Michael Moreau (@islandofmrmoreau) of New York returned to Hawaii after his successful 45 km crossing of the Molokai Channel last year, landing on Oahu after starting on Molokai Island 13 hours 11 minutes earlier.
Moreau returned to Oahu again this week. This time, he was not channel swimming, but instead swimming in a handcuffed fashion in the very tranquil Ala Moana Beach Park, protected from the dynamic nature of the Molokai Channel.
Moreau took on a completely different aquatic adventure, in search of setting a new record for the farthest distance swimming wearing handcuffs. His goal was to extend the previous Guinness World Record set by Shehab Allam of Egypt who swam 11.649 km in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in 2022.
On May 27th, Moreau started at 6:40 am and finished at 4:34 pm, swimming 24 times back and forth along the fixed line of 7 buoys that run the length of the beach, parallel to the Ala Moana shoreline. He set a new distance record of 21.54 km, locked in handcuffs at the wrists for 9 hours 54 minutes, subject to Guinness World Record ratification. He performed the entire swim with his arms bound with escort kayakers Terri Dietz and Jon Storm paddling alongside him for the entire swim.
Moreau explained his handcuff swimming style, “I experimented with a number of different techniques as the [swimming] stroke is up to the discretion of the swimmer. But I found the best for me was a straight-arm breaststroke kick.” His handcuffed swimming style appears to be a remarkably efficient way to progress through the water with a strong, streamlined breaststroke kick followed by a sort-of half downward breaststroke pull with an incorporated breath as he raised his head.
In the photo above from left to right are Terri Dietz, kayaker and timekeeper, witnesses Rachael Dobosz and Jaclyn Skeweris, Jon Storm, kayaker and timekeeper, and witness Jaime Ubongen. Not pictured were witnesses Jerelyn Watanabe and Jill Utsum.
For more information on Moreau, visit www.islandofmrmoreau.com.
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