Queen’s Bath This letter is in regards to a letter published Dec. 7 in The Garden Island by Monty Downs. The picture in question is of my son and I absolutely agree with most of Mr. Downs analysis. I live
Queen’s Bath
This letter is in regards to a letter published Dec. 7 in The Garden Island by Monty Downs. The picture in question is of my son and I absolutely agree with most of Mr. Downs analysis.
I live across the street from Queens Bath and have been there hundreds of times. I have personally warned thousands of visitors over the years. My father fought to get the original warning signage put at Queens Bath.
My Hanalei snorkel shop has never recommended Queens Bath and we have never had anyone who rented gear from us die at any Kaua‘i beach. I have been around when the families of the deceased have come up the trail and have seen a certain book on the dashboard.
Concierge desks I manage and consult for have worked extensively to provide safe and concise information to visitors, and I have been a long term donor and sponsor to Hawai‘i’s Lifeguard Safety Fund and have used the Kaua‘i based printed ocean safety materials at my store since it first came out.
In addition, as I am the legal custodian of my two sons, I never gave The Garden Island authorization to print a picture of my child (I did not submit the picture or know of it ) and I agree that the location should not be promoted ever.
Visitors do not generally have the knowledge or skill set to understand the dangers.
Now with that said, my children were born and raised on Kaua‘i. We often visit and enjoy some of Kaua‘i’s most dangerous beaches. We body surf Lumahai, surf shallow reef breaks around Kaua‘i, and occasionally we rock and pier jump.
My eldest son is SCUBA certified at age 11. Both children are extremely knowledgeable about water safety. They have participated in Pat Durkin’s junior lifeguard program, took swimming lessons from coach Dick, and spent thousands of hours in the water around the state.
As a lifelong surfer and ocean enthusiast I have always been extremely hands on with regards to their ocean education. My boys and I are fixtures around North Shore beaches and I always take time to make sure all the kids, not just mine, are safe.
I often have to warn visitors to stay out of the water at Lumahai because my boys and some of their North Shore friends make it look easy. They know how to assess conditions and make very good decisions in and around the water. I know that one day they will save lives on Kaua‘i because of their well rounded abilities that come from doing.
As a parent, I prefer to spend time and energy teaching rather than putting my head in the sand and thinking that as teenagers they will do what I tell them. Education is also key for the visitors. It is all of our responsibilities to keep them educated. People are never put off by receiving life saving advice.
My son jumping at Queens Bath was not a dangerous act for him. He has snorkeled there at least ten times this year alone, so he intimately knows where to jump and what to avoid.
I do agree though that during certain conditions, it is beyond hazardous. The time of year does not always matter as about six or seven years ago two separate deaths occurred in August when a powerful west swell hit Hawai‘i, caused by a cyclone off Japan going extra-tropical. Hanalei surfers remember it because the surf was amazing, some visitors remember it because their loved ones lost their lives.
As many people have commented to me about the picture and more so, the letter to the editor, I felt the need to address the issue. I in no way condone promoting Queen’s Bath nor do my sons.
Lastly, I would like to applaud Mr. Downs work as he works extremely hard keeping our visitors educated about the perils of some of our natural wonders.
Will Leonard, Princeville
Tsunami debris
Well, here comes the tsunami debris early,just as I predicted over a month ago. Excuse me, but I’m not happy about it.
The Surfriders are having a conference at KCC to discuss the problem and it should be a concern for everyone so get down there and listen. This problem will affect everyone on the island, both directly and indirectly.
Remember, it’s much more than junk debris to litter the beaches similar to the aftermath of a hurricane. The melted reactors in Japan are still leaking radioactive contamination many months after the earthquake. The stuff that floats best will arrive soonest, but later will come the really bad stuff that gets into the fish and makes it unsafe to swim.
Imagine how this will look to the tourist industry? The impact on the islands economy will be bad enough and how long will it last? President Obama was in Hawai‘i just last month and did he have one word to say about this problem?
Michael Taylor, Las Vegas, Nev.
