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There are nine main channels between the largest islands in the state of Hawaii.
Eight of which have been successfully crossed by solo marathon swimmers with one channel
remaining. More and more marathon swimmers are trying to overcome the large swells, raw
tropical beauty, strong currents and abundant marine life at the channels.
To date, the successful swimmers in the following channels include the following:
8. The wildly popular Auau Channel, 8.8 miles from Lanai to Maui:
1970: Jim Caldwell
1977: Bob Luce, Bob Justman, Judy Collins, Doug Rice (Lanai to Maui), Steve Bobko, Gary
Niemeyer, Richard Merritt, Bill Goding, Jim Roumasset, Archie Hapai.
1983: Jim Cole, Marc Feizner, Mike Spalding, Jim Krueger, Carol Lee.
1984: Steve Bobko, Ian Emberson, Rick Heltzel, Mike Miller, Doug Rice.
1987: Harry Huffaker, Carl Kawauchi, Ulrich Klinke, Terry Chodoshi, Bruce Sloan, Chris Cox,
Ken Frank, Vernon Knight, Jim Krueger, Tim McNulty, Steve Rudolph, Peter Schegel, Diane
Stowell.
1988: Sarah Burch, Mike Sullivan, Cliff Pollard, Jeff Conner, Amy Williams, Bill Tucker,
Elizabeth Kent.
1989: Janice Vierra, Linda Kaiser, Gary Morita, Tony Rivera, Peter Kang, Alton Motobu, Keith
Arakaki, Alfie Calpito, Ham Homan, Steve Watkins, Mari Okazaki, Tina Niell, Charlie Hansen,
Gary Gibo, Bruce Jamieson, Harry Huffaker, Harry Huffaker.
1990: Rick Heltzel, Mike Miller.
1991: Katie Anderson, Langley Frisell, Chad Harrison, Leif Johnson.
1993: Robin Isayama, Tom Billings.
1995: Chana Motobu.
1996: Mike Coyle, Jeff Hawk.
1997: John Dunbar, Cheryl Loomis.
1999: Jim Mellon, John Derr, Bruce Wetta.
2000: Anne Cleveland, Debbie Collins, Shane Collins, Ken Harmom, Dave Matthews.
2001: Bill Goding, Dan Veatch, Dave Matthews, Patrick Mcmillan, Deaann Joslin, Anne
Cleveland, Richard LeBolt, Laura Colette.
2002: James Sorenson, Adrienne Mason, Bill Goding, Dave Matthews, Mason Bailey, Craig
Taylor, Emily Evans, Becky Jackman, Laura Colette, Christiana Tangora, Mike Miller,
Malcolm Cooper.
2003: Bill Goding, Paul Lundgren, Bob Childs, Douglas Bosley, Kevin Smith, Kak Cook, Kiko
Aumond, Shane Collins, John Farrington, Rick Avila, Carol Sing, Debbie Collins, Laura
Colette, Carl Kawauchi (Maui to Lanai), Alton Motobu, Bill Costello, John Nielsen, Jim
Emmons, Billy Brown.
2004: Bill Goding, Alan Bell, Abel Tong, Bruckner Chase, Bill Dick, Graham Johnston, David
Harrison, Bernd Straehie, Deann Joslin, Aaron Schmaltz, Paulo de Azevedo, Mike Miller,
9. The ninth and as-yet-uncrossed channel is the Kaieiewaho (Kauai) Channel, 63 very
challenging nautical miles between Oahu and Kauai that was attempted in the 1970's by
Jonathan Ezer who faced literally a wall and sea of water with tremendous winds and
Penny Palfrey in 2010 who was twice severely attacked by a wall of Portuguese man-o-war.
While the maximum depth of the Auau Channel (Lanai-Maui) is 108 feet (33 meters), the
depth of the Kaiwi Channel (Molokai-Oahu) is 2,300 feet (701 meters) and the depth of
Alenuihaha Channel (Hawaii-Maui) is 6,100 feet (1,900 meters), the depth of the Kaieiewaho
Channel (Kauai-Oahu) is over 10,000 feet (3,040 meters).
In our opinion, if any solo swimmer ultimately crosses the Kaieiewaho Channel, it will surely
be one of the greatest moments in open water swimming history.
If there are any updates or corrections to this Hawaii channel swimmer list for the Kaiwi
Channel, the Kalohi Channel, the Alalakeiki Channel, the Palilolo Channel, the
Alenuihaha Channel, the Kaulakahi Channel, the Kealaikahiki Channel, the wildly
popular Auau Channel and the Kaieiewaho (Kauai) Channel, please email Open Water
Source.