Water skiers and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources are not in the same boat on proposed safety changes for the Wailua River. According to Pete Fisher, secretary of the Kaua’i Boat and Ski Club, the DLNR is
Water skiers and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources are not in the same boat on proposed safety changes for the Wailua River.
According to Pete Fisher, secretary of the Kaua’i Boat and Ski Club, the DLNR is proposing to change several rules and regulations affecting water skiing, knee-boarding and wake-boarding on the river.
Three of the proposed rule changes which especially rouse the ire of veteran water skiers, according to Fisher, are:
– No double or triple towing of skiers.
– No kneeboards, wake skating, surfboards, air chairs or tubing.
– No towing past the second bend at any time.
Randy Honjo, DLNR harbor master, said he couldn’t say much without clearing his comments first with his superiors. But he did try to explain DLNR’s general position.
“It’s not like we’re opposed to skiing. But we want everyone to have a safe time on the river. We are responsible for the safety, health and welfare of everyone on the river,” Honjo said.
He also pointed out that gathering input is the reason behind a DLNR-sponsored public meeting at the Lihu’e Public Library on Hardy Street next Monday between 6 and 8 p.m.
Drafts of the proposed rule changes will be available, and Honjo will be at the meeting, too.
“What we’re doing is from an advisory level,” he said, adding the proposed new rules are “recommendations.”
Fisher said he agrees with DLNR that there is too much traffic on the Wailua past the river’s second bend during daylight hours to allow safe skiing.
“There’s a part of this that is sensible. During the middle of the day, past the second bend, there are tour boats coming up and back, and kayaks doing the same thing. Skiing should be prohibited from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day” in that part of the river, Fisher said.
Honjo said the time restrictions were something that was also being considered, as opposed to a total ban.
The DLNR released a statement Friday afternoon clarifying the purpose of the meeting.
“The purpose of the meeting is to present and gather information from the local community, user groups and businesses, the first step in the Rule making process.”
The information being presented is based in part on the Advisory Group recommendations and does not include recommendations from the Kaua’i District Office.
Fisher was more adamant about the proposed ban on double towing.
“It’s a bad rule because most of the people I see on the weekend almost always pull double. We use the same length of line. It is perfectly safe as long as you drive responsibly. You drive half as fast as with a single skier,” Fisher said.
DLNR apparently believes the proposed rule changes will improve safety, but the ski club members don’t think that will necessarily be the case, Fisher said.
“None of the proposed rules would have altered the outcome of the fatal accident” that occurred on the Wailua in 1985, Fisher said.
The accident claimed the life of a young Sun Valley, Idaho man who was skiing behind the last boat on the river at the end of the day. The skier fell, was towed feet first into the bushes on the river bank, was impaled and died instantly.
“A valid argument could be made that implementation of the new rules would increase the likelihood of serious accidents, as the rules eliminate slow-speed activity and promote high-speed slalom skiing,” Fisher claimed.
Those who cannot make Monday’s meeting are invited to pick up an informational packet and submit recommendations to the DLNR boating office.
The packet is available at the Boating Office, 4370 Kukui Grove Street, Suite 109 in Lihu’e, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, call 245-8028.
The deadline for submitting recommendations is Wednesday, September 19.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) and mailto:dwilken@pulitzer.net
