Page 3 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - April 6, 2022

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Nonprofit Supports Local Divers
I n Hawai‘i, we are blessed to live in the middle of the beautiful Pacific Ocean, home to some of the world’s
By Emily Gleason, volunteer with FreediveSafe! Hawai‘i
APRIL 6, 2022 HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK 3
best diving. Freediving and spearfishing are a favorite pastime of many and have deep roots. Yet, tragically, these beloved sports are also among Hawai‘i’s most fa- tal. Between May and August 2020, five divers lost their lives in Hawai‘i. Accord- ing to the state Department of Health, freediving and spearfishing accounted for 50% of all fatal ocean accidents involving Hawai‘i residents between January and July 2020. Many of the fatalities were young people under the age of 25.
but most people can’t access the expen- sive training. With FreediveSafe! Ha- wai‘i, we can make education available to all divers and reduce fatalities,” says Stepanak, a lifelong diver who holds New Zealand’s national freediving record.
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This alarming trend inspired Big Island freediver Niki Stepanak to take action. In August 2020, she founded FreediveSafe! Hawai‘i, a nonprofit whose mission is to provide lifesaving freediving and spear- fishing safety training to all of Hawai‘i’s local communities — free of charge.
day certification course taught by FII (Freediving Instructors Internation- al)-certified instructors. Students learn what happens to the body on a physi- ological level when diving and safety protocols for how to prevent incidents from turning into a fatality. Since 2020, the organization has trained 90 students through its program.
“Spearfishing has opened up so many doors for me. I’ve been able to travel the world and represent Big Island and Honoka‘a. I’d like to see more kids from Hawai‘i have these same opportunities. It starts with having the right safety train- ing, so they come home at the end of the day,” says Lee.
FreediveSafe! Hawai‘i offers safety training.
PHOTOS COURTESY FREEDIVESAFE! HAWAI‘I
Stepanak is joined by a team of pas- sionate divers and educators, including Tabitha Pupuhi, Heidi Hoover, Michael Jutt, Chris Funada, Dylan Currier, San- dy Hammel and Big Island competitive spearfisherman Justin Lee, who many young island divers lookup to.
FreediveSafe! Hawai‘i offers a one-
“Over the years, I’ve seen many divers lose their lives. Education is the solution,
To learn more, visit freedivesafe.org or call 808-900-3331.
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