"If you have a 5-year-old who does not like to get their face wet, get them in (classes) quick," said Komer, who has been a swimming instructor for more than 30 years. "Between the ages of 5, 6 and 7, it gets much more difficult to teach a child who is bigger and physically able to give you a harder time."

With many children getting less exposure to water as compared to the past, swimming lessons are more important, serving as a lifelong skill for residents surrounded by ocean, pools and natural watering holes.

"Now days, both parents work, and they may spend one day a month — maybe two — at the beach," said Komer, who grew up in Hawai'i and was raised next to the ocean. "I really believe that the best way to learn how to swim is in a loving and caring environment where they feel safe and they have teachers who are going to go slowly with them."

In Hawai'i, drowning was the leading cause of injury-related death in children ages 14 and younger in 1999, according to Komer. Nationwide, the leading cause of injury-related death for children is car accidents, she said.

"Everyone is buckling up their keiki here, but swimming is the leading cause of injury-related deaths," Komer said.

She added that 64 percent of drownings among children ages 1 through 4 are pool-related, and 75 percent of the children who drown are being supervised by an adult.

"That means the person who's watching thinks someone else is watching," Komer said.

As a solution, Komer uses a procedure that requires an adult to be in charge of watching the water at a pool event. That person wears a "water watcher tag" that can be purchased at Leahi for $3. If that person needs to leave the pool for any reason, the tag is given to another adult who is watching the pool to maintain safety, Komer said.

According to Komer, children between the ages of 2 to 4 would be in the ideal age range to learn swimming with an instructor.

"I would say 3 would be a great time to start formal lessons without mom or dad," Komer said. "Around 3 they stop listening (to their parents), but they will listen to their teacher."

Komer said she's found that many older children have difficulty with swimming mechanics because they tend to think about "kicking, paddling and coming up for air," whereas younger children rely on instinct.

"I have parents who hold off until their children are 7, 8 or 9 because the kids get verbal saying, 'I don't want to go,' and their parents are listening to them," Komer said. "Swimming is really not an option on an island."

Children are naturally curious of water, Komer said, and that's dangerous for non-swimmers.

"Water is definitely an attractive nuisance until you learn how to swim," she said. "Anybody is capable of drowning given the right circumstances."

Komer said the amount of time for a child to learn how to swim varies. But she's found that children who are more exposed to water sources such as bathtubs, beaches, pools — even inflatable pools — learn quicker.

Sometimes learning can be as simple as teaching a child not to inhale water, Komer said.

"That's a big lesson for kids," Komer said. "You can't learn, 'don't sniff the water,' until you had water to sniff a few times."

Komer said swimming ability is a permanent skill for people. She said some people who haven't swam in more than a decade can still find their stroke in a short amount of time.

"It's like riding a bike," Komer said. "It really does stay with you."