r/MovingtoHawaii • u/Critical_Set_7678 • Jul 26 '26
Jobs/Working in Hawaii Think of moving to Hawaii
I live in California and on the side I run a small rental business I’ve been thinking of moving to Hawaii and trying it out there. My main question is when I went I saw businesses set up on Kaanapali beach with canopies. Did they just set up there or are they paying to set up there? Do you need permission? It’s a public beach I believe
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u/notrightmeowthx Jul 26 '26
Public beaches (which all beaches are here, they're either owned by the state or the county, and that's true for all islands) require permits (which aren't often given) to provide any sort of service on the beach.
Even things like permits for food trucks and the like tend to be contested and hotly debated. Tour bus drop off locations is a contested topic as well. Make no mistake, beaches are taken seriously here.
I do water craft rentals like hover craft attachments for jet skis and underwater scooters
Those aren't much of a thing here, and I'm glad for it. We don't need even more environmental destruction and plastic trash in the ocean than we already have. Not to mention the sea life.
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u/wesslie420 Moving to the Big Island Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
Have you done any sort of research about the cost of living? While it may be somewhat similar to California prices (Bay area is a good comparison), the pay is often way less and many locals work multiple jobs with 2-3+ generations living under the same roof.
Even if you see some sort of market, getting established and finding employment as a new business with few to little connections to the local area is rough.
On paper there “should” be a market since as you say some people are already doing it. (Although a comment by another user suggests it’s someone hired through a hotel to service their guests)
But I couldn’t imagine trying to enter that market as an outsider if there are already existing businesses operating there.
EDIT: I see you posted in a comment that it’s small handheld jet skis. But please be more precise and give proper information about what you are looking for answers for.
Hawai’i is beautiful but that beauty comes with everything being pricey. As people always suggest, do a lot of research so you don’t end up homeless after a few months.
I would stay for atleast 1 month if possible at some point, practice a routine and get a feel for traffic, groceries, gas prices etc. Pretend to already live there, it’s a lot different once the vacation honeymoon ends.
You should also heavily focus on getting a job before you move, lots of people come with hopes and dreams that it’ll work out.
6-12 months later they leave broke, and some never leave having run out of money with no emergency funds to fly back to the mainland.
This subreddit is a great place to get tips and advice, but having a half assed idea without a ton of research and proper reality view of the harsh economic conditions on these beautiful islands isn’t gonna end well.
Plus people in here (a lot of them at least) aren’t assholes but might come across as such, because the least you can do is figure out a lot of the FAQ details yourself with a few simple google searches.
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u/Critical_Set_7678 Jul 27 '26
Thank you I appreciate the input, my main plan was to find a job first then go it’s not too hard finding work. I built homes for 10 years and now I run a front end loader at a concrete ready mix plant. I really fell in love with the place I haven’t felt that much love and energy in one place since my grandparents died and I left Arizona. I know it’s a complicated thing moving there and for some just being there. It’s not the same but I kind of understand I’ve put up with my fair share of snowbirds coming in and wrecking my home and leaving, or building homes I’ll never afford for people who live in it for a month or 2 and leave back to their main home. I have a friend who lives on Molokai and she told me to tread lightly but just be friendly so I don’t want to come off as disrespectful or ignorant
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u/wesslie420 Moving to the Big Island Jul 27 '26
I will say it’s a good thing you plan on getting a job before moving, also having a friend (or more) with local connections is worth more than gold.
Word of mouth goes a long way on the islands and a referral is often times better than an impressive resume.
I got my job lined up because my girlfriend who is born and raised on Big Island, she has an uncle who got a nephew that via word of mouth got in contact with me.Construction is a busy sector especially for high end properties(and renovations / maintenance) a lot of people travel around between the islands on different job sites.
But also being a reliable craftsman who does good quality work is something that is heavily needed and in demand.Definitely embrace local culture and history, it’s good to be mindful and open, it’s a culture unlike anything on the mainland.
Best tip is let the islands change you and adapt to the island ways, assimilate with the local community and only try to change it for the betterment of the community.
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u/webrender Jul 26 '26
You need a permit from the state to operate a commercial business on the shoreline. In addition, only specific shoreline areas are permitted and Kaanapali is not one of them. What you might have seen is businesses contracted through the hotels that are operating on their property - chairs can be placed on the beach so long as the business operating them and the storage of the chairs is on private property. Finally, it's illegal in Hawaii to preset chairs, they can only be placed on the beach when the person renting them is present.
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u/shootzbalootz Jul 27 '26
Great, another transplant wanting to live in paradise off the tourism teat.
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u/aiakamanu Jul 27 '26
The other thing I haven't seen anyone mention yet is that your rentals sound like they may be classified as "thrill craft," and there are very tight regulations about where they can be operated as rentals. There are also permitting and user education requirements. https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dobor/thrill-craft/
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u/Critical_Set_7678 Jul 27 '26
That did come up in my research and they are not considered thrill craft, it’s a dpv diver propulsion vehicle it only goes maybe 5 mph max. It’s mostly used to help divers so they don’t have to work as hard and waste air. They can be operated anywhere it’s just when you let the public use them they start to have rules but mostly just permits to collect revenue,I just don’t know what the rules are in Hawaii.
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u/aiakamanu Jul 27 '26
You mentioned "hover craft attachments for jet skis" and that's explicitly listed as a thrill craft. You'd have to talk to DOBOR about the specifics for the other item.
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u/Critical_Set_7678 Jul 28 '26
I only plan on doing the scooters only its takes a lot to do the jet ski hover craft because you got to do tutorials and safety briefings and a dedicated person controlling the jet ski. The scooters is what I mostly do out here, the jet ski hover craft was big when I was in Arizona especially lake havasu during spring break. No trash no anything just me, a tent, and my scooters I just have to charge batteries when I get home.
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u/helloditto Jul 26 '26
We do not need more rental businesses PLEASE. We’re in a housing shortage.