Deep Dive: An Interview with Rob Brander

More from Deep Dive Into Water Safety All episodes →

1. 

   S1 · 1 May 2026 · 1 hr 33 min

   Deep Dive: An Interview with Dr Morgan and Adrian Mayhew

   Episode Notes Standardization of Practice and Lifeguards should be First Responders and Families should know Pushy Pushy Blowy Blowy Sparky Sparky In this episode, internationally recognized experts Dr. Patrick Morgan Medical Director to His Majesty’s Coastguard. He has been a key contributor to advancing standardized drowning definitions and reporting frameworks, helping align global data and improve prevention strategies. His work spans the full continuum of drowning from prevention and rescue to resuscitation and post-incident care emphasizing a systems-based, data-driven approach. Adrian…

2. 

   S1 · 28 Apr 2026 · 54 min

   Deep Dive: A Recap and Interview with Mayor Derek SK Kawakami

   Episode Notes 4.17.26 For the live show, Margaret catches up with outgoing Kauaʻi Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami, an avid waterman and surfer, on the collaborations and progress that the Kauaʻi Lifeguard Association has made in the past year. Says Kawakami about the visit that the Okinawan Lifeguards made to Kauaʻi: “The exchange of lifesaving knowledge and culture strengthens our ability to protect everyone enjoying Kaua‘i’s waters. Programs like this build international friendships and make our ocean safety efforts even more effective.” Mayor Kawakami was our first interview for Deep Dive, so…

3. 

   S1 · 15 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 5 min

   Deep Dive: An Interview with Allison Schaefers

   Episode Notes Resident not just visitors account for nearly half of ocean drownings in Hawaiʻi, about 49 percent, challenging one of the most common assumptions about who is at risk. Even more sobering: drowning remains the leading cause of death for Hawaiʻi’s children ages 1 to 15. Allison Schaefers , a journalist with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and a key member of the Hawaiʻi Water Safety Coalition, is helping change that reality. Her work sits at the intersection of public awareness, policy, and prevention treating drowning not as an accident, but as a preventable public health issue.…

4. 

   S1 · 1 Apr 2026 · 42 min

   Deep Dive: An Interview with Dr Laura Trapani

   Episode Notes Dr Laura Trapani The Safety Risks of Full-Face Snorkeling Masks, particularly for Children This interview is based on research presented by Dr. Laura Trapani a pediatrician and clinical researcher affiliated with the IRCCS Burlo Garofolo children’s Hospital and the University of Trieste in Italy. Where her work is helping to reshape how we think about child safety in the water. Full-Face Snorkeling Masks Carry a Risk of Hypercapnia and Drowning in Younger Children: A Case Series 2025 . Dr. Trapani’s research has gotten the attention of the Italian Ministry who are in the…

5. 

   S1 · 27 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 20 min

   Deep Dive: An Interview with Colleen Saunders

   Episode Notes “Drowning Isn’t Inevitable It is Preventable.” - Dr. Colleen Saunders Dr. Colleen Saunders is a leading researcher in drowning prevention whose work is helping to reshape how we understand water safety on a global scale. Her journey into this field didn’t begin in a laboratory it began in the ocean. She spent nearly two decades as a voluntary lifeguard at Big Bay in Cape Town, where lifesaving became part of who she is. What started as a passion and a commitment to protecting others in the water would eventually evolve into a powerful research career. After completing her PhD,…

6. 

   S1 · 9 Mar 2026 · 34 min

   Deep Dive: Taishi Otono

   Episode Notes 2.19.26 Taishi Otono is a respected leader in ocean safety and lifesaving in Okinawa, Japan, and an emerging international voice in collaborative drowning prevention. Through his work with the Okinawan lifesaving community, Otono has helped strengthen professional guard training, rescue operations, and cross-cultural partnerships aimed at improving coastal safety. Okinawa shares many similarities with Hawaiʻi—both are island regions with strong ocean cultures, heavy tourism, and complex coastal environments shaped by reef systems, powerful currents, and seasonal weather…

7. 

   S1 · 7 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 15 min

   Deep Dive: An Interview with ILCIRA

   Episode Notes Why aren’t lifeguards first responders? This interview is focusing on a part of aquatic safety that is often overlooked but critically important the psychological impact of critical incidents on lifeguards and aquatic professionals. This conversation is about evidence, responsibility, and the people who protect lives in and around the water and what it takes to protect them in return. Lifeguards are routinely exposed to high-stress events: rescues, near-drownings, fatalities, and repeated exposure to trauma. Yet unlike many other first-responder professions, the mental health…

8. 

   S1 · 20 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 6 min

   Deep Dive: An Interview with Jamie MacMahan

   Episode Notes 2.14.26: Jamie McMahan, a leading researcher whose work focuses on how people experience and survive rip currents in real-world ocean conditions. Jamie is a professor of oceanography at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. His research has helped reshape how scientists, lifeguards, and safety professionals understand rip currents not just as physical ocean processes, but as human survival events. With coastal drowning remaining a critical issue worldwide and here in Hawaiʻi this conversation is especially timely. We explore what research tells us about how rip…

9. 

   S1 · 11 Feb 2026 · 42 min

   Deep Dive: An Interview with Ian Couch

   Episode Notes July 18, 2025 Extra Interview: Margaret talks in studio with Ian Couch, the water safety expert for Worldʻs Toughest Row . The Toughest Row folks were on Kauaʻi receiving teams of rowers who traveled from Monterey, CA to Hanalei Bay. Ian talks about making safety a culture and how athletes take on this grueling and amazing trip. Support Deep Dive Into Water Safety by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/deep-dive-into-water-safety

10. 

    S1 · 7 Feb 2026 · 52 min

    Deep Dive: An Interview with John Kalei Clarke

    Episode Notes September 16, 2025 John Kaleimakaliʻi Thornton Clarke, who happens to be the grand nephew of Duke Kahanamoku, is an accomplished waterman in his own right and a researcher with the Hawaii Department of Health. He epically swam around Maui to bring awareness to the fact that native Hawaiians are drowning at a higher rate than other population groups. Support Deep Dive Into Water Safety by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/deep-dive-into-water-safety