HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	113
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

URGING THE COUNTY COUNCILS to enact ordinances TO BAN the sale and rental of FULL-FACE SNORKEL MASKS in Hawaii.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, the State is a prime destination for ocean activities because of the clear blue waters, year-round warm waters, and unique ocean ecosystems; and

 

     WHEREAS, the promotion of safe practices will ensure that locals and non-locals enjoy ocean activities in the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, 17 snorkeling-related deaths occur on average each year in Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 2018, there were 14 such deaths in the first three months; and

 

     WHEREAS, between January 14 and 27, 2018, eight people, including at least three tourists, drowned near several beaches on Maui, bringing the death toll in the span of two weeks to almost half of the 17 snorkeling deaths that Hawaii experiences in a year; and

 

     WHEREAS, two of those deaths involved visitors from California who were wearing full-face snorkel masks and those drownings have raised concerns about use of recently introduced models of full-face snorkeling masks; and

 

     WHEREAS, full-face snorkel masks are masks that seal around a person's entire face and strap around the head with a tube for breathing and the design of full-face snorkel masks makes it difficult to remove the mask when an individual panics in the ocean; and

 

     WHEREAS, the design is also believed to retain more carbon dioxide in the mask, which may lead to a person becoming disoriented or lose consciousness; and

     WHEREAS, critics of the full-face design, including experienced watermen and women on Maui say that there is carbon dioxide buildup in the mask, and the masks are prone to leaking and fogging easily; and

 

     WHEREAS, the full-face masks are popular because the new design advertises that people can breathe through their nose and mouth, unlike a traditional snorkel with only a mouthpiece; and

 

     WHEREAS, a Hawaii retailer field-tested the full-face snorkeling masks and now refuses to sell them, and an owner of one of Maui's and the State's largest snorkel companies said that he never will sell the "one piece" snorkel masks; and

 

     WHEREAS, some surviving relatives and friends of the deceased snorkelers have placed the blame on full-face snorkel masks; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, that this body urges the county councils to enact ordinances to ban the sale and rental of full-face snorkel masks in Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Council Chairs of the Honolulu City Council, Kaua‘i County Council, Maui County Council, and Hawai‘i County Council.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Full-Face Snorkel Mask; Ban