First Relay Team from Japan Across Kaiwi
1) Other than completing the Oceans 7, why swim the Kaiwi channel? Why swim Channels? We are member of the team Ocean-Navi, our mission is to promote the ocean swimming in Japan, for that, first we should enjoy the open water swimming by ourselves. For that reason, Hawaii is the best place as it is very familiar with Japanese and we love the Hawaiian blue ocean. Also, the Kaiwi channel is the longest of the Ocean 7 swims so that we can swim a lot! Channel swimming is required not only be a good swimmer, but also to be in harmony with nature, relay members and crew. It is really challenging.
ãĸããĢã¤æĩˇåŗĄãé¸ãã īŧįĒãŽįįąã¯ããã¯ã¤ã¨ãã¯ã¤ãŽæĩˇã大åĨŊãã ããããžãããĒãŧãˇãŖãŗãģããŗãŽä¸ã§į´įˇčˇéĸãīŧįĒéˇããĻæ˛ĸåąąæŗŗããããĒãŽãé åã ãŖããæĩˇåŗĄæ¨Ēææŗŗã¯ãæŗŗåã ãã§ã¯ãĒããčĒįļã¨ãŽčĒŋåããĒãŦãŧãĄãŗããŧãã¯ãĢãŧã¨ãŽčĒŋåãããšãĻåããĒããã°ãĒããĒãããããĢãåĨĨæˇąãã¨ãããããæããæĩˇåŗĄæ¨ĒææŗŗãĢããŖãŦãŗã¸ããĻããã

Chika Nishibori, Kumiko Koizumi, Masayuki Moriya, Miho Yonezawa, Motoko Homma and Tomonari Ogino of Team Japan after their successful relay swim of the Kaiwi Channel
2) We start these swims on Molokai. How did you get there from Oahu? How did you get to the beach where swim starts? Any issues getting crew to the boat?
We flew to Molokai by the Hawaiian air at 2:41 pm on May 16th and then took a taxi to the starting beach (Kepuhi beach) and arrived around 4:00 pm at the beach. Thanks to the observer of the association Steve Haumschild for helping to make a reservation both a flight and a taxi. We were able to move to the starting point without any problems. There was relaxing time while taking pictures and waited for the arrival of the boat for 3 hours. There were no cafÊ and restaurant at the beach. You need to have something you wants to eat and drink before getting airplane from Oahu. There was no issue to get on boat, but you must have a waterproof bag to bring clothes and shoes to the boat. It's because we all had to swim from the beach to the boat.
æĩˇåŗĄæ¨ĒææŗŗãšãŋãŧãåãŽæĩã: 5æ15æĨ 18:00ãã¯ã¤ããã¨ããã¯ãŠããŽčšãĢãĻãäēåããŧããŖãŗã°ãåäŧãŽã¸ã§ãããããšããŖãŧããããčšéˇãŽãã¤ã¯ããã¨åéĄåãããįŋæĨãŽ18:00ãĢæ¨Ēææŗŗããšãŋãŧããããã¨ãĢãĒãããšããŖãŧããããĢãĸããĢã¤åŗļãžã§ãŽčĒįŠēå¸ã¨ããĸããĢã¤įŠē港ãããšãŋãŧãå°įšãžã§į§ģåãããããŽãŋã¯ãˇãŧãæé ããĻããããžããã 5æ16æĨ 12:30ãã¯ã¤ããã¨ããã¯ãŠããŽčšãĢãčšãŽä¸ã§åŋ čĻãĒéå ˇãčĄŖéĄãéŖæãéŖ˛æãįŠčŧã 14:41ããã¯ã¤ãĸãŗčĒįŠēãĢãĻãĸããĢã¤åŗļãžã§éŖčĄããĸããĢã¤įŠē港ãããŋã¯ãˇãŧã§ãšãŋãŧãå°įšãžã§į§ģåã 16:00ããšãŋãŧãå°įšãĢå°įãčšããšãŋãŧãå°įšãĢæĨããžã§ãŽīŧæéã¯ãåįãæŽãŖããããĒããããĒãŠãã¯ãšããæéãéãããžããã 19:00ãčšãå°įããšãŋãŧãå°įšãĢį§ģåãããžã§ãĢįãĻããčĄŖéĄãããšããŧããĒãŠå ¨åĄåãŽčˇįŠã鞿°´ããã°ãĢå ĨãããĢã¤ããĢãŧãĢčšãžã§éãã§ããããįŦŦ䏿ŗŗč äģĨå¤ã¯ããšãŋãŧãåãĢčšãžã§æŗŗãã§æ¸Ąããžããã
3) What were the conditions like at the start? Can you describe your surroundings? What was the beach like? People on the beach? Surf?
We started at 7:19 pm, almost sunset time, so there were a few people on the beach to see the sunset. Nobody in the water except us.
19:19ãįŦŦ䏿ŗŗč ãšãŋãŧããį§ããĄäģĨå¤ãĢæĩˇãĢå ĨãŖãĻããäēēã¯ããžããã§ããããšãŋãŧãå°įšã¯į æĩã§ãããå˛ŠãããĄããĄãĢãããå°ãæŗĸããããžãããããĢã¤ãã¯ãĢå å°ãããĻæŗŗãåēããžããã
4) Could you see Oahu at the start? How did that feel?
We could not see Oahu at the start but after sunset we could see the light of the town of Oahu. It helped to see how we close to Oahu.
ãšãŋãŧãæįšã§ã¯ãĒãĸãåŗļã¯čĻããžããã§ããããæĨæ˛Ąåžã¯ãĒãĸãåŗļãŽčĄãŽį¯ããčĻããžããããããĢããŖãĻãĒãĸãåŗļãžã§ãŠããããčŋãĨãããįĸēčĒãããã¨ãã§ããžããã
5) What was your feeding schedule like? What did you eat/ drink? Did it stay down? Any issues with feedings? Technique?
It was a challenge with the relay of six swimmers, so it was a repetition of swimming for 30 minutes and taking a break for 2 and a half hours. During swimming no feeding, each swimmer eats and drink on the boat as he/she liked. We prepared rice balls, bananas, sweet bean paste, energy bar, energy gel, water, cola etc. The only issue was that bananas and some snacks were lost in the boatâĻ
æŗŗč īŧäēēãŽãĒãŦãŧã§ãŽææĻã§ãããŽã§ãīŧīŧåæŗŗãã2æéåäŧæŠãŽįš°ãčŋãã§ãããčŖįĩĻã¯ãäŧæŠæéä¸ãĢåčĒãŽãŋã¤ããŗã°ã§ã¨ããžãããããĢãããããããįžįžšãã¨ãã¸ãŧããŧãã¨ãã¸ãŧã¸ã§ãĢãæ°´ããŗãŧãŠãĒãŠã፿ããžãããčšãĢčŧããã¯ããŽãããã¨ããŽäģããã¤ããŽéŖæãčĻå¤ąãŖããã¨ãåéĄã§ãããīŧä¸čšæãĢããŖããŗãŽä¸ããčĻã¤ãããžãããīŧ
6) Some swimmers experience seasickness. Did you?
We took some medicine for seasickness before the start. Some of the swimmers felt seasickness while on the boat.
ãšãŋãŧãåãĢé ãæĸããŽčŦãéŖ˛ãŋãžãããæŗŗč ãŽä¸ãĢã¯čšãĢäšãŖãĻããéãĢčšé ããæããããŽãããžããã
7) Describe the conditions during your swim. Any particular challenges? Estimated wind speed? How did water temp feel?
Escort pilot Michael Twigg-Smith reported, "The first current came from the north and pushed us about 3 km south of the rhumb line, lasting about 8 hours. Then, once we got up on the Makapu'u Shelf, another current from the south pushed us very quickly up about 1.5 km north of the rhumb line.â
Estimated wind speed was 14-15 mph/ 6-7 meters. Water temp was 77â/ 25â. Outside temp was 68â/ 20â.
čšéˇãŽãã¤ã¯ãããĢããã¨ãæåãŽæĩãã¯åããæĨãĻãčĒį¨įˇãŽåį´3kmã¸æŧãããį´īŧæéįļããžããããããĻã䏿ĻããĢããĻīŊĨãˇã§ãĢããĢįããããåãããŽé常ãĢéãæĩããĢããŖãĻčĒį¨įˇããį´1.5kmåãĢæŧãä¸ããããžããã éĸ¨é6-7mãæ°´æ¸Š25åēĻãæ°æ¸Š20åēĻã§ããã
8) Did you see or feel any marine life? Did you or crew have any shark deterrent? Jelly stings?
There was no large marine life encountered and very few jellyfish stings were felt. We used 4 Shark Shields, we put on one each front and back of the kayak, another 2 were charged by using the power plugs of the boat. A pair of them were exchanged alternately. Also, we applied Lanolin to our body to relieve jellyfish stings.
ãĩãĄãããŽäģãŽå¤§åįįŠã¯įĸēčĒãããžããã§ãããã¯ãŠã˛ãããã¯ããŗã¯ã¤ã ãˇīŧãžã¨ãĸīŧãĢå°ãåēãããžããã寞įã¨ããĻããˇãŖãŧã¯ãˇãŧãĢããīŧåäŊŋããžããããĢã¤ãã¯ãŽååžãĢ1ã¤ãã¤čŖ įããčšãŽéģæēãåŠį¨ããĻå éģããĒãããīŧã¤ãäē¤äēãĢä礿ããžããããžããčēĢäŊãĢã¯ãŠããĒãŗãåĄããžããã
9) Describe the last quarter of your swim and the finish. Where did you finish?
Luckily, there was no current once we got close to the Makapu'u cliff and we were able to land at Alan Davis beach at 9:33 am the following morning. It was 14 hours 14 minutes crossing.
ããĢããĻīŊĨã¯ãĒããĢčŋãĨãããæŊŽãŽæĩãã¯ãĒããĒãããšãŋãŧããã14æé14åãįŋæãŽ9:33ãĢãĸãŠãŗīŊĨãã¤ããšīŊĨããŧããĢä¸é¸ããžããã

10) Who did you bring with you to help support your swim? How did the ones who went on the boat do?
Because we were a relay team, we did not accompany dedicated supporters as swimmers can help each other. There was no problem even if there was no supporter.
ãĒãŦãŧããŧã ãĒãŽã§ãæŗŗč ååŖĢã§ãĩããŧããåããã¨ãã§ãããŽã§ãå°äģģãŽãĩããŧãŋãŧã¯åčĄããžããã§ããããäēããĢåŖ°ãæãåããå°äģģãĩããŧãŋãŧãããĒããĻãåéĄã¯ãããžããã§ããã
11) Anything you would do differently? Anything not go well?
There was nothing in particular. Everything went well.
įšãĢå¤ããŖããã¨ã¯ãĒããããšãĻé čĒŋãĢäēãéãŗãžããã
12) Favorite memories from this experience?
It was a starry night, the sky was full of stars, and the twinkling of the bioluminescence was clear enough to figure out the trajectory of each stroke. We were feel fully happiness to be in such as the beauty of nature. Lastly, we would like to thank all the people that supported our team. We could not make it without them. Especially, truly thanks to Jeff Kozlovich and Steve Haumschild from the association, the escort boat captain Michael Twigg-Smith, and the paddlers Shelley Oates-Wilding, Chris Harmes, Mike Scott for the great professional support. Thank you very much!
å¤įŠēãåãã¤ããæēå¤ŠãŽæįŠēã¨ãã˛ã¨æģãã˛ã¨æģããŽčģéãã¯ãŖããããããģãŠå ãå¤å čĢãæŦåŊãĢįžããã大čĒįļãŽįžãããŽä¸ãĢčēĢãããã嚸įĻãå ¨čēĢã§æãããã¨ãã§ããįšåĨãĒäŊé¨ã¨ãĒããžããã äģåãŽæåã¯ãį§ããĄããŧã ãĢéĸããŖãĻãããããšãĻãŽæšã ãŽãååãŽčŗįŠã§ãããããã¨ãããããžããã įšãĢãåäŧãŽã¸ã§ãããããšããŖãŧããããčšéˇãŽãã¤ã¯ããããĢã¤ããĢãŧãŽãˇã§ãĒãŧãããã¯ãĒãšããããã¤ã¯ãããŽããããã§ããˇã§ããĢã§ãã¤įŽčēĢįãĒãĩããŧããĢåŋããæčŦããããžãã
Text and translated by Chika Nishibori