POSTED ON CAMMAR'S BLOG
New proposed windsurfing limitation: let's act soon!
Just received an email from a friend (thanks!) that may REALLY mean disaster for the windsurfing industry/community in Maui.

Read this. For what I understand it's the Bill for an act (here details) that passed the first reading (here the history) and will have a public hearing on Friday at 2.45pm in Honolulu (Conference Room 414, State Capitol - 415 South Beretania Street).

According the first page I linked, there's the possibility to send tetimonies via email () or fax (586-6659 or 1-800-586-6659) at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. That's today Thursday 2 14 at 245pm.

If you read this in time, please send an email explaining that a law like this would mean a huge damage to the windsurfing related industry (shops, tourists), that in Maui is pretty big.
Please feel free to copy and paste the following text (that's what I'm going to email), if you feel like. Even better, explain your own reason for why you like or not the proposed bill.

For what I understand from the first page instruction, this MUST be the subject of the email:

Email subject:
Testimony to bill SB 2091 COMMITTEE ON WATER AND LAND hearing of Friday February 15, 2008 2.45pm

Email body:
A law like the proposed bill SB2091 would mean a huge damage to the windsurfing related industry (shops, tourists), that in Maui is pretty remarkable.
With a 200 feet limit, in fact, a single surfer on the break will virtually mean no sailboards on the break. And that'll be the end of wavesailing at Hookipa or Kanaha when there's waves and it's windy.
At Kanaha there's already the 11 o'clock rule (no windusrfing before 11am) that leaves plenty time to surfers to enjoy the less windy hours of the day.
At Hookipa there's already the 10 man rule (no windsurfing if more than 10 surfers in the water) that protects the surfers' safety.
A rule like the proposed bill SB2091 will not be fair towards windsurfers and kitesurfers.
Please, don't pass it. Thanks.

Posted by cammar at Thursday, February 14, 2008

thanks mf4, that cammar guy is the maui blogspot guy? i did send a mail off.
i dont see what the fuss is about, nobody but windsurfers enjoy blown to crap waves anyway. if there are no surfers out then is shouldnt be an issue? Ive never sailed JR while there were surfers out. maybe you could on your kona!?

Yep, thats the guy, I just saw it this AM and posted before I left for a meeting. I've sent an email now too, others have till the end of the day today (they are 3 hours behind our time, so 5:30 PM or something for our time?).

Well, I think the 10 MAN rule is politically incorrect anyway but if there's nine of them it's ok to bonk them in the bean with a windsurfer, eh stupid rules, yeah, why wouldn't they focus on windspeed

I didn't realize this at first, till I reread it, but it doesn't just refer to surfers, its swimmers too! A handful of people playing in the shorebreak at Kanaha Park or anywhere would effectively close out launching and coming in.

Here's the actual legislation:

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURlE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that surfers and swimmers
using Hawaii's oceans for recreation face a danger from
operators of sailboards and kiteboards. Sailboarders and
kiteboarders often operate their craft at high speeds in areas
crowded with surfers and swimmers. Kiteboards and sailboards
are much heavier and faster and could cause serious injury if
they were to collide with a swimmer or surfer. The purpose of
this Act is to ensure water safety by prohibiting the operator
of a sailboard or kiteboard from approaching within two hundred
feet of a swimmer or surfer in the water.
SECTION 2. Chapter 200, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to part I1 to be appropriately
designated and to read as follows:
"s;~oo- Operation of sailboards and kitebaards. - No person shall operate a sailboard or kiteboard within two hundred
feet of another person swimming or using a surfboard within the
waters of the State.
SB LRB 08-0221.d0~

Well - the swimmer as well as surfer thing does it - there's usually small groups of swimmers around Kanaha, Sprecks, and Kihei when I'm there, and even a helper in the water would be viewed by some as a "swimmer". I'm one of the swimmers! So here was my letter.

******
Honoured Members of Committee
I am writing to express my strong opposition to SB 2091.

I am a long-time visitor to Maui, Hawaii, Kauai, and Oahu. My trips to islands other than Maui are for golf extensions of Maui Windsurfing vacations. These have numbered approximately 15 vacations in the 1985 to 2007 period and a scheduled trip for summer 2008 as well. Trips are from 15 days to 35 days in length. The involvement with Maui has typically included travel with direct family (4 of us) and also extends to promoting and travel with other family (several large family reunions in conjunction with our windsurfing trips).

I have strong intentions and plans to retire to Maui within the next few years. Over the time I have come to Maui I have seen the growth and development of many companies and individuals involved in the sport of windsurfing, from small operations into international businesses. People like myself are one of the driving forces behind this economic engine, returning to spend significantly not only in the direct tourist market, but in product from Maui businesses for windsurfing and other activities.

Passage of your SB 2091 will ensure that I will not return to Maui (and thus likely the Hawaiian Islands) as it puts windsurfing activities in jeopardy, and you can be certain that I represent a significant number of like-minded people.

I believe SB 2091 is inappropriate and misguided, and will result in very detrimental economic conditions to Maui's windsurfing corporate and travel community, I urge you to reject it forthright.

Yours Sincerely, Geoffrey Wood

Damn , I was planning to visit you in your retirement home !!!

Well JL, if they don't pass it, you can still come anytime. And if they do, will find another warm and windy location to call home, would go back home to Tobago but the parents already sold the place (and any sea level rise would have flooded it as the last hurricane did). Maui is just perfect for a little homestead above Haiku, chickens and a giant veggie garden, plus guest house at a couple thousand feet up the volcano - OK, maybe I'll go anyway! --- "2012" after Miche graduates HS.

Seriously - hope these guys are reasonable for all users of the ocean. Wonder if they've ever seen an outrigger (OC4 or OC6)bearing down thru a group of surfers!

Thanks Geoffy ... Fight to have Hawaii rethink this Draconian legislation ... http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session20 ... B2091_.htm http://www.tatianahoward.com/blog/?p=430

Well, the emails worked: this clipped from Giampaolo's Maui Surf-windsurf forecast blog comments:

According to Sen. Clayton Hee during this afternoon's Senate Committee hearing, there has been "an extraordinary amount of testimony in opposition to the bill", and the Senator who submitted the legislation requested the bill be deferred so "they can work on it".


I may get to sail waves there yet!