WAILUA — The first paid lifeguard internship program hit the waters on Tuesday at the South end of Lydgate Beach Park.
“We have a new recruit, Nick Shore, who is taking the course with the interns,” said Ocean Safety Bureau Chief Kalani Vierra. “Those interns are working the same course as the lifeguards do.”
The four interns — Jai Domingues, Koa Rine, Kahelelani Brede, and Kolohai Kuhaulua — will spend the week “working” as a lifeguard during the program presented by the county in collaboration with the Hawaii Lifeguard Association and the Kauai Lifeguard Association. Additionally, through the efforts of both HLA and the KLA, the interns will earn compensation for their time learning about lifeguarding.
The eventual goal is for the interns to be able to instruct the Junior and Keiki Junior Lifeguard programs, which have been sold out for years. Another goal of the program is for these interns to become full-fledged Ocean Safety Bureau lifeguards.
“We spent the day on Monday learning CPR and AED,” Vierra said. “These are skills the lifeguards need to know before anything else. Today, we’re working on life savings skills in the ocean.”
The interns and recruits will also be exposed to the different ocean conditions at different parts of the island and, following a presentation with Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami on Friday, will learn the basics of jetski rescue.
“This is the first time we’re having a program like this in the state,” Vierra said. “Eventually, I’d like to see this program expand to the other islands as an outreach to saving lives. We on Kauai are the first.”
Vierra and the HLA also announced that registration for the Kauai Keiki and Junior Lifeguard Program for this summer will start at 7:45 a.m. on May 1.
These free programs — the Keiki and Junior programs are separate programs with their own respective curriculum — are open to all Kauai Keiki from ages 8 through 11. The Junior program is open to young people ages 12 through 17, and officials are encouraging early registration because “space is very limited.”
The free Keiki and Junior Lifeguard programs demonstrate ocean safety awareness and offer valuable lifesaving skills taught by Ocean Safety Bureau instructors. The week-long program that meets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. has consistently sold out each year it has been offered.
Following the tour of stops at various Kauai beaches, eligible Junior Lifeguards can participate in a statewide day of competition. This year’s state Junior Lifeguard competition will occur at Kaanapali on Maui on Aug. 9.
For more information on the Junior Lifeguard Program, visit the county’s website at www.kauai.gov/JuniorLifeguardProgram. Note that the information is based on the 2024 program. Stay tuned for updates, and don’t forget May 1, when Keiki and Junior Lifeguard registration opens.
