Kona Vacation Safety Tips

Kona Vacation safety tips should be followed, or ignored at your own peril.

The tropical sun is a lot more intense here than anyplace on the mainland, even though it doesn't get as hot as some places there.

Don't ruin your vacation by getting a nasty sunburn. I know from experience. The first time I came to Hawaii I was snorkling and bought some water proof sun block that I should have probably reapplied a couple of times during the day but did not. I got barbequed and it really put a damper on the next three days of my vacation. Don't let this happen to you.

Buy a really good brand of sunblock (like Banana Boat SPF 50) and apply it before and AFTER you go swimming.

If you're really fair skinned I'd recommend wearing a tee shirt on top of it. Also don't wear a tee shirt with no sun block in the water or you'll get burned.

Here's some other Kona vacation safety tips.

• Bring lots of water to drink, it's more important than food!

• Wear sturdy shoes for walking around on lava.

• Sun glasses to protect your eyes. Those with UV protection are best.

• Sun Block SPF 50 for those not use to being in the sun. Make sure it's waterproof.

• Tan early or late but not from 11 to 3 or you'll be the main course of the barbeque.

• Don't leave valuables in the car especially the truck. The thieves here can open your car trunk faster than you can with a key!

• Keep your camera in a zip lock bag to protect from sand and salt.

• Do activities early in the morning to prevent heat exhaustion.

When entering the ocean anywhere other than the beaches, wear water shoes to protect from stepping on Wana.

These long-spined sea urchins, known collectively in Hawaiian as wana (pronounced like "vah-na"), are found on reef flats and shallow reef slopes, where they are often wedged into crevices in the coral framework. They're sharp like cactus and practically impossible to remove. If you happen to not be wearing water shoes and get stuck, Apply vinegar to relieve the pain and it helps dissolve the wana

The most important Kona vacation safety Tips

Respect the ocean! More people drown in Hawaii than any other place in the country. Mother nature has a way of culling the herd. If you do dumb things here, you're asking for it.

When going to the beach beware of the waves. Never turn your back on the ocean. Also beware of waves that break right on shore.

"Tragic Sands" aka Magic Sands Beach as my nurse friend calls it, has a nasty shore break. Waves that break on shore can drive your head right in the sand and cause severe injury. So be careful.

Me personally, I don't go to Magic Sands. I like Hapuna much better. No shore break.

Follow these simple safety tips and your visit to Kona will be an exciting and fun adventure. Kona vacation safety tips apply at all beaches

I will add more Kona vacation tips in the future.

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