Nā Kama Kai

Call Directions Website

Nā Kama Kai Empowering keiki's sense of aloha and kuleana for the world by connecting them to the kai and ʻāina.

Click here to reference the links we mention in our posts: https://linktr.ee/nakamakai

Want to get more involved with Nā K**a Kai? Come be part of our ʻohana! Our volunteers help make it possible for us to g...
10/09/2026

Want to get more involved with Nā K**a Kai? Come be part of our ʻohana!

Our volunteers help make it possible for us to get keiki in the water, teach ocean safety, support community events, and create more opportunities for Hawaiʻi’s youth to build a lifelong relationship with the ocean.

Visit nakamakai.org/kokua/ to learn more about volunteer opportunities.

📸:

**aKai

10/06/2026

Learn more about our Mobile Pool Initiative as we made our way to Island Life Live! 🌊🏊🏽‍♀️

After helping more than 400 fourth graders build their swimming and ocean safety skills through our ocean-based program, we saw an opportunity to create an environment where keiki could first develop their confidence and foundational skills in a more controlled setting.

The result? A 40-foot shipping container transformed into a fully functioning, self-contained pool that can travel directly to schools and communities. With limited access to public pools on Oʻahu’s West Side, this opens the door for even more keiki to learn how to swim, become comfortable in the water, and build the skills they need before taking their learning to the kai.

This vision took a community to bring to life. Mahalo nui loa to the Abigail Kawānanakoa Foundation for providing critical funding, Matson for helping bring the pool home to Hawaiʻi, Leʻahi Swim School and the Hawaiʻi Department of Education for partnering with us as we work to bring this resource directly to our schools. 🧡

Mahalo to Island Life Live for helping us share this next chapter for Nā K**a Kai and our mission to ensure more keiki have the knowledge, confidence, and skills to safely enjoy and mālama our ocean for generations to come.

**aKai

Hoʻomaikaʻi to Duane DeSoto, Pua DeSoto, and Dr. Noe Noe Wong-Wilson on their recognition at this year’s Pacific Edge Ma...
10/06/2026

Hoʻomaikaʻi to Duane DeSoto, Pua DeSoto, and Dr. Noe Noe Wong-Wilson on their recognition at this year’s Pacific Edge Magazine Business Achievement Awards! 👏🏽🌺

Nā K**a Kai founder Duane DeSoto was named Man of the Year, recognizing his leadership and the work he continues to do through Nā K**a Kai to empower keiki through ocean safety, education, cultural connection, and stewardship.

We are also incredibly proud to celebrate Pua DeSoto, who was named Trailblazer of the Year. Pua grew up as an Alakaʻi with Nā K**a Kai, and today continues to carry those values of aloha, kuleana, and service into her work. Through Actions of Aloha, she uses her voice and platform to uplift moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi, bring awareness to issues affecting our islands, and create meaningful connections within our community. Seeing one of our Alakaʻi continue to grow, lead, and make an impact is something especially meaningful to our Nā K**a Kai ʻohana. 🧡

And a special hoʻomaikaʻi to Dr. Noe Noe Wong-Wilson, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of decades dedicated to Hawaiian education, cultural perpetuation, advocacy, and uplifting Native Hawaiian people and communities.

Hoʻomaikaʻi Duane, Pua, and Aunty Noe Noe! We are so proud to celebrate each of you and the impact you continue to make throughout Hawaiʻi. 🤙🏽

**aKai

Join us at Pōkaʻī Bay on Sunday, October 11 for our next free Ocean Clinic! 🌊Keiki ages 2–17 of all experience levels ar...
10/03/2026

Join us at Pōkaʻī Bay on Sunday, October 11 for our next free Ocean Clinic! 🌊

Keiki ages 2–17 of all experience levels are welcome to spend the morning learning in and around the ocean. Our clinics cover ocean safety, swimming, surfing, and other water skills through hands-on activities that help keiki become more comfortable and confident in the kai.

Clinic sessions begin at 9:00, 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, and 11:00 AM. Space is limited, so we encourage families to register ahead of time. Walk-ons are welcome if space is available.

Head to nakamakai.org/clinics for more information and to sign up!

**aKai

15 YEARS OF PAʻAKAI 🌊🧡What a night! Mahalo nui loa to everyone who joined us for the 15th Annual Paʻakai Gala at the Roy...
10/02/2026

15 YEARS OF PAʻAKAI 🌊🧡

What a night! Mahalo nui loa to everyone who joined us for the 15th Annual Paʻakai Gala at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel as we celebrated our community, our mission, and the people who continue to lead with aloha for our kai.

This year, we were proud to honor Brian Keaulana and Terry Ahue of Hawaiian Water Patrol with the Paʻakai Award, recognizing their dedication and lasting impact through ocean safety, culture, stewardship, and service.

We also celebrated Noland Keaulana with the Hoʻokele Award, honoring the next generation of ocean leaders who are carrying this kuleana forward and making a difference in their communities.

To every sponsor, donor, silent auction contributor, performer, volunteer, partner, and guest who made this evening possible, mahalo nui loa. Your generosity goes far beyond one night. It helps Nā K**a Kai continue providing free ocean safety education, cultural learning, mentorship, stewardship, and opportunities for keiki to strengthen their relationship with the kai and ʻāina.

As we look back on 15 years of Paʻakai, we are filled with gratitude for how far this waʻa has traveled, and for everyone who continues to paddle alongside us. 🤙🏽

Here’s a look back at a few special moments from an unforgettable evening. ➡️

📸: Mike Ito

**aKai

In loving memory of Patricia “Pat” Saiki. 🧡Nā K**a Kai joins Hawaiʻi in honoring the life and legacy of Pat Saiki, who p...
10/01/2026

In loving memory of Patricia “Pat” Saiki. 🧡

Nā K**a Kai joins Hawaiʻi in honoring the life and legacy of Pat Saiki, who passed away at the age of 96 after a lifetime of leadership, education, and public service.

Among the many chapters of her legacy is her important role in the story of Kahoʻolawe. After decades of grassroots advocacy, sacrifice, and aloha ʻāina led by Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana and Native Hawaiian activists, Pat used her position in Congress to urge President George H.W. Bush to bring an end to the military bombing of the island. In 1990, President Bush ordered the military to cease its use of Kahoʻolawe as a weapons range, a pivotal moment in the decades-long movement to protect and restore the sacred island.

The story of Kahoʻolawe carries a powerful reminder of what it means to stand for our ʻāina, protect the places entrusted to us, and carry that kuleana forward for future generations.

Pat’s lifetime of service also broke barriers for women and Asian Americans in public leadership, while her work extended across education, civil rights, and advocacy for Hawaiʻi and its people.

We extend our deepest aloha and condolences to the Saiki ʻohana and all those who knew and loved her.

Mahalo, Pat, for your service to Hawaiʻi and for the role you played in helping return peace to Kahoʻolawe. May you rest in aloha. 🕊️

Photos from Hawiaʻi Congressional Papers Collection, UH Mānoa Hamilton Library

We’re growing our Nā K**a Kai ʻohana! 🌊🤙🏽We’re looking for an Administrative Assistant to join our team and help keep th...
10/01/2026

We’re growing our Nā K**a Kai ʻohana! 🌊🤙🏽

We’re looking for an Administrative Assistant to join our team and help keep the day-to-day work behind our mission moving forward.

Based at Hālau Nā K**a Kai in Waiʻanae, this full-time role supports the people, programs, Ocean Clinics, and community efforts that allow us to continue creating meaningful opportunities for Hawaiʻi’s keiki.

We’re looking for someone who is organized, dependable, proactive, and ready to problem-solve in a growing nonprofit environment. Most importantly, we’re looking for someone who believes in our mission and shares our aloha for our keiki, community, and kai. 🧡

📍 Full-time | Hālau Nā K**a Kai, Waiʻanae
🌊 Administrative, organizational, and communication experience preferred
🤝 Passion for community, keiki, and ocean education encouraged

Ready to kōkua and help move our waʻa forward?

Learn more at nakamakai.org and send your resume to [email protected].

**aKai

09/29/2026

A FIRST FOR HAWAIʻI. A BIG STEP FOR OUR KEIKI. 🌊🏊🏽‍♀️

We are incredibly proud to introduce Hawaiʻi’s first mobile teaching pool, a new Nā K**a Kai initiative designed to bring foundational swim education directly to schools and communities that have limited access to aquatic facilities.

On Oʻahu’s West Side, there are currently no public pools. For many keiki, that means access to swimming lessons can be limited, even though knowing how to swim and safely navigate the water can be lifesaving. Our new mobile pool gives keiki a safe, controlled environment to learn foundational skills like floating, kicking, and swimming before transitioning those skills to the open ocean at Pōkaʻī Bay.

This initiative builds upon our work with schools throughout the Nānākuli-Waiʻanae Complex Area, where we have been providing free water safety education to hundreds of fourth graders. Through the mobile pool, we hope to remove another barrier to water competency by bringing the learning environment directly to our keiki.

Lessons will go beyond swimming skills, incorporating cultural learning and the ocean safety principles we teach through K.A.I.: Know Your Limits. Ask a Lifeguard. Identify Hazards.

As Duane DeSoto shares, this is about much more than a pool. It is an investment in our keiki and a new way to bring lifesaving water competency education to communities that have historically had limited access to it.

None of this would be possible without the organizations that believed in the vision. Mahalo nui loa to the CDC Foundation, Abigail Kawānanakoa Foundation, and Matson Giving Program for helping make this initiative possible, along with our partners and educators who continue to work alongside us to expand water safety education for Hawaiʻi’s keiki.

This is only the beginning. Our hope is to build a model that can one day reach communities throughout Hawaiʻi. 🧡

Keiki aloha, kai aloha.

**aKai

Mahalo nui to all of our Kaipapaʻu Sponsors for supporting Nā K**a Kai’s mission and celebrating with us at the 15th Ann...
09/27/2026

Mahalo nui to all of our Kaipapaʻu Sponsors for supporting Nā K**a Kai’s mission and celebrating with us at the 15th Annual Paʻakai Gala! Your generous contributions help us continue providing free ocean safety and cultural education programs to keiki across Hawaiʻi. We’re deeply grateful for your commitment to community, ocean stewardship, and the next generation of ocean leaders. 🧡

Actions of Aloha (Actions of Aloha)
Aloha Modern (Aloha Modern™)
ALTRES (ALTRES)
Bank of Hawaiʻi (Bank of Hawaii)
Central Pacific Bank (Central Pacific Bank)
Da Hui (Da Hui Inc)
Darc Sport (DARC SPORT)
Element Environmental
Elite Parking (ELITE PARKING HAWAII)
FLS Composites (FLS Composites)
Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau (Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau)
Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines (Hawaiian Airlines Alaska Airlines)
Gateside
Hawaiʻi Beach Volleyball Club
Hawaiian Council/Kilohana by CNHA (Kilohana by )
Hawaiian Lifeguard Association (Hawaiian Lifeguard Association)
Hoʻopale Foundation & Makai Engineering
J. Kadowaki, Inc.
Kaimana Hila
Kamehameha Schools Kaiāulu (KS Kaiāulu)
Ko Olina Resort (Ko Olina Resort)
Kobayahi Group
Kōhina Media (Kōhina Media | Hawaii Digital Marketing)
Law Offices of Daniel A. Berger- A Law Corporation (Daniel Berger)
Liliʻuokalani Trust (Lili`uokalani Trust)
Makai Ocean Engineering
Matson (Matson)
Nā Maka Onaona (Na Maka Onaona)
Nexus
Pacific Marine & Supply Co.
PacMar Technologies
Pacxa
Pilina Planning
Sea Blade (Sea Blade)
Surecan LLC (SureCan LLC)
The Howard Hughes Corporation
Title Guaranty Hawaii (tg_hawaii)
Adam Wong & Cord Anderson, Billy Pratt, Kauwe ʻOhana, & Wong-Wilson ʻOhana

Mahalo nui and see you tonight! 🧡

**aKai

TODAY’S THE DAY! 🌊✨ PAʻAKAI GALA 2026 is here!Rain or shine, we’re ready to gather, celebrate, and come together in supp...
09/26/2026

TODAY’S THE DAY! 🌊✨ PAʻAKAI GALA 2026 is here!

Rain or shine, we’re ready to gather, celebrate, and come together in support of Nā K**a Kai. 🧡 Paʻakai is still ON for tonight, and we can’t wait to welcome our ʻohana for an evening of celebration, learning, and giving!

And don’t forget, our Paʻakai Silent Auction is open online NOW! 🎉 You don’t have to be at the gala to bid on some incredible experiences and prizes, including travel, resort stays, surf lessons, private experiences, and more.

📲 Online bidding will remain open until 8 PM HST TONIGHT, September 26, so get those final bids in before the auction closes!

Mahalo nui to everyone joining us, supporting from afar, bidding in our auction, and helping us continue to empower keiki through ocean safety, culture, and mālama ʻāina.

We’ll see you tonight! 🤙🏽🌊

**aKai

Address

Waianae, HI
96792

Telephone

+18087724194

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Nā Kama Kai posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category