Photo: Megan Tunks of Whānau Voice, Mark Haimoana and Kōare Hudson, Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board social media kaimahi.
When Mark Haimoana talks about the moana, he speaks with the mana of someone who has spent a lifetime in it.
Known across Aotearoa for his leadership in water safety, swimming and surfing, Mark has long championed a simple but powerful Kaupapa, that while our people belong in the water, our people must be safe in the water.
For Mark, safety begins long before you reach the shoreline.
The first thing he says is clear. You need to know how to swim. Not just once, not just as a child, but continuously. Swimming, floating, breath control and survival skills need to be practised and maintained.
“Many of us”, he says, “have not dived for a year or more. If you are heading out for a deep dive or even a simple skin dive for kina, pāua or crayfish, you need to be honest about your fitness. The ocean does not lower its expectations because we have been busy or because we are getting older. Preparation is part of respect.”
He also reminds us that in a world where nearly everyone carries a phone, “there is no excuse for silence whānau”. Before heading out on the water, whānau should know where you are going and what time you expect to return.
That simple act of communication can make the difference between a quick response and a long, frightening delay. Letting someone know your plan is not about restriction. It is about care.
Reading the conditions is another expression of that care. The moana is constantly changing. Tides shift, winds turn, swells build. Heading out without checking forecasts or understanding what the water is doing places unnecessary risk on yourself and those who may have to come looking for you.
Mark says, “know your tides, watch the wind and understand how quickly weather can move”. Awareness is protection.
Yet perhaps the most important message he shares is one grounded in our values. “Stay together. Look after each other. Mahi ā whānau.” When we move as a collective, we notice when someone is tired, when conditions feel wrong, when it is time to turn back. Water safety is not an individual pursuit. It is relational.
Mark has kindly donated a lifejacket to Te Tiratū that we will be giving away to whānau on our Facebook page.
It carries that same spirit. It is practical, yes, but it is also symbolic. It represents manaakitanga in action. It says that every life matters, that preventable loss is not something we accept, and that leadership is shown through generosity as much as words.
Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board is deeply grateful to Mark Haimoana for this koha and for the decades he has spent strengthening water safety across our communities. As the warmer months draw more of us back to the coast, rivers and lakes, his message is timely.
Skill up. Stay connected. Respect the conditions e te whānau.
Kia haumaru tātou katoa.