project nova

When the world's borders closed in 2020, our kayaks lay stacked silent dry on our racks. As an eco-adventure touring company, kayakasia Philippines depends on travelers coming to explore our waters. Suddenly, they couldn't come. Our community of kayak guides and staff—the backbone of everything we do—faced an impossible uncertainty.

We had a choice to wait for the world to reopen, or find a way forward that stayed true to who we are.

For 15 years, we've been showing people how to tread lightly on this planet through our trips. We'd planted mangroves, cleaned coastlines, and ran a business on the belief that adventure, responsibility, and community go hand in hand. Now, facing our own crisis, we asked ourselves; what would it mean to live those values when everything felt uncertain?

The answer lay stacked silent, dry and now retired. Our kayaks. It is our main waste component as a kayak touring company. Worn from years of paddling up and down rivers, crossing islands, making unforgettable memories, sharing our paradise. We'd always struggled with what to do with them when their paddling days ended. They weren't trash, not really.

So what if we could give them a second life?

Project Nova was born from that question. Through YouTube university, we taught ourselves leatherworking and bag-making. As kayak guides, we try to read water and weather - now we're trying to understand fashion. Silhouettes. Learn stitches. Read patterns. 2020 gave us so much time. The idea is to create by hand each decommissioned kayak into everyday-carry bags, wallets, outdoor gear, and accessories.

The process of designing and creating kept our team together. Kept us engaged. Kept our hands busy. Kept hope alive. Through the stretch of the pandemic, Project Nova employed 80% of our staff full-time. We are still kayak guides. Out of water, but still navigating. Still sharing stories, but on a new and different plane of sustainability.

Today, every Project Nova bag carries our story of transformation. It closes the loop on our waste, supports our community, and proves that our philosophy isn't just something we practice when times are easy.