Ocean Etiquette in Hawaii

With stunning coastlines, bays and beaches surrounding our island State. You will find a plethora of ocean recreation activities taking place.

Each of Hawaii’s beaches is unique in what it may offer. In one single stretch of coastline, you may find swimming, snorkeling, diving, bodyboarding, surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, windsurfing, kite surfing, kayaking, boating, and parasailing.

Whether it be surfing the North Shore of Oahu, tow-in surfing at Peahi on the Island of Maui, or snorkeling at Waikiki Beach, each ocean user should feel an obligation to each other, share the resource, and demonstrate mutual respect. It’s a very big ocean, and not one user group has greater rights than any other. We should be mindful that some activities require certain conditions, like a breaking wave. Everywhere else, however, we should allow other ocean users to recreate as they see fit. If someone is preventing another ocean user from enjoying the waters, that is where user conflicts arise.

For the Hawaiian culture, the resource is a gift to be shared and a responsibility.