(Honolulu, HI) – Dr. Kanesa Duncan Seraphin was unanimously selected to be inducted into the Hawaiʻi Waterman Hall of Fame, joining other legends for her unparalleled contributions as a renowned paddleboarder, educator, and advocate for marine sciences.

Seraphin, a professor and director of the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program Center for Marine Science Education, has dedicated her career to furthering the understanding of ocean and coastal ecosystems and the importance of marine conservation. Through her lifelong dedication to both formal and informal education she has become a beacon of education and environmental stewardship in Hawaiʻi and beyond.

“I am so grateful to the Duke Foundation not only for this award but also for the initial athletic scholarship that allowed me to paddleboard my first Molokaʻi channel, which opened the door both to a sport that I love and to an amazing club of waterman, who took me in like family” noted Seraphin. “Paddlers, surfers, all-round waterpeople like Mike Takahashi, Dennis Pang, Clark Abbey, Buddy Sheppard, and George Ramos. These ambassadors of Hawaiian watersports are the reason I am here today—and my greatest wish is that I can also inspire the next generation.”

Seraphin’s influence extends outside the classroom as the producer and host of the award-winning television series Voice of the Sea, Hawai‘i Sea Grant’s weekly television series. The series brings viewers throughout Hawai‘i and the Pacific to share stories of diverse scientists and cultural practitioners making a positive impact in their community. The series is broadcast on television in Hawaiʻi, American Samoa, Guam, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia. 

Seraphin is also an eight-time world champion of the grueling Molokaʻi to Oahu (M20) Paddleboard Championships. She has left an unforgettable mark on competitive paddle boarding and held the women’s stock board record for 15 years, inspiring countless athletes through her determination and excellence.

The Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation (ODKF) and Melin proudly hosted the 14th annual Hawaiʻi Waterman Hall of Fame induction ceremony on November 7, 2024. Established in 2010, this prestigious event honors and celebrates Hawaiʻi’s greatest watermen and water women whose lives have been dedicated to inspiring a profound connection between kamaʻāina and the ocean.

Seraphin noted “I am so incredibly honored to receive this award, to be surrounded by my heroes and to have a place in the Hawaiʻi Waterman Hall of Fame dedicated to the sport of paddleboarding. To be recognized also for marine science education—this is truly an award of a lifetime, and I am humbled to represent my sport.”

The Hawaiʻi Waterman Hall of Fame induction serves as a reminder of the profound role both the ocean and education plays in shaping Hawaiʻi’s culture and community. As one of the 2024 inductees, Kanesa Duncan Seraphin’s accomplishments exemplify the spirit of this honor, bridging athleticism, education, and advocacy for the betterment of Hawaiʻi’s marine ecosystems. 

For more information about the Hawaiʻi Waterman Hall of Fame and its honorees, please visit https://www.dukefoundation.org/hawaii-waterman-hall-of-fame-inductees

More images from the event by Paula Ota Photography are available for use with photo credit.