Two years after the state began regulating tow-in surfers, at least 700 of them have received certified safety training that qualifies them to be in the big waves, but some people wonder if the classes are hurting the situation more than they help.

The courses, developed as a response to the growing number of people taking up the extreme sport, are proving so popular that people are even coming from the Mainland and overseas just to take part, officials said.

"They are something of an in-thing," said Pearlyn Fukuba, a state boating safety education specialist.

However, some safety experts say the training may give young tow-in surfers a false sense of security and encourage them to venture into situations they aren't qualified to handle.

"You've got 700 people who have taken the course, but maybe only 100 who are really qualified to be out there, even in the smaller waves," said Darrick Doerner, one of the pioneers of the sport. "It's very, very serious and the situation is going to get worse before it gets better."

The state regulations, including a requirement that tow-in teams complete a certification class before heading out into the big waves, were the first of their kind in the nation and went into effect in May 2003 following an increase in concern about injuries and near-misses around the state.

The two-day, 10-hour course, designed by the state and taught at local community colleges by some of Hawai'i's best watermen, is intended to help the surfers know what they're in for when they hit the water. One thing they don't teach, however, is exactly how to tow someone into the face of a 40-foot or larger wave.

"That wouldn't be practical or wise in a classroom setting," said Brian Keaulana, one of the course instructors. "Instead, we focus on how to practice risk management and make good calculated decisions."

While the class encourages people to make good decisions, many are still venturing out beyond their limits, Doerner said.

"They've got a license to drive, but not the years of experience they need to do it safely," he said.

Tow-in surfing involves two people, one on a custom-made surfboard, the other on a jet-propelled personal watercraft, which are called thrill craft in Hawai'i. The surfer holds onto a line tied to the back of the watercraft and is towed into the big waves. With the extra speed generated by the thrill craft, the surfer is able to get moving across the face of the huge waves that would otherwise be inaccessible by just paddling.

The first tow-in session is said to have occurred just 15 years ago, when North Shore legends Doerner, Laird Hamilton and Buzzy Kerbox began using an inflatable Zodiac raft with a 60-horsepower engine to tow surfers down the big offshore waves.

Since then tow-in surfing has taken off as a popular extreme sport, with about 1,500 jet-powered thrill craft registered in Hawai'i. Although there's never been an official report of a tow-in surfing fatality in Hawai'i, there have been dozens of injuries and near-misses. Nationally, more than 1,000 thrill-craft injuries are reported each year, although it's not clear how many are related to surfing, according to U.S. Coast Guard statistics.

The problems in Hawai'i reached something of an apex in November 2002 when a huge swell drew dozens of tow-in surfers to a spot known as Jaws on Maui. With some wave faces at least 60 feet high that day, at least several thrill craft used to tow the surfers were dashed on the rocks. Tow ropes were flapping loose in the water. Near-misses were everywhere.

Many people in the water that day did not have the experience and skills needed to be there, water safety officials said.

"Considering all the congestion in the line-up, it's a miracle no one was killed," Doerner later told Surfer magazine.

At first, even Keaulana thought the classes might do more harm than good.

"I was against it in the beginning," he said. "I was afraid every Tom, Dick and Harry with enough money would take the class and head outside to the big waves. And it takes a lot more knowledge than what you get in class to be out in that ocean environment."

While the classes have attracted more students than first expected, Keaulana and others now think it's better that they have at least some water safety training.

"I think they help a lot of people," said Malia Kamisugi, an orthodontist and tow-in surfing enthusiast who has taken the class. "A lot of the people in class are good surfers but not really boat people or safe ocean people. The focus of the class is on ocean safety and risk management."

The DLNR regulations require the certification for tow-in surfing, the use of life jackets and restrict it to times when waves reach warning-level heights. They also restrict it to off-shore waters, but allow tow-in teams to travel within 3,000 feet of shore to recover their boards or personal property or to rescue someone except in certain areas.

"It's still kind of crazy out there, especially on smaller days when it can get pretty crowded in some spots," Kamisugi said. "But those are the times when people can get a chance to get out and learn when the situation is not so crucial. Prior to the regulations, anybody could just go out. ..."

Doerner wants to see tougher limits placed on the growing sport: He thinks tow-in surfing should be banned in waves less than 20 feet and limited to teams with a combined 25 years of big-wave surfing experience.

"There should be some sort of hands-on training in the water in which people can prove themselves capable before they even take the class," he said.

If the state doesn't increase regulation, surfers may turn to the federal government or some sort of professional self-regulation to control the situation, he said.

Tow-in surfer Mike Fox thinks that the logical next step is to require a practical test for certification.

"The classes are a really good step in the right direction. It's like requiring someone to take the written test before they get a driver's license or a pilot's license," he said. "My guess is that someone will come up next with a skills test to qualify people in the water."

Keaulana said the sport will continue to grow with or without good training.

"Just because of the hype there's a lot more people out there. Look at Jaws. It gets crazy over there. It's chaos. Some people say it's because of the classes, but I'd rather have them out there with some knowledge than none," he said.

So he and other instructors try to make them more aware of what's required to survive when they're racing across waves bigger than most island homes.

"Surfing is not the issue. That's the easy part for most people," he said. "It's knowing how to respect the ocean. You're only as good as your equipment and training and time invested in what you are doing. It takes a lot of time and studying. It takes a lifetime of knowledge. If you don't have that, Mother Nature will fail you, no matter what kind of machine you're on."

Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.