When a large wave swamped their 42-foot canoe off Kapa’a last year, Laola Lake and five paddlers were forced to swim and paddle their partially submerged boat back to shore against dangerous rip currents. No radio equipment was onboard, and
When a large wave swamped their 42-foot canoe off Kapa’a last year, Laola Lake and five paddlers were forced to swim and paddle their partially submerged boat back to shore against dangerous rip currents.
No radio equipment was onboard, and when they reached a Kapa’a reef after an hour at sea, Lake was thrown out of the canoe and suffered a leg injury that required hospitalization.
That near-calamity, which could have placed the paddlers in danger and could have resulted in serious injuries, prompted Lake and Peggy Karleen to hold water safety classes at Kalapaki Bay Saturday.
The two women offered lessons on water safety to canoe paddlers, paddling coaches, surfers and other ocean recreational athletes.
“It is not a swim class,” Lake said. “It is really about what do in an emergency. It will touch on just about every area that anyone venturing out on the ocean would need to know.”
Knowledge of the ocean will help keep people safe, reducing the risk of injury or prevent drownings, Lake said.
From the session, Lake said she hopes Kauai’s paddlers will develop a water safety system that will help them stay safe while they participate in their sport.
Crews occasionally put themselves at risk when they set out on practices without the right equipment or training, Lake said.
More than 25 people — all of whom paid a $28 registration fee that was donated to the American Red Cross — attended the three-hour course offered by Lake and Karleen, who is an American Red Cross representative and water safety instructor with Holoholo Charters, a Kaua’i tour boat company.
Participants were taught how to read currents, what to do when caught in a current, respond to emergencies and how to call in emergencies in a prompt way. They also were given pointers on first aid and respiratory resuscitation.
Kapa’a resident Barbara Bradish, who started paddling a year ago, said she hopes the course will prepare her with the skills to survive any mishap at sea.
“Nobody knows where you are most of the time,” she said. “You have to take care of yourself.”
Russ Murkowski of Pasco, Wash., said he took the course because he lives on Kaua’i part time, is aware of the potential dangers of the ocean and “wants to enjoy the water as safely as I can.”
Kilauea resident Carol Arreola, who has been paddling for more than 35 years, said she has seen potentially dangerous situations, and that it is always good to update water safety skills.
Knowing what equipment to have and what do before going out to the ocean raises the likelihood of safer ocean outings, said Lake, a paddler in Hawai’i for 33 years.
Looking back at last year’s disaster, a protective cover was not onboard the canoe Lake went out on, which got her and her boatmates into trouble.
“The boat took on a big wave, and without it, the canoe sank,” Lake said. “We turned it to shore and paddled and swam. The boat was right-side up. It was underwater.”
The canoe also was not equipped with communication devices. Had there been one, the paddlers could have called for help, Lake said.
Accidents sometimes are just waiting to happen because people either don’t know enough about ocean safety or are not ready for rigorous ocean sports.
In a team sport such as canoe paddling, that could spell deadly consequences, Lake said.
A canoe group recently paddled from Hanalei Bay to the Kilauea Lighthouse, a trip of more than a mile that involves maneuvering around sets of high, rolling waves and strong cross currents.
During the switching of crews, one paddler appeared tired and clung to the side of the boat, delaying the maneuver, Lake said.
His hesitation, she said, could have resulted in the canoe overturning, possibly leading to injuries not only to himself but to his fellow paddlers, Lake said.
“That is a bad place for a person like that to be,” she said. “We want people to know about their limitations and the potential dangers that are out there.”
Classes will be held a second time on Feb. 17 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
For more information on the class, contact Lake at 639-6696 or Karleen at 639-6274.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net
