There are many well-known ocean swims in Hawai’i:
- 3.8 km Waikiki Roughwater Swim
- 7 km Double Roughwater
- 5-race North Shore Swim Series on O’ahu including the Sunset Beach to Pipeline, Waimea Bay, Chun’s Reef to Waimea, Ehukai Beach Park to Waimea
- interisland crossings in the ‘Au’au Channel (Maui Channel), Kalohi Channel, Alalakeiki Channel, Pailolo Channel, Alenuihaha Channel, Kaulakahi Channel, Kealaikahiki Channel, Kaiwi Channel (Moloka’i Channel), Kaieiewaho Channel
- 3-day ‘Au I Nā Mokupuni ‘Ekolu Endurance Challenge Invitational
- 63.9 km Maui Nui Triangle Swim between the islands of Maui, Moloka’i and Lānaʻi
Other ocean swimming competitions held from March to November include the Fin Swim, the Anaeho’omalu Splash on the Big Island, the Hapuna Beach Rough Water, the Kamakohonu Swim on the Big Island, Hanalei Bay Swim Challenge on Kauai, Ali’i Challenge Rough Water on the Big Island, Duke’s, Sophie Swim on Maui, Richardson Rough Water on the Big Island, Kukio Blue Water Swim on the Big Island, Guess Your Time, and the Turkey Swim.
But for those who love warm-water, rough water tropical ocean swims, there are innumerable more courses throughout the state of Hawai’i. Dr. Steve Minaglia recently created HOW or Hawai’i Open Water.
Dr. Minaglia explains, “HOW is an informational and database service that provides information for marathon swims throughout the Hawaiian islands, certifies swimmers who complete these swims with adequate documentation, and records the certified swim on electronic media.
It is the swimmer’s responsibility to plan all aspects of their swim and to verify that they are in adequate health to take on any open water swim.
Swimming in open water is inherently a high risk activity especially in Hawaiʻi. Through years of experience members of HOW have encountered many high risk situations including but not limited to harsh marine and coastal conditions and dangerous wildlife and human activity to name a few. For example, we have seen some swimmers, Olympians, and several Oceans 7 swimmers succumb to severe debilitating injuries, sea sickness, stings, and currents. These risks are in addition to the high physical demands marathon swimming already places on the swimmer.“
That description certainly sounds enticing to the most adventurous.
HOW is a membership-based organization. The membership dues and certification fees cover 100% of the costs of the all-volunteer organization. US$100 for one year; US$300 for a lifetime membership.
Many of the courses listed on HOW were completed by Dr. Minaglia and Marek Lehocky between March and November 2022 when they pioneered the first 206.47 km non-continuous stage swim, a 24-stage clockwise circumnavigation swim around the island of O’ahu that started and finished on Kaimana Beach near the Diamond Head volcano.
Coastal Swim on Oʻahu
- 10 km Waikiki Grand Swim
- 10 km Kaimana Black Point Round Trip
- 11 km Ala Moana to Kahala
- 12.25 km Airport
- 12 km Ala Moana Beach Round Up
- 10.61 km Kalaeloa Airport to Lagoons
- 11.65 km Depot Beach to Lahilahi Point
- 11 km Lahilahi Point to Yokohama Bay
- 11.98 km Yokohama Bay to Mokuleia
- 11 km Mokuleia to Waialua
- 12.25 km Wailua to Sunset
- 10.5 km Punalu’u to Kualoa
- 10.5 km Kualoa to Pyramid Rock
- 12 km Kailua Boat Ramp to Makapu’u
- Makapuʻu to China Walls
Coastal Swim on Maui
- 12 km Maui Around Molokini
- 12 km Kihei Bay Swim
Coastal Swim on Lānaʻi
- 14.2 km Manele Bay to da Old Lānaʻi Club
- 15 km da Old Lānaʻi Club to Shipwrecks
Established Hawaiian Channel Crossings
- Molokaʻi (Kaiwi)
- ʻAuʻau Channel (Maui)
- ʻAuʻau Channel Double Crossing
- Kalohi Channel
- Kalohi Channel Double Crossing
- Alalakeiki Channel
- Maui-Molokini-Maui
- Pailolo Channel
- Pailolo Channel Double Crossing
- ʻAlenuihāhā
- Kaulakahi Channel
- Kealaikahiki Channel
- Molokini Kealaikahiki Channel (Molokini to Lānaʻi)
- Kaiʻeiʻewaho Channel
- Maui Nui SwimTM (ʻAu I Nā Mokupuni ʻEkolu)
- 3 Day, 3 Channel Challenge
- Triple Maui Nui Swim (Nā Kōwā ʻEkolu)
- Oʻahu Staged Circumnavigation
For more information, visit www.hawaiiopenwater.org and www.hawaiianchannelswim.org.
Contact hichannelswim@gmail.com to obtain and submit your certification forms and for information on how to become a member. HOW provides all information it shares on this website and does not assist swimmers with organizing swims. Some questions received at the above email address will be featured in the FAQ section with answers where appropriate.
© 2025 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“
A World Open Water Swimming Federation project.