Big Island state and county beach parks are closed for two weeks due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, but they still may be used for direct access to the ocean. It’s gatherings that are prohibited.
Longtime Hawaii swim coach Steve Borowski has a similar logic in mind with regards to the management of county pools.
“You walk in the gate, you put your towel down and you dive in the pool, and then you swim and you leave,” Borowski said. “Most of the time, the swimmers aren’t touching anything outside of the pool.”
Certain county pools were reopened July 13 with a modified schedule, but organized swim practices remain prohibited, a point of contention for coaches such as Borowski and Jon Hayashida, who are adamant their clubs can train in a safe manner. Each recently replied to a county request by submitting a proposal detailing procedures on how to get their teams safely back in the water.
“At least they’re considering us coming in (now),” said Hayashida, who coaches Hilo Aquatic Club. “We’re thinking now that (cases) are going up they’re going to put it off even longer, but if they come in and ask if we can sit down with them and give them some ideas, in my letter I told them I’m willing to help however they need.”
Many of Borowski’s age-group and masters swimmers at Kona Aquatics had to use Kailua Pier to train while Kona Community Aquatic Center was closed for eight months for repairs in 2019. It reopened in October only to close again earlier this year because of the pandemic.
“We’ve been trying to communicate with county officials, asking them to follow the guidelines USA swimming uses,” Borowski said. “The county was unwilling to go with that, and they set up their own guidelines.”
Whatever guidelines the county is following are unclear.
A representative with the Department of Parks and Recreation asked the Tribune-Herald to submit questions via email. A correspondence listing a handful of questions about pools reopening was sent more than three weeks ago, but it has not been returned. Also unreturned was a follow-up email sent last week.
Borowski, who’s been coaching swimming in the state for 35 years, said it was a “no-brainer” issue: The county should be issuing permits for organized team swim practices.
“They are doing it all over the United States, there are different formats for different lengths and widths of the pool,” he said. “It’s very, very safe.”
According to Mayor Kim’s latest emergency rule, teams in outdoor sports such as soccer can hold practices with up to 25 participants.
“Unlike some of the other practices that are allowed, swimming can be totally noncontact,” said Hayashida, who’s ready to work with the standard the county sets. “We’re not in the water, our number is zero. If they say 30 or 25, than we would just have to adjust.”
He said Oahu, Maui and Kauai each were swimming 30 people at a time, though Oahu has since shut down practices due to its rise in cases.
Borowski echoed the sentiment of Academy Swim Club coach Mark Noetzel, who told the Tribune-Herald in July that if proper chlorine levels are met, “the pool is washing the kids.”
“Here’s the bottom line, being in a clean chlorinated pool is the best place to be, and 95% of the body is under water.” Borowski said. “When you think about it, when you take a breath it’s an inhalation not an exhalation, so you can bypass people and do a circle swim and still keep social distancing. We have very wide lanes (at KCAC), so we can have two people resting and still keep 6 feet.”
Dorothy Staskawicz of Big Blue Swim in Pahoa said she hasn’t submitted a proposal to the county and was waiting until the pandemic subsided so “swimming can be fun again.”
She said she understands why the county hasn’t reopened the pools to clubs and thinks it comes down to a facilities and staffing issue.
“There is no other sport that lifeguards have to check stuff and check temperatures and write down information,” she said. “Lots of things to keep track of. They are having a hard enough time enforcing the rules with the people that they have. Safety at the pool is the No. 1 priority even without the pandemic.”
