Vacation Rental in Princeville Kauai

and Kauai Travel Guide

©B.Pruitt 2009-2011

Beach Safety Kauai Hawaii

Kauai's glorious beaches contribute greatly to its appellation of a tropical paradise.  Fifty-eight beaches circle this small island, bestowing nearly 45 percent of its coastline with a gold-colored buffer between the sea and the land.  Ocean temperatures average 75° F in the winter and 81° F in the summer months.  Some beaches are perfect for lying on motionless and others invite beach goers to swim, snorkel, SCUBA dive, surf, sail or windsurf.  You may find your favorite beach is right in front of your resort, a few steps from a roadside parking lot or secluded at the end of an unmarked trail.  All beaches are for everyone's use.  Hawaiian law prevents private ownership of any beach below the upper reaches of the waves as evidenced by the vegetation line.  Even the most exclusive resorts provide public access to the beaches they front.

Wind direction and surf levels are the two important factors directing the day-to-day character of Kauai's beaches.  For most of the year, the Trade Winds prevail from the northeast.  At any time of the year, but more often in the summer, humid kona winds blow from the south (in Hawaiian, kona means leeward wind). The Trade Winds blowing over vast areas of open water create dangerous ocean currents.  Storms that may be thousands of miles away can determine surf conditions.  In the winter months, North Pacific storms drive waves to Kauai's north shore, with the opposite occurring to the south in the summer.  The geographic isolation of the Hawaiian Islands means there is no landmass to intervene and diffuse the ocean swells and no continental shelf to cushion their impact.  Fair weather on Kauai is not an indication that ocean conditions locally will be calm and safe, nor should the presence of local surfers be taken as an indication of safe water.  Fortunately for recreational beach users, coral reefs and rocky points offer a degree of protection.  Call (808) 245-3564 for high surf advisory.

Only a handful of beaches on Kauai provide lifeguard service.  More drownings occur on Kauai beaches than on any other Hawaiian island.  During the last decade, Kauai has averaged 11 drowning deaths per year.  Visitors comprise three quarters of the drowning fatalities.  Understanding the behavior of the ocean, heeding posted hazards and the use of common sense are needed to safely enjoy the beach and the ocean.

Shorebreaks

Places where waves break directly on or near the shore with downward force are known as shorebreaks.  They occur where a deep ocean bottom changes abruptly to a shallow bottom and the incoming wave is forced upwards.  Swimmers could be injured if they try to jump through or over a large shorebreak; instead they should take a breath and swim under the wave.  Be aware of the potential danger even if you are not in the ocean.  Typical waves are interrupted by an occasional aberrantly large wave that could knock down someone on the shore.  Each year in Hawaii, unsuspecting people drown by being swept away by such waves.  Never turn your back on the ocean.  

Backwash

When a wave washes up on shore the water must return to the sea. Backwash is the spent wave rushing back down the beach.  On a steep beach the backwash may be powerful enough to sweep you off your feet and out into deeper water.

Rip Current

Because waves generally come in sets, with short lulls between sets, the backwash is partially prevented from returning by the next wave coming in.  As a larger volume of water builds up, it moves along the shore looking for a point of release, usually a trough in the sand or a channel in the reef.  This river-like movement of water out to sea is a rip current.  A swimmer who gets caught in a rip current should try to flow along with it or swim sideways to it until it diminishes.  Trying to swim against a rip current will cause exhaustion.     

Undertow

Sometimes the returning water has no channel of escape and must back out under the incoming wave.  This creates the condition known as undertow.  A swimmer caught in an undertow will be pulled under an incoming wave and released as the wave passes.  It only lasts a few seconds; granted it will seem longer.

Tsunami

A tsunami is a series of waves set into motion by great disturbances such as earthquakes or landslides and are capable of traveling across the ocean at high speed.  When the possibility exists of a tsunami reaching Hawai‘i the public is warned by the sounding of sirens located along the coastlines.  If the sirens sound, immediately evacuate coastal areas.  An elevation of 50 feet has been arbitrarily set as safe ground.  Turn on a radio and listen for information and instructions from civil defense agencies.  The sirens are tested at 11:45 a.m. on the first working day of each month.

Marine Life

Jellyfish, and in particular, the Portuguese man-of-war, live in Hawaiian waters.  The man-of-war has a translucent, bubble-shaped body, usually less than six inches long.  As it generally drifts with winds and currents, the man-of-war is more of a problem on beaches where there is a strong onshore wind.  For an unknown reason, jellyfish become more numerous in offshore waters nine to ten days after a full moon.  Their tentacles are capable of delivering a severe sting and cause a red welt on the skin.  If stung, the affected area should immediately be cleaned with fresh water and a solution of household ammonia or baking soda.  Some people may develop allergic reactions and should seek immediate medical treatment.

Eels are found in nearly every reef in Hawaii, hiding in holes and crevices.  They are not aggressive unless threatened.  Armed with their powerful jaws lined with sharp teeth, eels are best left alone.

Sharks are more likely to be met in open water than close to beaches.  If a swimmer or diver encounters a shark, he or she should remain calm until the curious shark moves on.  The most dangerous shark found in Hawaiian waters is the tiger shark.  They love to eat turtles and from below, surfers with their hands and feet dangling over a board look like turtles.  Of the 15 deaths attributed to shark attacks on Kaua‘i since 1970, 13 were surfers.

If a sea urchin is stepped on or brushed against the needle-like spines break off and embed in the skin.  The spines are difficult to remove but will dissolve after about a week.  A common folk remedy is to apply urine to the afflicted area.  The uric acid is said to hasten the dissolution of the spines.  Coral is very abrasive and can cause cuts that are susceptible to infections and slow to heal.

The Sun

Spending too much time in the sun can spoil your entire vacation.  The tropical sun is higher in the sky than most visitors are used to and therefore the atmosphere filters less of the burning ultraviolet rays.  As well, water intensifies the effect by reflecting UV rays.  Sunblocks of every factor are readily available everywhere on Kauai.  Remember that sunblock takes 20 to 30 minutes to take effect, so it should be applied before going outside.

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Today’s North Shore tides and sunrise and sunset times