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This cache takes you to
KeWa`ena Beach, a relatively undeveloped beach on the North Shore
of Oahu. KeWa`ena overlooks the famous surf site
"Off-the-Wall" a.k.a. "Kodak Reef" to the North; to the South is a
vista of the equally dangerous and challenging "Log Cabins" surf
spot. What has always amazed us about this beach, as well as
many others on the North Shore, is the vast changes in the
beachscape from season to season. This is a beautiful beach
for swimming and snorkeling when it's calm, but be careful in the
fall and winter when the surf can be large and
treacherous.
Beside being a beautiful spot
that is also a great place for finding sea glass and shells in the
spring, we brought you here to bring attention to some of the City
and County of Honolulu's heroes...the lifeguards!
Officially known as
Ocean Safety Officers, they perform approximately 1100
rescues annually at Oahu's guarded beaches. The lifeguards division provides lifeguard and
rescue services at 19 beach parks on Oahu, most of which come
under the jurisdiction of the city and county.
They cover about 49 miles of beach front and adjoining ocean
aquatic areas of the 198 miles plus of Oahu's island
coastline -- with an estimated annual beach attendance, in
1994, for example, of 17.5 million persons. While ocean
rescues are a part of their duties, accident prevention is a
key aspect of professional life guarding. For example,
in 1995, divisional officers took 226,922 preventative
actions. As part of these preventative measures they
provide the public with the following safety tips:
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SLIP, SLAP, AND SLOP! SLIP INTO A SHIRT, SLAP ON
A HAT, AND SLOP ON THE SUN SCREEN! ALWAYS PROTECT YOUR BODY FROM
THE SUNS HARMFUL RAYS! |
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ALWAYS SWIM AT A GUARDED
BEACH. |
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CONSULT LIFEGUARDS ABOUT OCEAN CONDITIONS BEFORE
YOU GO INTO THE WATER. |
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LOOK FOR, READ AND OBEY ALL BEACH SAFETY SIGNS
AND SYMBOLS - THEY ARE THERE FOR A
REASON. |
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NEVER SWIM ALONE. |
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NEVER GO OUT FARTHER THAN YOU CAN
SWIM. |
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DON'T DIVE INTO UNKNOWN WATER OR INTO SHALLOW
BREAKING WAVES. |
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IF YOU SEE SOMEONE IN DISTRESS CALL FOR A
LIFEGUARD OR DIAL 911. |
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IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO SWIM OUT OF A STRONG
CURRENT, SIGNAL FOR HELP. |
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RELY ON YOUR SWIMMING ABILITY RATHER THAN A
FLOTATION DEVICE. |
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KNOW YOUR LIMITS - IF IN DOUBT, DON'T GO
OUT! |
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NEVER TAKE WHAT YOU
CAN'T CARRY. LEAVE YOUR VALUABLES AT HOME AND NEVER LEAVE VALUABLES
IN YOUR VEHICLE. |
KeWa'ena Beach is home to Tower 27 of
ocean safety district III. It is one of only 5 guarded
beaches on the North Shore (the others being Sunset Beach
Park, Ehukai Beach Park, Waimean Beach Park, and Ali'i Beach
Park). However, the lifeguards of district III cover
the entire stretch between Kahuku Point to Ka'ena
Point. We think their work is pretty
important! So, if you see a lifeguard, thank
them!
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