Deep Dive Into Water Safety

Kauaʻi · Hawaiʻi · The world

Come listen to the people making water safer.

From Hawaiʻi to communities around the world, Deep Dive Into Water Safety brings together lifeguards, researchers, clinicians and educators working to prevent drowning. Through their conversations, discover what makes water dangerous, what research is teaching us and how knowledge can save lives.

“Anyone can drown, no one should.” World Health Organization

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Deep Dive Into Water Safety podcast cover showing an ocean wave

Expert voices

A Few Voices from Deep Dive

These clips are a starting point. Explore more conversations with water safety experts from Hawaiʻi and around the world.

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Visitors & Families

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Ocean Safety Advice for Visitors & Families

Hawaiian Airlines: Ocean Safety with Brian Keaulana

Watch Ola Pono: Ocean Safety

Waterman and lifeguard Brian Keaulana and his daughter Haʻa share Hawaiʻi ocean knowledge, respect for changing conditions, and advice for visitors and families.

Dr. David Szpilman

Swimming Lessons and Beach Safety

Dr. Justin Sempsrott

CPR and Its Importance to Families

Snorkeling Equipment Safety

Before snorkeling, check current equipment safety warnings. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has warned consumers to stop using OUSPT full-face snorkel masks because of a drowning hazard. This warning concerns OUSPT masks specifically, not every full-face snorkel mask.

Read the official CPSC warning

Find lifeguarded beaches across Hawaiʻi, review lifeguard schedules, and learn about ocean hazards before you go.

Find Lifeguarded Beaches in Hawaiʻi

Kauaʻi North Shore update: Wanini (Anini) Beach now has a lifeguard tower, staffed daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is not yet included on the state list. Read the County of Kauaʻi announcement.

For Families & Kids

Waterman: Duke, Ambassador of Aloha

Watch the documentary about Duke Kahanamoku and his legacy of ocean knowledge and aloha.

Makaʻala Bay: Lessons from the Sea

Explore Nā Kama Kai’s ocean safety learning resource for children and families.

Children of the Sea · album and booklet

Discover Nā Kama Kai’s music and booklet for young ocean learners.

Watch Reef behind the scenes

See Reef and her team behind the scenes.

The Hawaiian Lifeguard — a children’s book by Kalani Vierra

Help children discover what lifeguards do, how they keep people safe, and why it is good to talk with a lifeguard before entering the ocean. Available for purchase through the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association.

Drowning by the numbers

Selected figures from public health agencies. Time periods and populations differ; sources are provided below each group.

Worldwide

World Health Organization · 2021 estimates

About 300,000

People died from drowning worldwide in 2021.

92%

Of global drowning deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries.

4th

Drowning was the fourth leading cause of death among children ages 1–4 worldwide.

Source: WHO drowning fact sheet (2021 estimates).

Hawaiʻi

Hawaiʻi Department of Health · dates shown for each measure

2nd

Highest resident drowning rate among U.S. states, 2019–2023.

26

Children ages 1–15 died from drowning in Hawaiʻi, 2019–2023.

50%

Of fatal drowning victims were visitors, 2019–2023.

91%

Of snorkeling fatalities involved visitors, 2014–2023.

Source: Hawaiʻi Department of Health data in the 2025 Hawaiʻi Water Safety Plan, pages 12–14. The plan identifies 2023 mortality data as provisional.

United States: The CDC also documents the burden of nonfatal childhood drowning. Read CDC drowning prevention information.

Explore interviews and live shows

Choose a category below. Play the podcast episodes and the published KKCR live programs here. New interviews will be added as they are released.

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Evidence Behind the Conversations

The drowning process can be interrupted

Dr. David Szpilman and colleagues describe where prevention, recognition, rescue, and care can change the outcome. This visual summary follows their published model; it is not a timed countdown or a reproduction of the journal figure.

Szpilman’s drowning timeline

Actions can make a difference before, during, and after an incident.

  1. Before: prepare and preventTeach water safety, recognize hazards, supervise, and reduce exposure to danger.
  2. During: recognize and reactSpot distress, call for help, and carry out a safe rescue or self-rescue when possible.
  3. After: mitigate harmAssess the person and provide appropriate first aid and medical care.

The original 2016 model maps triggers and interventions in more detail. Its phases describe a sequence, not fixed numbers of minutes.

Read the English paperEnglish PDF

Why breathing matters

The 2024 American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics update, coauthored by Szpilman, describes the progression in severe drowning incidents:

  1. Breathing is impairedSubmersion or immersion keeps a person from breathing normally.
  2. Oxygen fallsSevere lack of oxygen can lead to respiratory arrest.
  3. Cardiac arrest may followEarly recognition and appropriate rescue and resuscitation are critical.

Many drowning incidents do not progress to arrest. For a suspected emergency, call emergency services and follow current training; in-water rescue breathing is for trained rescuers when it is safe.

Read the AHA/AAP paperAHA key points

More from Szpilman’s prevention work: SOBRASA: Who we are (English). Source: Szpilman et al., Drowning timeline: a new systematic model of the drowning process (2016); Dezfulian et al., Resuscitation Following Drowning (2024).

From Deep Dive guests

Research and programs guests shared with Margaret by email or discussed on the show. Journal links go to the published versions of papers; presentation slides and private correspondence are not posted here.

Dr. David Szpilman

Research on the drowning process and how to interrupt it.

Drowning (2012)

His overview of drowning in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Creating a drowning chain of survival (2014)

Prevention, recognition, rescue, and care.

Drowning timeline (2016, English)

The original paper behind the visual above.

Management for the Drowning Patient (2021)

A clinical review written with Dr. Paddy Morgan.

SOBRASA water safety videos (English)

English-language beach, freshwater, and flood prevention videos from SOBRASA and ILS Americas.

Professor Mike Tipton

Floating, water safety lessons, and research translated into public advice.

Do water safety lessons improve knowledge?

Research on teaching water safety to young people.

From lab to lifesaving

How research informed a public floating campaign.

Find Your Float

The National Water Safety Forum campaign discussed in his email.

Full-face snorkel mask testing

A study Tipton pointed Margaret toward.

Years of life lost to drowning (2026)

Mike Tipton and colleagues examine the human and economic impact of UK drowning deaths using 2023 data.

Dr. Colleen Saunders · Dr. Angel Yanagihara

Research shared ahead of their conversations.

Leave no one behind: an African perspective

Saunders and colleagues on gaps in the WHO drowning report.

Box jellyfish migrations in Hawaiʻi

Yanagihara and colleagues on the monthly arrival of box jellyfish.

Box jellyfish sting-site research

Yanagihara and Wilcox examine common first-aid practices.

Dr. Yanagihara · University of Hawaiʻi

Her UH research profile, with publications on jellyfish stings. UH research on jellyfish sting treatment

Yanagihara and Diana Nyad

Read about her jellyfish-safety role on Nyad’s Cuba-to-Florida swim and her input on the film.

Mark Haimona · Kia Maanu Kia Ora

Māori water safety and connection to wai (water) in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Kia Maanu Kia Ora · Stay Afloat, Stay Alive

Explore Māori water safety resources that connect culture, knowledge and respect for water.

Brook Silvester · Bruce Hopkins

Programs the Australian guests sent Margaret after their interviews.

First Nations Lifeguards

An Indigenous-led lifeguard and water safety program.

Bombora Surf School

Surf and ocean learning connected with Brook’s work.

Float to Survive

Bruce “Hoppo” Hopkins’s floating education program.

Dr. Laura Trapani · FreediveSafe! Hawaiʻi

More guest work on specific water risks.

Full-face masks and children

Trapani and colleagues report a pediatric case series.

FreediveSafe! Hawaiʻi

Freediving and spearfishing prevention programs shared by Niki Roderick’s team.

CPSC warning: OUSPT full-face snorkel masks

Read the official 2026 CPSC safety warning

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns consumers to stop using OUSPT full-face snorkel masks immediately because of a drowning hazard. This warning concerns OUSPT masks specifically; it should not be interpreted as a warning covering every full-face snorkel mask brand.

August 2026 federal notice: snorkel mask testing

A federal contracting notice describes work related to testing snorkel masks, associated with Dr. Rachel Lance and MedShock Analytics. This is a notice about testing work, not a published study or final safety findings. The notice alone does not establish how many masks were tested, which models were included, or the results.

Snorkeling research

What researchers are learning about snorkeling risk

Start with the Hawaiʻi evidence, then look at studies of full-face masks. Laboratory findings and case reports raise important questions, but they do not explain every snorkeling death.

Full-face mask studies

Testing full-face snorkel masks (2022)

Rachel Lance and colleagues tested mask designs and breathing resistance; the results did not identify a single cause of snorkeler deaths.

Rebreathing during simulated snorkeling (2023)

Hanna van Waart, Simon Mitchell, and colleagues compared full-face masks with conventional snorkels in a controlled setting.

Full-face masks and children (2025)

Dr. Laura Trapani and colleagues describe pediatric cases and concerns about breathing and mask removal.

Current Hawaiʻi guidance

Hawaiʻi Ocean Safety: snorkeling

Practical advice on conditions, buddies, equipment, and full-face masks, with the evidence limits stated clearly.

Rip current science and safety education

Understand the current. Practice a safer response.

Dr. Junwoo Choi studies how to forecast rip-current hazards. Toshinori Ishikawa and colleagues investigate AI detection and recognition. Their work sits alongside research and safety education from Rob Brander, Jamie MacMahan and Bruce Hopkins.

A darker, calmer channel cuts through the breaking white waves at Saint Kilda Beach, showing a rip current
Spot the dark gap between breaking waves. Photo: Rob Brander, Saint Kilda Beach, Aotearoa New Zealand. See his full visual guide
Rip current and breaking waves Water Wise: Beyond the Shorebreak

Dr. Junwoo Choi: Forecasting rip currents

Coastal science and earlier warnings · South Korea

His interview explores how research can help anticipate rip-current hazards and support the people protecting our beaches.

Rip-current predictions and a changing seabed (2026)

Junwoo Choi and Steve Elgar. Their study at Duck, North Carolina, examines how changes in underwater sandbars and channels affect rip-current predictions under the same wave conditions.

Rip-Current Likelihoods and Predictions on Two Different Bathymetries Observed within 1 Week on the Same Beach in Duck, North Carolina.

Find more Dr. Choi publications (Google Scholar search)

Search for additional papers by Dr. Junwoo Choi. This is a research search, not a verified individual publication.

Toshinori Ishikawa and colleagues

AI detection and rip current recognition · Japan

Verification of Effectiveness of AI Rip Current Detection System

Toshinori Ishikawa, Ryo Shimada, Naoya Fujita and Sarina Wada. Evaluates a camera-based system that detects rip currents and sends alerts to beachgoers and lifesavers.

APAC 2025 conference · Published 2026

Quantitative Evaluation of Recognition Ability for Rip Currents Using Virtual Reality and Eye-Tracking

Sarina Wada, Toshinori Ishikawa and Tsutomu Komine. Uses virtual reality and eye-tracking to explore which rip currents people find difficult to recognize.

APAC 2025 conference · Published 2026

Brander and MacMahan

Responses of swimmers caught in rip currents

Their 2011 paper asks how swimmer behavior and rip flow should shape safety messages.

Evaluation of swimmer escape strategies

A field study coauthored by Brander and MacMahan compares floating and swimming strategies in a specific rip setting.

Outside: Everything You Know About Surviving Rip Currents Is Wrong

An accessible account of Brander and MacMahan’s research and why no single escape response works in every rip current.

UNSW rip current research

Brander’s research group studies both the currents and what beachgoers know about them.

Rip currents vary by beach and conditions. If you are caught in one, stay afloat, signal for help, and follow lifeguard instructions where available.

From the three-person interview

Lifeguard mental health and post-incident support

Jaz Lawes, Sam Fien, and Tyler Anderson discuss support for lifeguards after critical incidents.

Water safety resources

Explore statewide Hawaiʻi guidance and Kauaʻi programs, with Maui and Hawaiʻi Island resources to be added as this collection grows. For beach planning, the Brian and Haʻa Keaulana video, and children’s resources, see Visitors and families. Check county program pages for current registration details.

Hawaiian Airlines: Ocean Safety with Brian Keaulana

Watch Ola Pono: Ocean Safety

Waterman and lifeguard Brian Keaulana and his daughter Haʻa share Hawaiʻi ocean knowledge, respect for changing conditions, and advice for visitors and families.

Hawaiʻi statewide resources

Hawaiʻi Ocean Safety: Safety in the Ocean

Official State of Hawaiʻi ocean safety guidance to review before heading to the beach, including hazards, conditions and safer choices.

2025 Hawaiʻi Water Safety Plan — I Palekana Kākou Ma Ka Wai

Hawaiʻi’s statewide roadmap for drowning prevention, developed by the Hawaiʻi Water Safety Coalition. Includes recommendations for education, lifeguarding, rescue, equity, data, and collaboration across the islands. Read the full plan (PDF).

Hawaiʻi Water Safety Coalition

A statewide collaboration advancing drowning prevention, water safety education, and implementation of the 2025 Hawaiʻi Water Safety Plan.

Hawaiian Lifeguard Association

Meet the statewide lifeguard association and explore its ocean safety education.

Hawaiʻi Ocean Safety

State guidance on ocean hazards, warning signs, snorkeling, and lifeguarded beaches.

Duke Kahanamoku License Plate

Information about Hawaiʻi’s specialty license plate honoring Duke Kahanamoku and his ocean legacy.

Kauaʻi resources

Kauaʻi Lifeguarded Beaches

Find lifeguarded beaches and information about lifeguard locations.

Wanini Beach lifeguard tower (Kauaʻi County)

New North Shore tower installed October 15, 2026. Lifeguards are stationed daily, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.; this location is missing from the state list.

Kauaʻi Lifeguard Association

Explore local water safety education, videos and lifeguard resources.

PulsePoint Respond app

Discussed by Chris Pico. Learn about the app and local emergency alerts.

Youth and community programs

Swim lessons at Kapaʻa and Waimea pools

County swimming lessons and pool program information. Check current registration details.

Nā Kama Kai

Ocean clinics rooted in Hawaiian culture and care for the environment.

Alex and Duke DeRego Foundation

School programs and water safety education for keiki.

FreediveSafe! Hawaiʻi

Freediving and spearfishing safety programs for adults and youth.

Water safety organizations and plans

Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation

Support for ocean culture, education, and community programs.

National Drowning Prevention Alliance

Drowning prevention education and resources.

Finished episode

About Deep Dive Into Water Safety

Deep Dive Into Water Safety began on Kauaʻi in May 2025 with a simple belief: drowning is preventable, and the knowledge to save lives should be shared.

Inspired by the 2025 Hawaiʻi Water Safety Plan and the need for greater public awareness, the radio program and podcast was created to bring important conversations about drowning prevention beyond conferences, research publications, and professional organizations and into our communities.

The program brings together lifeguards, scientists, medical professionals, educators, and water safety leaders from Hawaiʻi and around the world. Their conversations explore why drowning happens, what research is revealing, and how evidence can lead to more effective prevention.

Our commitment is to continue sharing evidence-based research, emerging discoveries, and practical knowledge from water safety experts around the world.

By connecting scientific research with real-world experience, Deep Dive Into Water Safety seeks to challenge assumptions, encourage collaboration, and make reliable water safety information accessible to everyone.

Because the more we understand about drowning, the more lives we can help save.

Produced and hosted on Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi. Broadcast on KKCR Community Radio and available as a podcast worldwide.

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