Ocean Safety
The last time we were at Mauna Kea beach on the Big Island, the red flags were up, indicating rough conditions. We had our boogie boards with us, and as a lifeguard came out of the water, he warned us, “Be careful out there. People get their necks snapped on days like today.” It sounds harsh, but he knew what a lot of people don’t: That sharks may make the headlines, but drownings claim far more lives.
Although the state of Hawai’i is serious about their lifeguards, most drownings occur at beaches where there aren’t any.
The City and County of Honolulu has a staff of 200 professional lifeguards (the largest in the nation) and so to educate people about ocean safety, and how that beautiful blue ocean is to be respected as much as it’s to be admired, the state has launched several websites, including Hawaii Beach Hazard Forecast. Kaua’i keeps its own excellent beach and surf conditions Web site, with daily updates from lifeguards around the island.
Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by Unobtanium
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