Kauai Ocean Safety Awareness Conference

All kauai visitors:

Erica and I attended the Ocean Safety Conference this last friday.

The idea is to get the visitor familar with our island, and the ocean conditions, and have them gain some knowledge to keep them safe at the Kauai Beaches.

Unfortunately, many are totally unfamilar with the ocean, snorkeling, or swimming, They are in danger,walking on rocks, or standing on reefs, not looking at the conditiions before entering and understanding what they are looking at . They have a disregard for power of the ocean, currents, rips, waves, etc. due to not being knowledgeable.

Not knowing how and where to enter, ie: such as in the white area which is sand, not over the rocks, or reef areas. And here they are, being bounced across the rocks, getting bruised and cut, and also not knowing how to snorkel.

Or going into the ocean without fins, not knowing about the currents. Or instead of floating on top of the water horizonatally, they are treading water, and kicking the reef or rocks. And, that sea spiny urchins live in those rocks. Ouch !! Double ouch !!!

Lots of rescues, and I mean saving lives just last month, not counting the whole of last year, which 13 people drowned.

The plan was to come up with ideas, and implement those plans , to make the visitor more aware, and be able to make their own decisions, and stay safe. Not just charge into danger.

What every visitor should check, even before they leave the mainland, is a website dedicated to your safety and fun.

www.kauaiexplorer.com

Please take the responsibility to look at this, learn as much as you can, before you come to visit, and refer to it, if possible, when on island. Updated surf and ocean conditions. Important to keep your visit to Kauai, safe,and happy, and have a great time.

Today we have HIGH SURF WARNINGS posted, which is usual for the winter months. North and West Shores, 25 to 35 feet. With possbile wrap arounds. Last week visitors where out in that bad boy ocean, with no clue as to the danger. Lots of rescues, that included jet skis and even helicopters.

That would tell most of us, go to a different beach, STAY OUT OF THE WATER, and stay well above the high water line, and for goodness sake, dont walk out on the rocks, to be swept off.

If I seem a little pointed, it is because we all are concerned for your welfare. Visitors are ignoring warnings , and require rescuing, Which puts other people in danger going out in those conditions to save them. It really is not rocket science, WHEN IN DOUBT..DONT GO OUT.

Plenty of info is available: This includes POSTED SIGNS, TV, RADIO, NEWPAPER, WEBSITE, Telephone SURF AND WEATHER REPORTS. But people are even ignoring vocal, face to face warnings by life guards, a s well as the above warnings.

So, this was an all day conference, and just a few of the highlights.

We all are encouaged to help the visitors in any way that we can.

I do it almost on a daily basis, in talking with them in person. Every time it has been happily received, by thanks, smiles , and bright eyes, and several times by meeting them later for lunch, or dinner, or even breakfast.

So, please do take the responsibility on your own, to learn about our island ocean safety, even before you even pack. Please come and have fun, and please stay safe.

Lots of beautiful places to enjoy....just think about where and how you plan to have all that fun.

www.explorekauai.com

Mahalo

Denny

Kauai Ocean Safety Awareness Conference

Mahalo Denny! Time to beam you up!

Kauai Ocean Safety Awareness Conference

Good advice. Denny I would recommend you contact Trip Advisor and see if you can get a sticky put on it to keep it at the top of the pile. Larry

thanks for your public service, Denny!

One thing that occurs to me is how the brochure photos of all the islands show beaches that are calm -- except for when they show surf because they%26#39;re promoting surfing ... so people arrive with an image in mind of how the ocean will be calm and easy to snorkel and find other conditions ... but here they are and they want to get what they planned on. I wish people would stop selling PERFECT CONDITIONS and explain that Hawaii and the ocean here are constantly changing, season to season, day to day.

Re: ';as in the white area which is sand';

LOL, so that%26#39;s what that white stuff is, kewl.

I have copied and pasted the website, but would like you to copy and paste your words on Fodors website as well. There is currently a thread about ocean safety....search sistahlou if you have trouble finding it. Mahalo G

Mahalo for all the positive input....

And yes, everything that advertises any place like paradise, it is going to be beautiful, sunny,and inviting oceans and beaches.

35 foot waves slaming on to the reef, with angry seas is not going to be published. heck ,many hotels claim to have beaches, but then show a photo of a different beach, than is in front of their resort.

And that is a major problem. We also have the guide books , which if not totally read or referred to, or not used with common sense can get the visitor into trouble. Never disregard posted trails or lands.

And for please, let good sense help you make safe decisions no matter what your are planning for the day.

There are strong feelings among veteran visitors to all of the islands, that the guide books are totally responsible for all of the drownings, and hiking deaths.

Indeed, there are directions to get to places that can be extremely dangerous such as Queens Bath in the winter,or with a north swell.

There is a warning about this, but it needs to be stronger in the UKG. However, some visitors will not pay attention, and ignore all of the warnings. Dont be one of those, OK ?

The reps from the safety organizations actually want to close down entry to Queens Bath during the winter. Today, 25 - 35 foot seas, strong winds, and generally blustery conditions. We cancelled our beach activities, and will see how things are for the rest of the week.

I think our plan, tomorrow,after checking the explorekauai.com website, is to just enjoy some sun, at kalapaki beach, since the winds are not so strong there, due to the mountains, and hills. Yep. beach chairs and read....providing the sun blesses us tomorrow.

please, oh great weather kahuna, bring us sunshine.

What the Conference is working hard on, is educating the visitor.

13 rescues on one day last week, which would have probably been 13 drownings. Very rough seas, with High Surf Warnings on the north shore beaches. But, bless those lifeguards and the fire dept.,

I really like that website. They have 21,000 people reading it, on a montly basis, and average time on line is 21 minutes. So, we have visitors who are serious about being informed, and prepared. THAT IS GREAT ! Bless their bones to a person.

And yep, it wont always be the big bad wave days that get people into trouble. Even on days that look ok, there can be currents, or boogie borders slamming into the sand head first, and breaking necks, and other vertebrea. Witness one of Erica%26#39;s mainland acquaintances. Very bad.

It was a day of eye opening, impactive information, with a galvanizing of different groups, as well as individuals to band together and help our visitors.

Again, mahalo for your aloha, it is appreciated

Denny

I hope you don%26#39;t mind, but since you didn%26#39;t respond, I took it upon myself to copy and paste this thread to a thread on fodors. I am so excited by this report. The website was familiar, but this conference is just such great news.

I read your post and was wishing that the airlines flying to Hawaii would show a short 10 minute video on the flight, for example, the video for Kauai could warn about the most common ocean hazards such as Queen%26#39;s Bath and the north shore beaches in winter. It could also ask the tourists to do their part in preserving the reefs (informing them about the part they play in their destruction). It might do some good, because on an airplane you are a captive audience and can%26#39;t get up and leave!

I don%26#39;t know if something like this has been done or if the airlines would go for it, but the safety of tourists and the preservation of the islands is in everyone%26#39;s interest.

good idea about the video ...

much more useful than hearing my seat cushion can be used as a flotation device in event of a water landing ...

(j/k, I know they can%26#39;t cut out the flight safety info)

Thanks for the good info Denny.

I like the idea about the airlines showing an informational video, but the way they rotate planes, you know something would get screwed up. Some poor guy on his way to Kansas City would be watching a video about the dangers of going into the ocean when it%26#39;s rough!

I always kind of laugh about the whole safety video thing anyway. Yeah, in the event of a water landing, chances are the only thing still attached to the seat cushion might be my butt. The rest of me would be fish food, lol !!

If only the conference could teach you how to make people use common sense! I still think a lot of the accidents are from people who will watch a 30 foot wave and still think it%26#39;s not going to hurt them.