Category: Uncategorized

Prime Minister Kalanimoku standing in the doorway of one of his houses in the company of his wife Likelike, shown with her right arm raised and about to strike a sheet of kapa. In the foreground is an Olo board, the largest of the Hawaiian wood surfboards. Reserved for royalty, they ranged in size from 1.8 to 8 meters. Kalanimoku was the High Chief of the Hawaiian Kingdom during the reigns of Kamehameha I, Kamehameha II, and Kamehameha III. From the Bishop Museum, Engraving Circa 1819. Artist: Marie Joseph Alphonse Pellion.

Surfing Timeline:

2000 B.C.: A predecessor of surfing may have begun at this time in Polynesia, before people arrived in Hawaiʻi. Ancestors of Pacific Islanders may have started to ride ocean waves, and they eventually migrated from Southeast Asia to the Pacific Islands.

Ocean Safety Education:

Most authorities will agree that not enough is being done to educate the public on ocean safety education. The alarming number of ocean deaths and risk of catastrophic accidents might be mitigated by increasing the availability of ocean safety education.

Access to Instruction:

The County rules were setup to allow the people who most need instruction to have access to instruction. If someone wants an instructor or lesson then they should have access to them. Because people are going to go into the ocean with or without instructors. Many people are totally unaware of the inherent risks of engaging in an ocean recreation activity. So the ones that ask for instruction, are the ones who probably need it the most, and they should be allowed access to it. If you limit access to instruction, you are giving people no choice but to go out on their own. And nobody wants to create a situation that will force more unqualified people into the ocean.

Public Safety Issues:

The life-protecting actions of the County’s Cora program can not be overstated. It was previously estimated that County’s Ocean Recreation Activity program (cora) provided a free added benefit worth about 3.5 million dollars a year in quasi-lifeguarding services, in part because all the county-regulated instructors are also trained first responders, and they are deployed at many of the beaches where lifeguards are not present. These instructors are often highly experienced experts in their fields and sports, so they are able to quickly assess risk and avert potential problems. And many times the instructors were able to provide timely interventions and also give the general public specific advice to help people from making bad decisions, which could have tragic consequences.

Water sports Instructors:

A small but key part of the watersports community are the watersports instructors (and guides). The job of the instructor is to keep people safe during a lesson, and to teach them how to participate safely and responsibly. Instructors provide a vital service within the wider watersports community. The instructor’s job is to provide risk management for both the student and the surrounding public.

Maui is home to many outdoor activities and ocean sports:

Maui is home to many outdoor sports and ocean related activities. Our environment has produced many outstanding ocean athletes and a home-grown water sports community that has also created a world renowned watersports industry. With hand-shaped surfboards, custom canoes, surf gear, standup boards, sail makers, windsurf brands, and some of the best world’s kite manufacturers all born here and based here on Maui. Our State is most famous for the sports of surfing and outrigger canoeing, but Maui is also a Mecca for scuba, kayaking, standup paddling, windsurfing, and kiteboarding. 

Ocean Education and Accident Prevention:

Maui needs a lot more ocean education and preventative action up front. We sorely need more lifeguards, more warning signs, and more trained experts providing ocean safety education. Right now one of the obvious and most accessible avenues for ocean safety education is the County’s own Cora program. The Cora program plays an integral role in providing immediate hands-on safe recreational experiences, while also providing safety training and education.