Okinawan lifeguards to participate in hands-on training on Kauaʻi for second year

Lifeguards from Okinawa will participate in hands-on training sessions at key locations across Kauaʻi, each presenting unique ocean rescue challenges next week.

The intensive, weeklong training is part of the second year of the Lifeguard Exchange Program, which is hosted by the Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau in partnership with the Okinawan Lifesaving Association and the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association.

The program focuses on water safety, rescue operations and the exchange of best practices, while introducing new lifesaving techniques.

The participating Okinawan lifeguards will take part in the training sessions from Monday, Feb. 16, to Friday, Feb. 20, which will include rescue scenarios at remote sites such as Kīpū Kai Cave and Port Allen Harbor, where participants will gain experience navigating hazardous water conditions.

On the south shore, lifeguards will conduct coastal patrol training at Poʻipū and Nukumoi towers, focusing on monitoring high-traffic beaches and performing rescues in challenging environments. Training will then move to the east side, where participants will practice rip current rescues and all-terrain vehicle operations at Keālia, Lydgate and Anahola.

Weather permitting, the program will also include training along the Nā Pali Coast, featuring rescue exercises involving caves and watercraft. The week will conclude at Kalapakī Beach with drills that combine calm and hazardous water conditions, capped by a 1,000-meter run and swim challenge.

The program culminates with a public certificate ceremony at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 20, at the Moʻikeha Rotunda in Līhuʻe.

For more information on the program, contact the Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau at 808-241-4984 or oceansafety@kauai.gov.