OpenWater

‼️ If you are interested in joining a group outrigger paddle (in an OC6), please join our Band group. Details on upcoming gatherings will be posted there, starting in October. No experience necessary and all are welcome! Link in our bio.

‼️ Tune in to hear our very own Kane Johnson speak on mental health, peer support, and his experience with OpenWater on the Grablives Podcast. You can find the episode on Spotify and YouTube, it’s linked in our bio. Listen today and let us know what you think in the comments 👇🏼

“Forged by pressure. Carried with purpose.”

Our connection to TRA’J starts with our founder, Danny Nichols, and his involvement in creating an organization dedicated to supporting those who protect our communities and our country. This new apparel collaboration is a collection that brings OpenWater’s identity together with TRA’J’s approach to purposeful wears and provisions. Ocean-inspired artwork and messages of service and resilience carry a connection to the people and purpose behind the collaboration. They offer a way for those who serve, and those who stand beside them, to wear that connection in their daily lives.

The collection includes a 10% give-back to OpenWater, keeping support for the organization built into the collaboration. Alongside the opportunity to reach new people, that contribution helps support the work that brought us together in the first place.

For Danny and TRA’J, this collection continues a commitment that began with helping create OpenWater. It is another way to share its message, invite others into the community, and support those who protect ours.

Check out the website in our Linktree or visit: https://traj.co/

*Photo cred TRA’J

🌊 As we prepare for the Veterans Day Channel Crossing, we have many opportunities to support our organization, including: provide a scholarship to a Paddler, underwrite an event expense, or become a sponsor.

👉 Email [email protected] to learn more!

ChannelCrossing

“My whole thing has been to get folks together, have some fellowship, community with those you have shared experiences with and a shared love for the water,” Navy Veteran and Class of 2024 graduate Kevin F. shares, who leads the Virginia Beach community.

With more than 30 participants in Virginia Beach, our East Coast chapter is expanding. With intentionality and warmth, the Virginia Beach team continues to grow each year.

Read more about our community in Virginia Beach via the link in our bio.

🙏 Today, we express our gratitude for our 9/11 Honor Challenge volunteers. We are thankful for the early morning set-ups, the joy, the flexibility, and the heart they put into all that they do.

To our volunteers, THANK YOU!

🙏 OpenWater is extraordinarily fortunate to have such a deep bench of talented steerspeople, and frankly, our paddling ecosystem depends on them! A good steersperson is never just the person holding the paddle in seat six of the outrigger canoe; they’re the quiet force that makes everything possible. Without them, we couldn’t safely host group outrigger paddles, we couldn’t field a men’s or women’s team, and we certainly couldn’t welcome new paddlers into the sport with the confidence, safety, and care that define our community.

Literally, the steersperson keeps the canoe upright, pointed in the right direction, and is responsive to the ocean’s mood. They read currents, wind, and swell patterns; they make split‑second decisions that protect the crew, preserve the canoe, and turn chaos into flow.

Figuratively, they do even more. A steersperson is a stabilizer: someone who sets the tone, builds trust, and keeps the crew aligned. They model calm under pressure, humility in leadership, and the kind of presence that makes people feel safe enough to push themselves. In many ways, they embody the values OpenWater works so hard to cultivate: resilience, teamwork, and purposeful action.

🔥 How This Leadership Connects to OpenWater’s Mission

OpenWater welcomes new participants through Active Mentorship, a six‑month experience that strengthens resilience, builds peer‑driven leadership, and supports long‑term wellbeing for first responders, military personnel, and their families. Participants focus on watercraft skills, recovery techniques, and nutrition, preparing them for a demanding 33‑mile channel crossing. Completion earns them the title Ambassadors of Change who then guide small groups in ongoing training and wellness activities, creating a sustainable, nationwide pipeline of future coaches.

Steerspeople are the natural extension of this pathway. They translate OpenWater’s values into motion on the water.

❤️ Meet the individuals whose expertise, steadiness, and heart make our paddling culture possible.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our social events this year — your enthusiasm and support made the season genuinely special! Social events for individual crafts will return in March, and we’re already excited to bring everyone back together. In the meantime, stay tuned for details on upcoming outrigger canoe social events happening this winter!

A huge thank you to all of the amazing sponsors and supporters who made our 7th Annual 9/11 Honor Challenge happen! We are so grateful for your support, your partnership, and for showing up. Many of our sponsors also participated in the event - which made it all the more special.

THANK YOU!

Sunwest Bank Crown Ace Hardware FR Health Blue Street Capital Huntington Beach Firefighters Michael Wright BUBS Naturals | Collagen, MCT, ACV, & Creatine TRA’J CO INKWRIGHT Ola Mexican Kitchen