“Bigger and stronger waves” are perilous for visitors

A body surfer is enveloped by the crashing shore break at Sandy Beach on O‘ahu. Image courtesy of Cory Lum/Civil Beat.

The view in Hawai‘i might not be all that different from other beaches around the world, but Hawai‘i waters are distinct — something that may not be evident until you enter them. The way the surf pounds and rip currents pull can be deceiving, experts say. Visitors who are unfamiliar with the islands’ unique ocean conditions take risks without even realizing it.

Chip Fletcher, professor of Geology and Geophysics (G&G) and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs says there are “too many” tragic stories of tourists dying in Hawai‘i.

The Hawaiian archipelago is the most isolated land mass in the world. Unlike California or the eastern coast of the United States, there’s no continental shelf to dissipate wave energy before it reaches the shore, he said. The water can be 2,000 feet deep less than a quarter-mile offshore in Hawai‘i. “This allows for very strong ocean wave energy much closer than you would find on a continent,” Fletcher said.

Read more about it in the Honolulu Civil Beat. Also, check hawaiibeachsafety.com for local conditions.