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Crossing the ʻAuʻau Channel for a Cause: Honoring Lives Lost Through the Maui Channel Swim
On August 28, 2026, the FreediveSafe! Hawaiʻi team will take on one of Hawaiʻi’s most iconic open-water challenges—the Maui Channel Swim. Our three-person relay team will swim 9.9 miles across the ʻAuʻau Channel, from Lānaʻi to Maui, not simply to reach the finish line, but to honor lives lost, raise awareness, and help prevent future tragedies in Hawaiʻi’s waters.
For FreediveSafe! Hawaiʻi, this swim carries special significance. It is our annual fundraising campaign, bringing our community together to support free spearfishing and freediving safety education across Hawaiʻi.
Swimming in Honor of Those We’ve Lost
Every year, Hawaiʻi loses members of our diving community to preventable freediving and spearfishing accidents. Behind every statistic is a family forever changed.
This year’s Maui Channel Swim is dedicated to honoring those who lost their lives while spearfishing in Hawaiʻi. We recognize their passion for the ocean and remember the loved ones they left behind.
We are especially honored to partner with the Hunter ʻOhana of Maui, whose strength and commitment to ocean safety continue to inspire our mission. Together, we hope to transform loss into education, awareness, and action so that future generations can enjoy Hawaiʻi’s waters more safely.
Why We Swim
FreediveSafe! Hawaiʻi was founded with a single goal:
To reduce freediving and spearfishing fatalities through free ocean safety education focused on freediving and spearfishing.
Every dollar raised through our Maui Channel Swim campaign helps us provide:
- Free youth ocean safety education throughout Hawaiʻi
- Freediving and spearfishing safety workshops
- Community outreach and awareness programs
- Educational resources for divers
- Safety equipment and prevention initiatives
Because of the generosity of our supporters, we continue to remove financial barriers so that this education remains free and accessible to communities across Hawaiʻi.
Our Team
Representing FreediveSafe! Hawaiʻi in the 2026 Maui Channel Swim are:
- Niki Roderick – Founder, FreediveSafe! Hawaiʻi
- John Kalemakaliʻi Clark – Duke Kahanamoku’s grand-nephew, University of Hawaiʻi swimmer, and spearfisherman
- Cory Fults – Freediving instructor, longtime FreediveSafe! Hawaiʻi volunteer, and spearfisherman
Together, we’ll complete the 9.9-mile relay crossing with a shared commitment to protecting Hawaiʻi’s diving community.
How You Can Help
Every donation, no matter the size, helps expand free ocean safety education across Hawaiʻi.
Your support allows us to reach more youth, families, and divers with practical safety knowledge that can help prevent future tragedies.
If you’ve ever been touched by the ocean, know someone who dives or spearfishes, or simply believe every life is worth protecting, we invite you to stand with us.
Please consider making a donation to our 2026 Maui Channel Swim fundraiser.
Together, we can honor those we’ve lost by helping the next generation of divers and spearfishers return home safely.
Mahalo to Our Supporters
We are deeply grateful to the businesses, organizations, and individuals who stand beside us. Their generosity makes this campaign possible and helps us continue providing free ocean safety education throughout Hawaiʻi.
If your business would like to support this year’s fundraiser through sponsorship, personal donation or silent auction donation, we’d love to hear from you.
Sponsorship inquiries: info@freedivesafe.org
Learn more about the Maui Channel Swim – https://mauichannelswim.com/
