Sea Level Rise: Continuous Erosion creates dangerous situation on Waikiki Beach

Erosion Creates Dangerous Situation on Waikiki Beach - Coastal Care

WAIKIKI —Diamond Head, the extinct volcano that has become synonymous with Waikiki Beach isn’t going anywhere, but much of the sand that both locals and visitors enjoy has vanished.

"It was so much more sand here before and now as you can see, everything is almost gone," said Pia Wackerl, a Hawaii Pacific University student who moved to Oahu in August.

Over the past several months severe erosion has caused a concrete slab near the water’s edge at Kuhio Beach to become exposed. The concrete is uneven with sharp edges and several pieces of rusty rebar pose a potential hazard to beachgoers.

One of the nearby beachboy stands erected more than 100 feet of plastic chain to highlight the growing problem and keep people away.

“It’s kind of dangerous for the kids when they're surfing in because if they can't stop on the high tide, the wave will double-up and they come right into this wall,” said Willie Grace, who works as a surf instructor for Star Beach boys.

“I’ve seen it happen a couple of times this summer."

In June 2012, the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources completed a beach replenishment project that added 24,000 cubic yards of offshore sand across 1,730 feet of Waikiki Beach.

The $2.2 million project was funded by the state and Waikiki hotels, but a University of Hawaii study found one-fourth of the replenished sand was gone a year after its completion.

"I guess trial and error,” Grace said of the project. “That's a lot of money that they wasted and this is Waikiki Beach. It should be covered with some of the nicest whiter sand.”

Waikiki resident Tom Wentworth says the erosion that led to concrete being exposed at Kuhio Beach got progressively worse after a jetty was removed, something locals warned the state not to do.

"That's why the sand stayed right there because it just circled around, from this jetty to the little one,” said Wentworth.

“Now, without that little jetty, it’s just back out.

"Beach erosion in Waikiki has been a problem for decades and has resulted in at least 10 sand replenishment projects since 1939. According to DLNR, 300,000 cubic yards of sand has been placed onto Waikiki Beach over the past 77 years.