A state-funded 3-year study. Following last week’s tragic drowning at Electric Beach (pictured) on Oahu’s southwest coast.
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48 thoughts on “Updated: Don’t Snorkel In Hawaii After Flying | Another Drowning”
A state-funded 3-year study. Following last week’s tragic drowning at Electric Beach (pictured) on Oahu’s southwest coast.
Your article mentioned that “low blood oxygen levels” could be a cause of these drownings. You can purchase reliable devices to measure your blood oxygen levels before you snorkel if that is a concern.
Recommending a policy of waiting a week to snorkel upon arrival to Hawaii is ridiculous. Most visitors only spend a week there for many will snorkel.
There are multiple reasons for fatalities.
1. Poor health.
2. Full face mask snorkels
3. Snorkels with a small bore or with gadget on top to keep them dry.
4. Along with item number one many people do not know the limitations.
5. And unfortunately, many snorkelers are poor swimmers and do not belong in the water.
So your suggestion of recommending people not to snorkel for seven days makes no sense.
Hi Chuck.
We just conveyed the study’s recommendation of “several” days.
Aloha.
This is total nonsense. All the people that drowned were tourists who were unfamiliar with the beaches and conditions. They fly in and haven’t snorkeled in years or never, don’t know how to use a mask and snorkel properly or have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes etc and try to snorkel. Also those new masks that you see that cover the whole face, they are very unsafe,, several people have drowned using them. This article doesn’t cite any data from the autopsies correlating air travel to the drownings. The questions you have to ask yourself 1) what preexisting health conditions did they have2)what experience with snorkeling did they have 3) what equipment were they using 4)how well could the
I completely agree. It will be really interesting if Any correlation can be found between the effects of flying and deaths from snorkeling. Of course, it’s more likely that if visiting snorkelers die within a week of flying, it’s because They’re Visitors! Many (most?) stay only a week.
Check your math: if visitors account for 90% of drowning that leaves 10% of the drownings for locals. That’s nine times more not ten times more. But what really matters, if you want to provide useful information about risk, is the rate of drowning divided by the number of snorkelers in each group. Considering that visitors just do a ton of snorkeling, can you show that they’re actually getting drowned at a higher rate per snorkeler than locals are? Same idea for Hanauma Bay — put a million people in the water a year and somebody is bound to die of natural causes — but is that really a hazardous site, or is it just a site with a lot of people, who happen to die at normal rates while they’re in the water?
Reading reports of snorkeling incidents over the years, I’m highly suspicious that there’s an element of negative pressure pulmonary edema going on. This would explain the increased incidence when anti reflux snorkel valves are involved. That causes an acute right heart failure, which could be detrimental to those with preexisting conditions.
I’m not sure I believe in a link to flying, other than planes bringing lots of inexperienced snorkelers.
I have a cousin in her 60s who a couple of days after being released from the hospital from a case of pneumonia flew 12 hours non-stop to Hawaii and a couple of days later went snorkeling. Though a little winded there were no other problems.
Having read the article mentioned in another post it is mentioned that other places seem to have this problem also but they don’t do as extensive an autopsy as Hawaii does so they may lack the information.
It does seem that this would be a good subject for an in depth study. Is it health, or equipment, or both or neither? Inquiring minds want to know.
As a surf photographer I cant tell you how many clueless and arrogant people I see in the ocean on a regular basis. Even after they’re warned about beach hazards, they choose to ignore the info because they think they know better. Then that puts the lifeguards & other people in the water at risk when they have to try and save these people.
My best advice would be always read all the warning signs especially if there’s flags out that day. Always listen to the lifeguards and don’t try to argue with them. Be aware that the weather & ocean conditions can change very rapidly. If the waves are big, don’t be on the wet sand or rocks & never turn your back on the ocean. Also if you aren’t an active person, snorkeling will probably be difficult!
Maybe you could try to treat people with respect and kindness instead of labeling them “clueless and arrogant”. Hawaii surf localism is infamous, the water should be available for all to use. If you or surfers don’t want to help others that helps explain why Hawaii has so many drownings. As for me, I have always helped any local or tourist that gets in trouble in the water here in So Cal. California has millions of beach users and only a few drownings a year, because we value human life and employ thousands of beach lifeguards.
Hawaii should be ashamed of the deaths they tolerate. Shame on Hawaii.
Aloha Beat of Hawaii. I’ll add my personal knowledge to this topic.
As a Certified Open Water Diver in wetsuits and drysuits with thousands of dives, the only issue with flying and Scuba Diving is the risk of nitrogen narcosis when deep diving and flying in an unpressurized aircraft.
The obvious correlation between tourists and snorkeling is going under water.
The exertion of doing any sport you’re not accustomed to will bring out the flaws or medical issues that went previously unnoticed.
Snorkeling in a swimming pool could have the same effect on different individuals.
Mahalo Nui Loa for bringing up the topic.
Hi Pam.
We learn something new about you all the time! Thanks for that.
Aloha.
Much Aloha Beat of Hawaii!
I’ve lived a blessed life and experienced several lifetimes in my years on this big blue planet.
If you haven’t seen the movie, Big Fish, it’s amazing.
You’re the best!
Hi Pam.
Thanks! Back at you. No, none of us has seen that, but we’ll have a look. Have a great weekend.
Aloha.
Pamm, yes Big Fish is a wonderful and enchanting fantasy. Absolute Family favorite. One of the few movies that we can watch again and again. Thanks for the info as well. Being a year removed from open heart surgery, I was thinking about getting back to snorkeling when we return to Kauai. However, after reading these posts, I’ll find other ways to spend my time. Easy to do when you’re in paradise.
Thanks for the info, it’s very useful.
Hi Roy.
Thanks and good to hear from you. Where are your travels taking you? Perhaps not back here.
Aloha.
We are coming back to Kauai later this year.
Hi Roy.
Welcome back. Please stay in touch if it works to meet up.
Aloha.
Checkout SnorkelPlanet.com about snorkeling after flying. My opinion, this website makes sense. Do your homework, don’t take the advice in these comments. These comments are helpful because they make us think and research a subject. Talk to your doctor and do your own research.
Hi Guys, my only advice is not to drink any alcohol before going into the ocean anywhere. It’s just too unpredictable when you are out there. Be safe everyone. Aloha and many Mahalos to Rob and Jeff for their wonderful website and keeping busy informed of all the news.