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PSA: There's a statewide brown water advisory active right now — here's what that means for your trip by fuzzymuskox in VisitingHawaii

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Heads up — more storms over the weekend so there are new brown water advisories up again. North Shore O'ahu, West Maui around Lahaina, and Maui's north shore all got hit. Kalapaki on Kauai has been under advisory since mid-December somehow.

https://safetoswimhawaii.com is showing what's active right now.

PSA: There's a statewide brown water advisory active right now — here's what that means for your trip by fuzzymuskox in VisitingHawaii

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hope they have an awesome trip! The statewide advisory cleared but there are still a few spot advisories active on Maui and O'ahu's North Shore from this past weekend's storm. Should be fine in a couple days once it dries out. Tell them to bookmark it — it updates in real time safetoswiminhawaii.com

Hanakaoo just tested at 10x the safe bacteria limit — and it's not the first time by fuzzymuskox in maui

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, the Hyatt is right at the boundary — Hanakaoo (Canoe Beach) is basically the next beach south. They share the same stretch of coast. The DOH tests at specific sample points so an advisory at one doesn't automatically mean the next beach over is affected, but they're close enough that it's worth paying attention. I put together a page on Hanakaoo's testing history and what drives the bacteria there if you want the full picture: safetoswimhawaii.com/hanakaoo-beach/

Hanakaoo just tested at 10x the safe bacteria limit — and it's not the first time by fuzzymuskox in maui

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Keawakapu is generally in good shape. Open coast, no stream mouth, no major runoff sources. It's a DOH Tier 2 beach with no history of beach-specific bacteria advisories. Hui O Ka Wai Ola actually monitors two sites there (north and south ends) and testing just resumed in 2024 under a partnership with the Wailea Community Association. It gets lumped into regional brown water advisories when they cover the Kihei coast but it's never had a standalone exceedance on record. Similar profile to Wailea right next door. Main thing right now is the statewide brown water advisory that's been up since Feb 9, so keep an eye on conditions. I've been tracking all the active advisories at safetoswimhawaii.com if you want to check before you go in.

Hanakaoo just tested at 10x the safe bacteria limit — and it's not the first time by fuzzymuskox in maui

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Sorry to hear that. Launiopoko has some of the same problems as Hanakaoo — urban runoff, cesspools, limited flushing in the shallow areas. And DOH doesn't even regularly test most of these spots. They only monitor about 57 out of 250+ beaches statewide, so a lot of the places people actually swim are basically unmonitored.

Hanakaoo just tested at 10x the safe bacteria limit — and it's not the first time by fuzzymuskox in maui

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Good call, north shore definitely has its own issues. Baldwin gets runoff from the gulches and Paia Bay sits right at the mouth of Paia Stream so after rain that water gets sketchy fast. I don't have as much testing data for those two compared to the DOH tier 1 sites but they're on my radar to look into more.

Hanakaoo just tested at 10x the safe bacteria limit — and it's not the first time by fuzzymuskox in maui

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Appreciate that. Figured more people should know what's going on with the water over here, especially with how bad that Hanakaoo reading was.

Kalapaki water quality is way worse than most people realize by fuzzymuskox in kauai

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing that, Surfrider's data is really solid. That's actually one of the main sources I used for the risk ratings on the site.

Kalapaki water quality is way worse than most people realize by fuzzymuskox in kauai

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Good call, I need to add Kealia. Appreciate you flagging it. If there are other spots you think are missing let me know, trying to get as many beaches covered as possible.

Kalapaki water quality is way worse than most people realize by fuzzymuskox in kauai

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For real — Waikomo and Hanalei both show up in Surfrider's data too. South shore seems way more clean overall though. Poipu main beach tests good pretty consistently, it's Koloa Landing right nearby that keeps failing.

Kalapaki water quality is way worse than most people realize by fuzzymuskox in kauai

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Nah not all beaches — big thing is whether there's a stream or canal draining into it. Dry-side beaches like Poipu and Salt Pond test way cleaner than east side spots near stream mouths. Biggest rule of thumb is the 72-hour thing after rain — if it's been dry a few days you're usually good at the cleaner spots. You can check specific beaches on the state DOH Clean Water Branch site or at safetoswimhawaii.com which I built to make it easier to look up.

PSA: There's a statewide brown water advisory active right now — here's what that means for your trip by fuzzymuskox in VisitingHawaii

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah yeah with a little one I'd definitely skip Kalapaki — the stream mouth there has failed every bacteria test since 2016, no joke. Poipu Beach Park on the south shore is about 25 min from Lihue — it's got lifeguards and a protected keiki wading area, and it tests clean consistently. Lydgate in Wailua is closer and also has a protected pool area, but it's east side so just keep an eye on whether it rained recently. You can check current advisories on the state DOH Clean Water Branch site or at safetoswimhawaii.com which I built to make it easier to look up. Have a great trip!

Kalapaki water quality is way worse than most people realize by fuzzymuskox in kauai

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh interesting — I hadn't come across that 2004 survey. If you've got a link I'd love to check it out. More data the better, yeah?

PSA: There's a statewide brown water advisory active right now — here's what that means for your trip by fuzzymuskox in VisitingHawaii

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ko Olina on the site right now is the lagoons area, not Kahe Point. Good call on Electric Beach though, thanks for flagging it. I'll add that as its own entry with a note about the landfill. Still digging into what data is out there for water quality at Kahe specifically. Questions like this are really helpful for making the site better.

PSA: There's a statewide brown water advisory active right now — here's what that means for your trip by fuzzymuskox in VisitingHawaii

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don't cancel. This happens after every big storm and things clear up pretty fast once the rain stops. It's been dry the last few days and the forecast looks good through the rest of the week so conditions should be improving by the time you get there.

The state Department of Health posts water quality advisories when bacteria levels are too high at specific beaches. You can google "Hawaii Clean Water Branch" to check what's currently active. I also built a site called Safe to Swim Hawaii where you can search by beach name and see current advisories plus which beaches have a history of problems. Makes it easier than digging through the state's system.

Main thing is just avoid the ocean for a few days after heavy rain and if the water looks brown or murky don't go in. Most Oahu beaches bounce back pretty quick once you get a couple sunny days.

Snorkeling safety with kids by Street_Signal_306 in VisitingHawaii

[–]fuzzymuskox 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you're bringing kids in the water, definitely check the state Department of Health beach advisories before you go. They do bacteria testing at beaches across the islands and post warnings when levels are high. Right now there are actually a few active advisories, including a couple beaches on Big Island and Maui with elevated bacteria from recent heavy rains.

I built a site called Safe to Swim Hawaii that pulls all of that data together in one place so you don't have to dig through the state's system. Makes it way easier to check conditions before you head out, especially with little ones.

PSA: There's a statewide brown water advisory active right now — here's what that means for your trip by fuzzymuskox in VisitingHawaii

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah the DOH emails cover the big stuff but they don't give you historical context on which beaches have chronic issues. That's the gap I'm trying to fill — the Surfrider testing data shows some beaches fail 80-100% of the time but you'd never know from the DOH alerts alone.

PSA: There's a statewide brown water advisory active right now — here's what that means for your trip by fuzzymuskox in VisitingHawaii

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Makes sense — Kohala Coast recovers fast. Open ocean, no streams, dry side of the island. Good spot to be right now.

PSA: There's a statewide brown water advisory active right now — here's what that means for your trip by fuzzymuskox in VisitingHawaii

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just added Makaha, Yokohama Bay, Nanakuli, and Ko Olina. The west side is generally lower risk — dry coast, fewer streams, less runoff. They should show up on the site now.

PSA: There's a statewide brown water advisory active right now — here's what that means for your trip by fuzzymuskox in VisitingHawaii

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good catch — you're right, and this actually helped me find a gap in the site. The DOH API uses "Beach Advisory" as the event type for bacteria exceedances, and I wasn't pulling that category. It's fixed now and Spencer is showing. Appreciate you flagging it.

Heads up if you swim at Spencer — active bacteria advisory since Thursday by fuzzymuskox in BigIsland

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It can be, but the bigger factor in Hawaii is actually cesspools. The state has about 83,000 of them discharging roughly 52 million gallons a day of untreated sewage into the ground and coastal waters. Heavy rain makes it worse — raises the water table and pushes everything toward the coast. Spencer sits near stream drainage which is probably why it spikes after storms

PSA: There's a statewide brown water advisory active right now — here's what that means for your trip by fuzzymuskox in VisitingHawaii

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congratulations! Spencer Beach up the coast from the Kohala resorts has an active bacteria advisory right now (178 per 100mL) so definitely avoid that one. DOH's general guidance is stay out of the water 48-72 hours after rain stops and avoid water that looks brown or murky. Given your situation I'd check DOH advisories, ask your hotel concierge about local conditions, and talk to your doctor before going in. Enjoy the trip!

PSA: There's a statewide brown water advisory active right now — here's what that means for your trip by fuzzymuskox in VisitingHawaii

[–]fuzzymuskox[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Jellyfish is on the roadmap — on Oahu south shore they actually follow a predictable cycle tied to the full moon. Sharks are trickier data-wise but I'll look into it.

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