By Staff Reports
(O‘AHU) – With the recent adoption of revised Shore Water Event Rules, which establish specific requirements for surf events on O‘ahu’s South Shore, the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is providing resources and guidance for event organizers seeking permits for South Shore Surf Events scheduled from May 1, 2025 through September 30, 2025.
Following outreach to previously known surf event organizers regarding these newly established rules for the South Shore, an application supplement and instructions for completing the application are now available on DPR’s Shore Water Advisory Group Website at bit.ly/parkSWAG
In particular, these resources are designed to help surf event organizers complete the applications for South Shore Surfing Events ahead of the upcoming deadline. Those application must be received by the DPR Permit Office before 4 p.m. (HST) on Friday, May 31, 2024. Applications may be delivered in-person or mailed via FedEx, UPS, or similar courier service. They must contain original signatures, and may not be photocopied. DPR Permit Office hours are between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays, with the office is located at:
Department of Parks and Recreation Permits Office
Frank Fasi Municipal Building
650 South King St., 1st Floor
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96813
Along with establishing the South Shore Surf Event calendar from May 1 – September 30, the new rules also provide a transparent process on how applications will be ranked through clearly described criteria. That criteria includes plans to mitigate the impact of surf events on the community, and how event organizers will encourage diversity amongst their participants. The rules are available online by accessing the following link: bit.ly/shorewaterrules
The final adoption of these rules followed several outreach and coordination efforts to balance the general public’s free access to ocean recreation, create equitable use of public resources for permitted events, broaden the types of events permitted and the user group they serve, and improve DPR’s ability to manage these events and resources in conjunction with other government agencies. Those efforts included a public survey, event organizer meetings, input from the City’s Shore Water Advisory Group and Honolulu City Council, and a public hearing on October 20, 2023.
If you need an auxiliary aid/service, other accommodations due to a disability, or an interpreter for a language other than English in reference to this announcement, please contact the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation at (808) 768-3003 on weekdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or email parks@honolulu.gov at least three business days before the scheduled event. Without sufficient advanced notice, it may not be possible to fulfill requests.