Two meetings available, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (HST,) on April 14, 2025 at bit.ly/SouthSurfMeeting
To gather input on how to make the application process easier for the second year of specific permitting for South Shore Surf Events off City beaches, the City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is hosting two virtual meetings open to the public and event organizers.
The meetings are scheduled for Monday, April 14, 2025 beginning at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (HST), and can be accessed by using the following Zoom link: bit.ly/SouthSurfMeeting
The goal of these meetings is to gather feedback on proposed changes to make the application process clearer, more accessible, and easier to complete for all surf event organizers for Shore Water Events along O‘ahu’s South Shore. Particularly as the deadline for permitting South Shore Surf events for the 2026 season (May 1 to September 30, 2026) approaches.
A copy of the draft application is available on DPR’s Surf Event website at: bit.ly/OahuSurfEvents
We appreciate the patience and understanding of event organizers interested in facilitating surf events from the shores of City beaches. This is the second year of specific permitting guidelines for South Shore Surf Events following the adoption of revised Shore Water Event Rules in late 2023. Those revised rules establish specific requirements for surf events on O‘ahu’s South Shore, while also providing 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 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.
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Follow the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation online and on social media:
YouTube: bit.ly/DPRyoutube Twitter: @honolulu_parks Instagram: @honolulu_parks
Facebook: facebook.com/honolulu.parks Nextdoor: bit.ly/DPRnextdoor
Website: honolulu.gov/parks
