shipping as possible is handled by a Hawaii-based company that also has a facility in California.

Interest from the East Coast has Kim and Howa exploring additional supply chain and distribution channels for far-flung fans.

‘Oiwi also will continue online sales through its website.

Both will miss the face-to-face interaction with customers, which Kim valued not just because it made him feel good, but because the interaction also served as IRL C2B R & D — in-real-life, consumer-to-business research and development. However, the business is active on Twitter and Facebook and regularly engages the social media community for feedback and input.

Beyond the paddling community, other outdoor enthusiasts have become loyal customers of the sun-protection clothing.

Bicyclists, fitness-walkers, golfers and others have sought out ‘Oiwi’s sun protection wear and in some cases have asked Kim for design tweaks. Golfers, for instance, need a turtleneck or collared shirt to comply with golf course etiquette, he said.

Bicyclists also wanted a snugger fit to reduce drag, a concept that has helped Kim design so-called compression apparel for USA Canoe/Kayak paddlers Ryan and Patrick Dolan, both members of the U.S. Sprint National team, in which thousandths and hundredths of seconds can mean the difference between the gold, silver or bronze medal, or no medal at all. Ryan is featured in such gear in a new commercial for ‘Oiwi produced by Ocean Paddler Television. The line of compression apparel is slated for release in February.

On the Net:
» www.oiwioceangear.com