We were preparing to head to Hanalei Bay for our usual afternoon swim just now when the new brown water advisory arrived. Beat of Hawaii editors swim there typically twice a week during summer, but today’s swim was immediately off.
The timing is especially notable because Rob is planning to swim in the annual Hanalei Bay Swim Challenge this Saturday. For now, like everyone else planning to enter the bay, we are watching the rain, the runoff, and what happens over the next few days.
Hanalei Bay is under another brown water advisory.
The Hawaii Department of Health issued a brown water advisory for Hanalei Bay following an unusual amount of summer rain on Kauai. The state is advising everyone to stay out of water that appears brown or murky.
That sounds straightforward, but Hanalei can be deceptive after rain. The bay may remain calm and inviting even as muddy water from the Hanalei River and nearby streams reaches the ocean. The brown area tends to span from the mouth of the Hanalei River, but this appears to be worse than typical.
The problem isn’t necessarily waves or difficult swimming conditions. It is what the rain washes from the land and carries through streams into one of Kauai’s most popular swimming beaches.
If the water is brown, turn around.
The state advises staying out of affected water for 48 to 72 hours after the rain stops and after the beach has received full sunshine. Visitors should also avoid freshwater streams where the risk of leptospirosis can increase after heavy rain.
We would not use clearer-looking water tomorrow as an automatic green light. Conditions can change across the bay, and water near that one section near the river may look different from water further away.
If the water is brown or murky, we would not enter it.
Saturday’s Hanalei Bay swim is approaching.
The Hanalei Bay Swim Challenge is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, at Hanalei Pier. It’s a fundraiser for the Namolokama OÊ»Hanalei Canoe Club with races including the 1,000-meter and 3,000-meter open-water swims, along with children’s events and a mask-and-fin division.
The event describes Hanalei’s warm, clear summer water and sandy bottom as an ideal setting for swimmers. Most of the time, it definitely is.
No change to Saturday’s event had been announced when we just checked their Facebook page, but this is breaking news. Whether conditions clear sufficiently will depend on when the rain stops, how much runoff continues to enter the bay, and what organizers and public health officials determine before race day.
A Hanalei beach day itself doesn’t have to be canceled.
Visitors can still walk the beach, enjoy the spectacular views and spend time in Hanalei without entering the ocean. The advisory is about contact with affected water, not avoiding the North Shore entirely.
Swimming, snorkeling, paddling and letting children play where brown water reaches the shoreline are very different matters. Those plans should wait while the advisory remains active and the water is visibly improved.
People sometimes spend months anticipating one day at Hanalei Bay. We changed our own plans this afternoon, and entering brown water is not worth preserving a beach itinerary.
Were you at Hanalei Bay today, and what did the water look like when you were there?
Lead Photo Credit: © Beat of Hawaii at Hanalei Bay, Kauai.
By Rob and Jeff, Beat of Hawaii.
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Even when the advisories end I still will only go to the center of Hanalei at Pavilions beach park. The two rivers and streams feeding into bay are at the east end at the pier and the west end at Waioli Beach park. Actually most of the time, not just after heavy rains, the east end is too murky for my tastes due to the Hanalei River. The center of the bay is oftentimes the most clear
I in fact was at, and on, Hanalei Bay today, the 22nd. We were taking a Na Pali snorkel cruise. When we departed the bay, even wih the rain, it was quite normal. When we returned in late morning the brown water had spread over a large portion of the bay and I noted it to one of the boat crew that it looked like the river was doing this and he agreed. Because of the current and water conditions, they barged us from a bouy off shore, to the landing place and then, after wading ashore, said we needed to hose off our legs when we got back to the drop the parking lot.