In Hawaii, spearfishing isn’t just a sport. For many, it’s about culture, sustenance, discipline, and, at its highest level, art. For Kai Akahele, it’s also a way of life. To know him is to understand the craftsmanship and dedication that go into each one of his handcrafted polespears, or Hawaiian 3 Prongs, as they are called in the Aloha State.
“I grew up watching my dad go spearfishing,” Kai Akahele, owner of Kai’s Handcrafted Spears, tells me. “I’d hang on to his surf shorts and just follow him around.” He laughs. “I didn’t see him catch much at first, but I was watching. I was learning.”
What started as tagging along turned into an obsession. These days, Kai is not only a lifelong lover of the ocean, but also the founder and sole craftsman behind the Honolulu-based company where he’s producing custom carbon fiber spears by hand, with no two exactly alike.
Built by Hand, Built to Last
If Kai Akahele’s name sounds familiar beyond his company name, there’s a reason: About five years ago, he landed a world-record catch of a giant trevally, also known in Hawaii as ulua. The fish weighed 98.1 pounds. Kai caught it with one of his 3 Prongs.
He explains that he started making them himself because he wasn’t satisfied with what was available. The rubber bands weren’t strong enough for his needs, so he began customizing his own. Then he experimented with different tips until he found the one that worked best. Eventually, it just made sense to build his own, and not just for himself.
Today, each of his spears is crafted from 3K carbon fiber and fitted with custom components he makes himself. Kai cuts the metal. He fabricates the fittings. He shapes and installs the tips. And finally, he wraps every colorful grip by hand.
Even more interesting, the back end of the spear is made from a fired .357 or .38 special bullet shell collected from local hunts for boar and deer, then cleaned and repurposed. It’s a subtle detail, but one that is important and unique to Kai’s Handcrafted Spears.
To make the polespears—which range from 3 to 12 feet, with the 6-, 7-, 8-, and 9-foot models being the most popular—Kai works in deliberate phases. One week might be dedicated entirely to cutting and shaping metal tips; another to fitting butt shells; another to building the poles and tying the rubber. When orders come in, he assembles from carefully prepared components, adding the final grip wrap and finishing touches. He also creates with portability and longevity in mind, which is why he uses 316 stainless steel fittings that resist corrosion.
For the grips, Kai uses colored cord, choosing from approximately 50 different colors, and hand-wraps each one, often in unique combinations of three colors.
“I twist it all by hand,” he says. “People look through what I have and pick what they like.”
The result is a spear that feels personal and never mass-produced.
A Family Operation
Much of the work happens at home. Loud metal cutting is done at a friend’s place. Maybe because Kai Akahele has four children: two boys and two girls, ages 7 to 16, and he watches them himself while running the business. There are also two dogs in the mix. It’s a casual, comfy setting, and Kai wouldn’t want it any other way.
“I’ll be helping them with homework and wrapping a grip at the same time,” he says.
A Different Kind of Fishing with a Different Kind of Spear
Pole Spearing in Hawaii, especially with one of Kai’s spears, is a unique experience. There are no scuba tanks. No hovering above the reef. Divers free dive, slowing their breathing at the surface until their heart rate drops, then descending on a single breath.
Twenty feet is comfortable; 40 requires composure. Some elite divers might push to 80 or 100 feet. All on breath. Underwater, everything slows.
“You’ve got to read the fish,” Kai explains. “If you see one eye looking at you, he knows you’re there. If he’s pecking and relaxed, that’s your window.”
Many divers in Hawaii, he adds, use paralyzer tips, designed to spread on impact, but only if you hit precisely. “You’ve got to hit the spine or the skull,” he says. “We always go for the brain.”
It’s why his spears are designed with a high-carbon steel paralyzer prong tip, great for landing clean, precise shots.
He has one more thought to share: “You don’t shoot something just because it’s legal,” he adds. “If there aren’t many fish in that area, I won’t take it. We only take what we’re going to eat.”
From Local Secret to Island Staple
Orders fluctuate. Some months are quiet. Others bring 60 or more requests. Recently, Kai Akahele’s spears began selling on Scuba.com, opening the door to a broader audience.
Could he handle 150 orders at once?
“I could absolutely make 150 spears,” he says. “It would just take time.” And that’s the way he wants it.
Despite the growing demand, Kai remains firmly rooted in the local community. Divers across Hawaii know his work. Some fly in from other islands to check the inventory in person.
One customer, Bulla Castillo, came from Maui on the day of this interview to purchase another spear from Kai; he already owns four in various lengths, with the 8-foot model among his favorites. “I love its balance, reach, and maneuverability. It’s strong. It’s versatile,” Castillo says. “You can take down big fish or shoot small fry. I don’t need anything else.”
Another fan of Kai’s Handcrafted Spears is Joe Wadahara, a Hawaiian firefighter who loves to fish and dive. He did a review a few years back on his YouTube Channel, “On Fire Fishing Hawaii,” in which he talked about being in awe of Kai’s craftsmanship and attention to detail. On the show, Kai outlined his process: using a 3K carbon fiber weave, stainless steel fitting, spring tip bars, and then “glassing” the grip. The rubber on the model Joe was reviewing was 3/16 by 1/8 on a 275-pound test wire that Kai crimped and tied on, and then, of course, there was the signature detail on all of Kai’s spears, a 38-special shell (yes, a bullet casing!) that locks the custom band in place. If you look closer, you can catch his name in script on the casing.
“The spear itself is striking, sleek blue carbon fiber that almost looks too beautiful to use,” Joe described at the time. “It’s lightweight, stiff, and incredibly fast in the water.”
More Than a Tool
For someone unfamiliar with the underwater fishing technique of pole spearing, the equipment can seem like just gear. But in Kai Akahele’s hands, it feels like something more, a bridge between craftsmanship, culture, and the ocean itself.
He builds each spear not only to be durable and powerful, but also to reflect a mindset: patience, respect, and restraint.
In an era of mass production and overnight shipping, Kai Akahele is twisting cord by hand, one grip at a time.
For him and for the growing number of divers who rely on his work, his handcrafted spears aren’t just thought of as tools. They are a way of life.
Scuba.com currently sells two new KAI Handcrafted Carbon Fiber Breakdown Spears, available in 6- and 8-foot lengths. Click here for the 6-foot option. Click here for the 8-foot option.
