Kaiwi Channel Swim
Complete the Oceans 7
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Want to swim the Kaiwi Channel- see our FAQs
Maui Nui Swim is the fastest growing association planning Kaiwi Channel Swims
Kaiwi Channel Swim- Want the home court advantage? Maui Nui Swim advances new program for Kaiwi Channel swim crossings that reduces cancellations due to bad weather
Maui Nui Swim announced a new and flexible program. We post potential swim windows for the next 1-2 years. Swimmers may apply for one or more windows. We announce 1 week before the swim window if we think the weather will be good. We announce 3-4 days before the window if we are going to swim.
First come first served: There will be a list for each potential swim window. Swimmers are placed on each list based on the date of their original application. Once we determine a window is optimal we begin contacting swimmers in order of application. Once we have a swimmer(s) ready to come to Hawaiʻi during an optimal swim window we offer a contract. Swimmers will have a deadline to respond.
The costs of travel to Hawaiʻi do not increase much when booking last minute and many swimmers have been ʻweathered outʻ over the last several years. Therefore the lowest risk strategy to swim the Molokaʻi Channel is to apply for the program and wait for optimal conditions. Maui Nui Swim can help find lodging on Molokaʻi or Oʻahu depending on swim direction.
This approach is similar to the famous surf competition in Hawaiʻi called the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational. World class surfers every year have a 4-month window. Competition organizers watch the conditions during the window and announce shortly before when the competition is a go!
Follow us on Insta to see the complete list of swim windows. Apply now!
Following the February 21, 2024 research publication Steven Minaglia of Maui Nui Swim adopted what he considered to be the most effective risk-reducing strategy for avoiding cookiecutter shark attacks. Using compreshensive analysis of swimmer ability and environmental factors the risk of cookiecutter shark attacks on channel swimmers was successfully reduced in swims planned by Maui Nui Swim.
The Maui Nui Swim Advantage
Expert consulting for your Kaiwi Channel Swim crossing
Why attempt any Hawaiian Channel crossing with the help of Maui Nui Swim? We know the level of commitment and resources necessary to swim a channel, especially the Molokaʻi (Kaiwi) Channel and especially the pressures of completing Oceans 7. Help with logistics like where to train, where to stay, and how to get around are easy to find online and are featured below. At Maui Nui Swim we provide comprehensive consulting that includes information on ocean conditions, tides, currents, and marine life based on contemporary research. We plan departure times and locations around the individual swimmer, particularly the swimmer's safety, ability and goals. Maui Nui Swim has access to a fleet of boats and highly skilled crews for swimming the Kaiwi Channel and can provide on demand lodging on the beach and ground transport. The captains we affiliate with have final say when it comes to swimmer and crew safety on the water. Serious applicants may apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to book your Kaiwi Channel swim:
Send us an email at mauinuiswim@gmail.com. What we need to know upfront:
How many crew members will you bring?
What month/year(s) are you interested in swimming? Be sure to look at our new flexible swim window plan.
Maui Nui Swim offers a modular build: (full course planning, crew/support vessel, event insurance, flexible lodging and ground transport on Molokaʻi, drone pilot, feeder, news media connections, and/or kayaker) depending on your needs.
We will send you a swim application (timing matrix). Easy!
Kaiwi Channel Swim Cost:
We know that every swimmer comes with significant resources. Through collaboration we are prepared to beat other offers both in quality and in cost. Try us! Talk to all the swimmers we have worked with. Look at our results. Ask about our discounts.
How long does it take to swim across the Kaiwi Channel?
Average: 16 Hours 29 Minutes*; Range 9 Hours 55 Minutes- 29 Hours 10 Minutes
What is the average water temperature of the Kaiwi Channel?
24C-27C; 75F-80F year round
Where to stay:
Oʻahu: We recommend lodging in and around Waikiki.
Molokaʻi: Maui Nui Swim can provide a house that sleeps up to 8 on the departure beach. Our terms are incredibly flexible meaning you pay to stay for just one day during your whole window. Of course if desired you can stay longer.
How to get around on Molokaʻi:
Maui Nui Swim can hook you up with a private vehicle on Molokaʻi that you can pick up at the airport (MKK) and drop off at the beach for a fee. There is no Uber or Lyft on Molokaʻi and the local taxi service requires reservations in advance. Getting around Oʻahu is much easier.
How to get around on Oʻahu:
Honolulu Airport (HNL) offers access to most rental companies and Uber and Lyft are ubiquitous on Oʻahu.
How to get to Molokaʻi:
You can take a boat but this is not advised if you plan to start your swim once you arrive in Molokaʻi. Mokulele Airlines is the carrier that offers flights between Oʻahu and Molokaʻi.
Are kayakers required?
No.
Swim Ratification:
Maui Nui Swim works closely with the Hawaiian Channel Swimming Association (HCSA). Book your swim with Maui Nui Swim, successfully complete it according to HCSA's rules, and receive your official HCSA cap and certificate.
Does my swim count for Oceans 7?:
Yes!!!- just ask anyone that booked with Maui Nui Swim like the Zemaitis Brothers, Legendary Oʻahu Swimmers Colby Dimsdale and Tim Lorge, Olympians Petar Stoychev and Andreas Waschburger, Oʻahu to Molokaʻi all-time record holder Loren King, and Norihito Yoshioka- the first swimmer from Japan to complete the Kaiwi Channel.
Membership:
The Hawaiian Channel Swimming Association (HCSA) fees for Kaiwi Channel swim crossing ratification can be viewed here.
Where to swim:
Honolulu offers a variety of options to prepare for your upcoming channel crossing. We recommend getting familiar with the temperature and salinity of our ocean before your swim. Ala Moana Beach Park and Kaimana Beach are excellent venues to log in some swims and acclimate to the local conditions while on Oʻahu. Looking for someone to swim with contact us.
Hawaiʻi is also home to a large number of outdoor, long course meter format pools that are free of charge to the public. For a complete listing visit the Department of Parks and Recreation. There is also Cooke Memorial Pool on Molokaʻi.
Observer training:
Available through Maui Nui Swim
MAUI NUI SWIM IS THE FIRST AND ONLY OCEANS 7 SANCTIONING BODY TO IMPROVE SWIMMER SAFETY THROUGH MARINE ANIMAL RESEARCH. THIS RESEARCH, COMPLETED LATE 2023, LED TO ACTIONABLE DATA AND IS NOW THE MODERN SAFETY STANDARD FOR CROSSING DEEP HAWAIIAN CHANNELS LIKE KAIWI AND ʻALENUIHĀHĀ.
Maui Nui Swim's official position statement regarding the Molokaʻi (Kaiwi), ʻAlenuihāhā, Kaulakahi, and Kaʻieʻiewaho Channels:
Read the 2024 publicly available research about shark attacks in Hawaiian waters made possible by data collected by HCSA and analyzed by Maui Nui Swim here.
The Hawaiian Channel Swimming Association recognizes the best practices developed by Steven Minaglia of Maui Nui Swim for crossing the Kaiwi and ʻAlenuihāhā Channels.
Check out his early 2024 strategy to reduce cookiecutter shark bites in this video posted on instagram
To learn more about reducing cookiecutter shark attacks check out the recent interview on Hawaiʻi News Now. Listen to the March 2024 interview on Hawaiʻi Public Radio here.
Attempt your Molokaʻi (Kaiwi) Channel swim with Maui Nui Swim, successfully complete it, and receive this special edition certificate and the official Hawaiian Channel Swimming Association ratification for Hawaiʻi and Oceans 7.
The Maui Nui Swim and the Kaiwi Channel:
11 Swimmers of the Maui Nui Swim by year(s) and their Kaiwi Channel crossing (YEAR):
2017, 2019, 2022 Joe Zemaitis (2018)
2017, 2019 Stefan Reinke (2017)
2017-2019, 2021-2026 Steven Minaglia (2020)
2019 Ryan Leong (2017)
2019, 2022 John Zemaitis (2018)
2021 Edie Markovich (2021)
2023 Alessandra Cima (2023)
2023 Colby Dimsdale (2024)
2024 Ted Lomicka (2023)
2024 Michael Moreau (2024)
2024 Tim Lorge (2025)
2025 Norihito Yoshioka (2026)
News Flash
Loren King (CAN) sets the new record for swimming from Oʻahu to Molokaʻi in 13 hours 18 minutes 55 seconds. This swim planned and co-navigated by Steven Minaglia of Maui Nui Swim, piloted by Jamie Barlow aboard One Step, and observed by Lynn De Lathouwer-Rodgers was ratified unanimously by the board of the Hawaiian Channel Swimming Association. Check out the Hawaiʻi News Now coverage.
News Flash
Dr. Norihito Yoshioka becomes the first person from Japan to swim across the Kaiwi Channel in tough conditions from Molokaʻi to Oʻahu in 15 hours and 43 minutes.
News Flash
Tim Lorge becomes the youngest local swimmer to swim the Molokaʻi Channel with a time of 15:27 on April 19, 2025. This swim planned by Steven Minaglia of Maui Nui Swim, piloted by Jamie Barlow aboard One Step, and observed by Diana Kim was ratified unanimously by the board of the Hawaiian Channel Swimming Association. Check out the Hawaiʻi News Now coverage here and the recent Hana Hou magazine article here.
News Flash
Andreas Waschburger (GER) sets new Molokaʻi Channel swim crossing record with a time of 9:55:10 on October 6, 2024. This swim organized by Steven Minaglia of Maui Nui Swim and observed by Ocean 7 creator Steven Munatones was ratified unanimously by the board of the Hawaiian Channel Swimming Association. Watch the videos here.
Novel course plan based on athlete goals and ability, predicted currents and weather conditions.
The Maui Nui SwimTM
Established 2017
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