The Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex (DKAC) is the primary facility of UH Masters Swimming. It is the home for the University of Hawaii's swimming and diving and women's water polo team. The facility, located on the University's lower campus, includes a 50-meter training pool and a separate 25-yard competition and diving pool. The competition pool is one of the fastest in the country with eight-foot and six-foot wide lanes and a depth of 15 feet.The competition pool doubles as the diving facility, which has two one-meter and three-meter springboards. The diving pool features three platform towers at heights of five, seven-and-a-half, and 10-meters. It also houses a hot tub and an underwater viewing room where the swimmers are videotaped, enabling the coaching staff to analyze each swimmer's stroke mechanics.
The DKAC was constructed in stages with the pool opening in 1978. Other facets of the complex were added later, with construction culminating in 1986. In the summer of 2001, the diving boards began another renovation. By the year 2002, Hawaii divers will again be competing in one of the best facilities in the country.
Within the last several years, Olympians Renate DuPlessis, Matthew Kwok, Nick Folker, and Simon Thrisk called the DKAC home.
In addition to the swimming and diving programs, the complex has hosted international swimming meets, the U.S. Olympic Committee Swimming Camp, two Western Athletic Conference Championships, and the U.S. Swimming and Diving Training Camps. The diving pool played host to the Pan American Clipper Cup Diving Meet held in the fall of 1987. Prior to the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, the complex served as a training site for the Olympic teams from the United States, Ireland, Sri Lanka, and Canada.
One of the major events on the calendar is the annual Christmas Swimming Forum. Between 15 and 25 collegiate swimming teams compete and train at the complex every year during the nationally renowned forum. The DKAC will also host the upcoming United States Masters' Swimming Championships.
Major water polo events also take place at the DKAC, including the Annual Hawaiian Invitational each August, the men's outdoor nationals, the junior Olympics and Junior National Championships and the two spring season Wahine tournaments: the Aloha Classic and Rainbow Challenge.
The pool stands as a namesake to Hawaii's most legendary surfer, Duke Kahanamoku. 'The Duke' was the first famous Waikiki beach boy. His passion for water sports, including surfing, swimming and canoeing, took him to the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. Kahanamoku shocked the world when he broke the world record in the 100-yard freestyle event and received his gold medal by an impressed Swede King Gustaf.
At age 34, Duke brought home a silver medal in the 100-meter at the 1924 Olympiad in Paris. He attended the Olympics again in 1932 at the age of 42 with the U.S. water polo team, resulting in no medal. His death on Jan. 22, 1968, left Hawaii missing a hero.