HONOLULU — On Thursday, the Board of Land and Natural Resources approved amended rules for commercial surfing instruction at Kahaluu Bay on Hawaii Island’s Kona coast after more than a year of public outreach and two public hearings. The new rules will require Gov. David Ige’s signature before going into effect.

Zone A of Kahaluu Bay is the only area within the bay where commercial surf instruction is allowed. Under the new rules, just four permitted commercial operators with no more than four students, regardless of the number of instructors, are allowed in the water.

A proposal before the BLNR was to create eight permits with “shifts.” The DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation recommended maintaining the existing rule of four surf instruction permits without shifts after a testimony at an Oct. 14 public hearing opposed the commercial operation “shifts.”

Testifiers commented on surf school conduct such as natural resource violations that included damage to coral and injuring sea life, parking issues, user conflicts, overcrowding and lack of rule enforcement at Kahaluu Bay.

“The Kahaluu Bay rules were amended in 2016 to permit the County of Hawii to select a nonprofit organization to solicit bids from entities to receive permits,” said Meghan Statts in a DLNR news release. Statts is the assistant administrator of the DLNR DOBOR. “However, the nonprofit retained by the county failed to make any selections and we agreed with the county that DOBOR would take the lead in selecting permittees.”

The BLNR unanimously approved the revised proposed amendments to Hawaii Administrative Rules.

A popular area with residents and visitors alike, Kahaluu Bay is much like Oahu’s Hanauma Bay, home to a rich diversity of marine life and a healthy coral system. Unlike Hanauma Bay, however, Kahaluu Bay is not a designated marine protected area or nature preserve, though it was named a “Hope Spot” by the international marine conservation nonprofit Mission Blue in May. Hope Spots are marine areas that have been scientifically identified as critical to the ocean’s health. Kahaluu is the 141st Hope Spot in the world, and the second Hope Spot in Hawaii. The first is Maui’s Olowalu Reef designated a Hope Spot in 2017.

Sarah Yamanaka covers events, environmental and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii.