Safety in Hawaiian Waters

The waters surrounding the Main Hawaiian Islands are dynamic, alluring, and dangerous. Our islands are situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and are separated by channels that often flow at six to eight knots and are subject to open ocean winds, ocean swells, and sudden weather changes. Our nearshore waters are interspersed with coral reefs and shallow flats, and our waters are subject to rip tides. Hurricanes generate high surf and high winds radiating hundreds of miles from the center of the storm. The hazards Hawaii mariners must avoid are many and varied. Even ocean users who have lived in Hawaii all their lives fall prey to unseen obstacles or unpredictable conditions.

Safety is a major factor that an ocean user should assess each time they go into the water. No excursion into the outdoors and no activity is totally free of risk. When a person weighs all factors above and below the surface—including the weather and other dynamic conditions; currents; personal health condition; hazards in the vicinity, other ocean users and their equipment; unforeseen elements; etc.—and still ventures out into the water, there is a voluntary acceptance of the risks involved. Among those considerations, the ocean user should also be considering ways to make the water environment safer. The smart ocean user is constantly reassessing all factors and knows when to return to land. The goal is to enjoy one’s time out on the water and return home safely.

Smart ocean users:

• are good 360-degree observers (all around, above, and below) who notice and study risks of being on the water immediately in front, below, and to the sides of them; in the distance; and on the horizon;
• understand the hazards present in the waters they are using, when those hazards are most dangerous, and have multiple strategies to survive a worst-case scenario;
• strive to be competent, courteous, and experienced operators/users and understand the capabilities of the craft they command;
• are realistic about their abilities and cognizant of demands they may place on emergency responders and others surrounding them should their assessment of risk factors be proven faulty or inadequate;
• faithfully and insightfully adhere to operational rules and safety regulations because they exist for a good reason and because they save lives;
• understand that, first and foremost, they are responsible for their own safety.

We may admire those fearless individuals who seek to conquer the ocean, but in time, these ocean users may gamble and lose their lives or cause the deaths of others, cause environmental damage, and more. It is far wiser to emulate those who have deep respect for the ocean and other ocean users, train adequately, prepare for potential scenarios, and try to foresee the outcome of their informed decisions.