In Hawaiʻi, both the wet and dry sand below the high tide line (typically the vegetation line) is considered public beach.
The right of beach access is constantly being challenged by private property owners, developers and even sea level rise. Of course, some wealthy landowners would like to lock up slices of the coast for themselves alone. Surfrider Foundation Oʻahu actively fights for beach access in places where private property owners have cut off long-standing publicly used coastal access.
The Surfrider Foundation has developed a Policy on Beach Access, which addresses our stance on the many aspects of the issue of beach access.
