Failure to wear a life vest is a factor in most of the recreational boating deaths in Hawai'i, and everyone from kayakers and canoe paddlers to seasoned offshore fishermen is required to have them on board in most circumstances.

At least four of the five boating deaths in 2005 — the latest year with available numbers — involved people who were not wearing life vests and drowned, according to Coast Guard records. The victims include a kayaker, a windsurfer, a fisherman and a powerboat operator.

Hawai'i, with 15,302 registered boats, had the second-highest boating fatality rate in the country in 2005, behind Alaska. The rate is based on deaths per 100,000 registered boats. In actual recreational boating deaths, Hawai'i ranked 34th. Florida had the most fatalities at 78.

The number of boating deaths in Hawai'i is relatively small considering the level of ocean activities taking place in a state surrounded by water, said Kevin Yim of the state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation. In the four years before 2005, Hawai'i had three boating deaths, according to Coast Guard data.

The federal agency records only recreational boating accidents involving serious injury or death and those resulting in more than $2,000 damage, so although Hawai'i averaged 11 accidents per year over the five-year period, the number of mishaps on the ocean and in waterways is much higher.

The Coast Guard in Hawai'i conducted 365 search-and-rescue missions from October 2005 to October 2006, and the agency believes only a small fraction of all nonfatal boating accidents are reported.

Capsizing and falls overboard are the cause of the majority of boating deaths in Hawai'i and across the nation, underscoring the need to wear a personal flotation device while on the water, boating safety officials said. Nationally, 80 percent of the 3,507 people who died in boating accidents between 2001 and 2005 weren't wearing life vests, according to Coast Guard data.

"Having safety equipment is essential, and if you think you can wear a life jacket only when you need it or when you're ejected into the water, you're taking a very big risk. People, no matter how strong they are, cannot tread ocean water very long before they tire," said Kent Richards, a recreational boating safety specialist with the 14th U.S. Coast Guard District. "And if you think you can haul a child with you while you're swimming to shore, wrong."

NO CHANCE TO DON VEST

Some boaters are knocked unconscious and don't get a chance to put on a vest. One of the deaths in 2005 involved Monica Weyant, 36, of Ka'a'awa, who suffered a blow to the head while windsurfing alone and drowned off Kane'ohe.

Another involved two fishermen who were tossed from their small boat by a wave in Kahana Bay. One had a floatation device and survived, the other, Gerald Lee, 59, of Kane'ohe, did not and drowned.

In a noteworthy case from 2004, fishermen Roy Okamoto, 54, and Mark Cameron, 44, drowned after they fell out of their 13-foot boat near Kewalo Basin. Found floating near their bodies were life jackets.

The Coast Guard estimates that nationally, fewer than 10 percent of adults wear life vests. Wai'anae fisherman Norman Swift said most fishermen don't don them because they are bulky and uncomfortable, and the newer, lightweight inflatable devices are too expensive.

"Everybody complies with the Coast Guard and they're going to have them on their boat, but I don't see anyone wearing them, to tell the truth. It's not as if every day something is going to happen. People are willing to take the risk," Swift said. "Even me, I tried keeping them on and I can't last with it. I'd rather take a chance with it."

NOT 'ATTRACTIVE'

For others, life vests just aren't fashionable. "Younger people don't wear them because they want to tan well and it doesn't look attractive," said Clifford Inn, state boating safety education specialist.

At West Marine on Sand Island Access Road, bulkier foam vests sell for $9 to $110, while inflatable vests, worn like a fanny pack or suspenders, range from $100 to $300 and include models that automatically inflate when immersed in water.

West Marine general manager Susan Lynch said the inflatable vests have gained in popularity over the past two years, with sales spiking after each fatal boating accident. "It's more comfortable and it's easier to move in. You can wear it all the time," she said.

Coast Guard regulations require all vessels propelled by oars, sail or mechanical means to be equipped with PFDs, and they must have one life vest of proper size and fit per person. That means children must have proper-fitting child-sized PFDs. The rules also require any child under age 13 to wear a life vest at all times while on deck.

"They must be readily available, not stowed in a storage locker with piles of stuff on it, not in a plastic container that is difficult to open," Richards said. "You have to be able to, literally, just grab it."

State boating rules require all users of Jet Skis and other personal watercraft to wear PFDs. Surfers and windsurfers are exempt, and life jackets are not required for outrigger canoes or kayaks when in a racing environment where escort vessels are nearby. But in cases where a crew heads out alone for a practice run, officials said the canoe is supposed to be equipped with flotation gear — even if it's going no farther than the Ala Wai Canal.

Boating in a calm, protected body of water such as the canal is no guarantee of a tragedy-free outing. In the past six years, at least two fishermen who were not wearing life vests drowned in Wahiawa's Lake Wilson when their boats capsized, and there have been other boating deaths in Hawai'i's rivers and reservoirs.

Jim Howe, operations chief for Honolulu's Ocean Safety Division, said kayakers and canoe paddlers don't think of themselves as part of the boating community, but many of the same safety tips apply.

"A life vest is only one part of it," Howe said. "There are a lot of things you need to do before you leave the beach."

At the top of the list is checking current ocean and wind conditions, he said. The most common situation in which kayakers and canoers perish is when they head out to explore offshore islets.

DIFFERENT CONDITIONS

"The conditions on the beach are really significantly different than the conditions you find at the outer reefs, and they have no clue," Howe said. "They don't have a life jacket and they're hit by a wave and lose their kayak and they can't swim well, and now they're in the surf."

One of the boating fatalities in 2005 involved such a case, when kayaker Johnny Yu, 49, of California, capsized at Mokulua off Lanikai and drowned. He was not wearing a life vest.

The Ocean Safety Division last month launched a "Be Prepared for the Unexpected" safety campaign, which targets kayakers and canoers.

According to the Coast Guard statistics, the most common causes of Hawai'i boating accidents in general are collisions with other boats and groundings, two situations usually related to seamanship.

There are no licensing, training or age requirements for operating a boat in Hawai'i. The only exception is that personal watercraft operators must be at least 15, according to state law.

"Anyone can buy a boat, put a key in the ignition and turn it on," Richards said.

At least 29 states have mandatory boating safety training but only about a half-dozen require licenses. Hawai'i is one of only about 10 states that do not have a minimum age requirement for boat operators.

Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.