Water officials ramp up efforts for safe holiday

Conservation officers with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources will be patrolling on water and on land, trying to ensure that a good time this Labor Day weekend does not turn into a problem.

Ocean Events » The 35th Annual Queen Liliuokalani Canoe Races on the Big Island's Kona Coast today and tomorrow include long-distance competition for single-hull, double-hull and one-person Hawaiian outrigger canoes. » The Haleiwa Joe's Labor Day Paddleboard Race on Oahu's North Shore starts at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow at Waimea Bay Beach Park and ends at Alii Beach Park. » The 37th Annual Waikiki Roughwater Swim starts at 9 a.m. Monday at Sans Souci Beach and ends at the Duke Kahanamoku Beach almost 2.4 miles away.

"Some of us will be on the water the entire day, from sunrise to sunset," DLNR conservation officer Michael Harken said yesterday as he safety-checked the department's 36-foot patrol boat, the Kahukai, yesterday at Ala Wai Harbor.

"We'll be looking for any boating safety stuff -- safety violations, thrill craft outside the zone -- and anyone operating vessels intoxicated," said Harken, who heads the department's crime reduction unit.

Meanwhile, officers at state parks "will be checking camping permits, possession of alcohol, drug violations," Harken said. "We want to keep our parks safe for everybody to use."

Lifeguards at Oahu beaches will be out in force, an Ocean Safety dispatcher said yesterday.

Supplementing state water safety checks, the Coast Guard will be working offshore, and the Navy will patrol Pearl Harbor and the Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, said Debra Ward, DLNR spokeswoman.

The top two things boaters can do to ensure a safe weekend are not drinking while operating a boat and making sure everyone aboard has a life jacket, Ward said.

Divers and swimmers can enhance their safety by using a dive flag or floating buoy to mark their position for boats, Ward added. "It's an inexpensive thing that can save your life," she said.