HANALEI — Warm weather and recent high surf on the North Shore have been keeping lifeguards busy. “The winter in general brings high surf, but waves this year are exceptionally large because of El Nino,” said Jim Ingham, North District
HANALEI — Warm weather and recent high surf on the North Shore have been keeping lifeguards busy.
“The winter in general brings high surf, but waves this year are exceptionally large because of El Nino,” said Jim Ingham, North District captain for the Ocean Safety Bureau.
El Nino, a warm band of water that develops near the equator in the Pacific Ocean, can bring 100-foot waves to the North Shore, Ingham said.
But wave height and strength aren’t the only dangers people face. Swells can be unpredictable and tall waves can come without warning, he said.
“There are places where it looks safe to walk, but suddenly, a 30-foot wave comes, and people get pulled off shore,” he said.
Another hazard is when strong waves break on the shore, people will get pulled out as they are playing in them.
Locals, as well as visitors, need to be rescued, said Kalani Vierra, operations chief for the Ocean Safety Bureau. Lumahai Beach has been a particularly dangerous spot with the monster waves rolling in.
“Sometimes, residents who have grown up by the water think they can handle everything in the water, but that isn’t always the case,” he said.
Issues while kite boarding, scuba diving, free diving and surfing are common calls for service that involve residents, Vierra said.
Vierra, who has been a lifeguard for about 20 years, estimates about 70 percent of calls for service come from visitors who run into problems snorkeling and boogie boarding because they don’t have the right equipment.
Ingham, who has worked as a lifeguard on Kauai for nine years, agreed.
“Tourists like the secluded beaches, but those are the most dangerous,” he said “There’s no footprints in the sand for a reason; the waves can wash all the way to the tree line.”
There are four lifeguard towers— two in Hanalei, one on Ke’e and one on Haena — that serve the North Shore. The Ocean Safety Bureau employs 18 lifeguards to patrol the North Shore. Lifeguards are positioned in the towers, on the beach and on Jet Skis, Vierra said.
“The No. 1 part of life-guarding is prevention,” Ingham said. “Our lifeguards do a good job at answering questions, posting warning signs and getting the word out. If they weren’t on it, it would turn into a rescue.”
During the winter season, the Ocean Safety Bureau expanded hours of operation on the North Shore to 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
At the end of the day, lifeguards don’t get the attention they deserve, Vierra said. There are 53 lifeguards who serve the island.
“They do a tremendous job, being guardians of the island, and keeping everyone safe,” he said. “They love the ocean, and being watermen, and they aren’t doing it to be rich. Saving people’s lives, that’s their reward.”
