Maui Dolphins Swim Club

“Swimming Fast is Fun."

PO Box 880694, Pukalani, Maui, HI 96788

Pool Address (no mail) 90 Pukalani St, Makawao, HI 96768

Pool Info/Closures/Temps on Twitter at mauiswim

New Swimmers & Re-Registration

CLICK HERE FOR MDSC TEAM UNIFY SITE

If you can't find it there

try SwimOutlet

& benefit MDSC

All 6 Maui Age Group (and 2 Masters) clubs welcome visitors to practice with us, and to participate in our pool & ocean competitions.  Visitors are welcomed from other USA-Swimming clubs around the islands, from the mainland, and athletes associated with clubs affiliated with FINA organizations from other countries (see bottom).  Each of the County Pools listed above has both USA and Masters Clubs.

Competitive Pool Programs

Summer (some all year) LTS programs offered by swim teams at all pools.

First check the LSC Hawaiian Swimming's webpage.  If Masters, check LMSC webpage.

Maui has 6 pools (4x 50 meter, 2x 25 yd) that host swim teams.  Info on ALL Maui County pools and programs can be found on the Maui County website: here or here.  Here's a a brochure you can print with all pool and program info.  There's also a public 25m pool on Molokai if visiting there.  (Lanai, Molokai & Kahoolawe are all part of Maui County.)  Note that if going during "open" hours, lifeguards are often short so they sometimes close for lunch, and summer & winter program for kids uses many of the pools from 9-11 & 1-3 daily. You can call for daily pool info at (808)270-8208 which should be updated by 9am.

Foreign Swimming Visitors

There are some different rules (or a special form) for "foreign" swimmers to be covered by insurance.

1. Swimmers must be registered with their country's FINA associated swimming organization.

2. We need 2 weeks notice to file the request with USA-Swimming to get an "invitation" form approved  (click here for info & forms for foreign visitors or fill out the Foreign Athlete Meet Invitation Form).

3. Country Exceptions (no forms needed) - USA-S Policy: "USA Swimming has an "open border" policy with Puerto Rico, Canada, Bermuda and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Travel documents are not necessary for their athletes or clubs traveling to the United States and are not necessary for USA Swimming's athletes traveling to these countries."
    

Issues/choices to consider:

• WHERE ARE YOU STAYING?  Maui's bigger than most people realize - you can take an hour or more to drive to some pools from some locations.
  • If in Lahaina, Kapalua or Kaanapali, you'll probably want to work out at the Lahaina Pool at 240 Shaw St (right turn on the southern border of Lahaina-town heading in/north).  Coach Tom Popdan coaches the USA-S Lahaina Swim Club; and Mike Ritter masters [usually MWF 5:30-7am and T/Th eve 6:30-8pm]).
  • If in Kihei, Wailea or Makena, you'll probably want to work out at the Kihei Pool at 303 E. Lipoa St.  Coach Janet Renner coaches the team ... and masters (usually M-F 4:30-6:30).  Check her websites Sharks & Masters
  • If on the North Shore (Kahului, Wailuku, Haiku, Paia, Makawao), you can work out either at Sakamoto or Kokua Pool (with Coach Reid Yamamoto and HSC) or with Maui Dolphins at Pukalani (M-F 4:30-6pm+ or Masters (Valley Ilse MWF 5:45-7:15AM Pukalani, Maui Masters T/Th 6-7:30AM Sakamoto and PM Pukalani/Sakamoto M-Th 6-7:30pm) programs.
• WHEN ARE YOU STAYING?  Hawaii swim schedules are not in sync with most mainland schedules.  Our state champs are in SCY December & LCM July.  SCY Dec 1 week before Xmas means most teams are on break during HS practices until the beginning of January.  LCM July means many teams are on break for much of the summer.  You'll have to check with the individual teams for their schedules.  If age group teams are on break, you'd also have the chance to connect with masters coaches that can coach Age Group swimmers - currently (2008) all USMS programs have coaches that are current in USA-S.
• IF ALL ELSE FAILS, Maui County pools are open to the public for free and have lap swim all day generally from 9-4:30pm (noon-4:30 Sunday) if nothing else works out.
• OCEAN SWIMMING: There are informal non-sanctioned fun swims most Sundays.  Ask the coaches in your area if interested (Lahaina side ... many people meet at "Airport Beach" ~9am Sundays and swim to Black Rock and back; Another group usually meets ~8:30am Sundays on Malu'aka Beach fronting the Maui Prince in Makena (South Maui) to swim the 'Aumakua and Polar Bear ocean race courses.  There are also 6+ USMS & USA-S sanctioned ocean races on Maui every year, plus 6 swim-run free "Aluminum Man" events every year.  And more.  See Nancy's Maui 2009 all-event schedule and Nancy's Maui 2010 all-event schedule.

WARNING ... OCEAN CONDITIONS CAN BE DANGEROUS.  YOU OR LOVED ONES CAN DIE.  EVEN THE BEST SWIMMERS CAN (AND HAVE) DROWN(ED), BREAK THEIR NECK IN SURF, GET SLAMMED INTO CORAL OR ROCKS, GET CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT, ETC.  "IF IN DOUBT, DON'T GO OUT."

• IT'S BEST TO SWIM AT A GUARDED BEACH (Maui Map Ocean Safety Officers on duty from 8:00am-4:30pm every day).  You are encouraged to check with lifeguards about local ocean conditions before going in.  All Ocean Safety programs with the counties on each island in Hawaii are USLA certified.
• YOU SHOULD NEVER SWIM ALONE.  ANYWHERE!
• DON'T SWIM IN MURKY WATER.  You can't see what's there, but they can see you.  And the hazards (rocks, coral) you can't see will sneak up on you.
• AVOID SWIMMING AT DAWN AND DUSK (Feeding time for ocean animals since visibility is limited when the sun is low).
• BEWARE OF CURRENT OCEAN CONDITIONS.  The beach and ocean is different every day.  If you insist on going out in unfamiliar waters with no lifeguard, ask a local about the local conditions.
• WATCH, ASK ABOUT, AND BEWARE OF OCEAN CURRENTS.  Michael Phelps can't beat some rip currents. 
• LEARN THE HAZARD WARNING SIGNS (See Maui OSO Handout)
• MAN-O-WAR & JELLYFISH CAN BE THERE ANYTIME BUT ARE MORE COMMON WHEN WINDS SHIFT.  BOX JELLIES (REALLY NASTY) ARE COMMON 10 DAYS AFTER THE FULL MOON (ESP IN WAIKIKI).
• STANDING ON ROCK OUTCROPPINGS IS DANGEROUS.  LARGE WAVES CAN WASH YOU INTO ROCKY ROUGH WATERS WITH NO WAY TO CLIMB OUT - VISITORS DIE EVERY YEAR WATCHING THE BEAUTIFUL WAVES TOO CLOSE.

For more info on Hawaiian (including Maui) beach safety, check the new UH website.  For info on Maui Beaches, see the Maui County Ocean Safety website and check their brochure. More beach safety can be found on this Kaua'i site, too.  And Oahu's lifeguard page.

Send mail to malcolmwhy@yahoo.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 12/21/11