The Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) has approved a permit allowing AccesSurf, an adaptive ocean sports program, to use space at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor for storage and parking. This decision aims to address the challenge faced by AccesSurf in storing its large and costly equipment, which is currently scattered across various locations far from Waikīkī.
Eric Walton, a long-time member of AccesSurf who uses a prosthetic leg, highlighted the organization's impact on his life. “The impact that AccesSurf has had on my life has been monumental,” he stated.
AccesSurf Executive Director Cara Short emphasized the difficulty of managing equipment stored in different places. “We have all this equipment that is quite literally stored in a ton of different places, different vehicles, different homes, and storage containers far away from Waikīkī,” she explained. The organization will pay $40 monthly to the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) for the space, which will include several shipping containers donated by Pasha Hawaii and room for vehicle parking.
Board members expressed strong support for approving the request and inquired about potential program expansion beyond O‘ahu. Short confirmed that AccesSurf recently expanded to Maui and has conducted programs on Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island, with plans to extend offerings statewide. All programs are free for participants with numerous volunteers contributing their efforts.
Following the unanimous approval of the permit, there were positive exchanges between board members and AccesSurf staff. BLNR Chair Dawn Chang remarked on the positive outcome for both Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor and Waikīkī. She acknowledged DLNR's Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) for their support in facilitating this arrangement.