creating stairs into the water

[Julie Languille]

This is a goofy question I know, but how do people create cement steps into the water - like into a pond, or from their yard into the water?

[Tink]

If you,are talking about going into the ocean, you have all sorts of environmental hurdles to deal with. In a privately owned pond, it is in your favor. Concrete is a chemical reaction caused by adding water to start the curing process. I believe you could pump it under water into your form as long as the pipe stays within the concrete placed during pumping until form is filled to reduce dilution of mix and it would do its normal "thing", but a concrete or gunite contractor would know for sure. Give Peter Epperson a call.

Community begins with Aloha

[Rob Tucker]

There are additives to concrete which allow it to set underwater without being diluted or washed out by water conditions. Romans originally developed this method. It is referred to as hydraulic cement.

[Julie Languille]

Thank you. If you wanted to go into the ocean from your property (thinking of buying land and there's like a 5' drop to the water) what are the environmental hurdles? And is there any alternative?

[kalakoa]

If you wanted to go into the ocean from your property

Anything in the "Coastal Management Area" requires an extra-special permitting process, and that's assuming you don't actually touch the water.

[Rob Tucker]

You could use a ladder. I would guess that getting legal permission to install concrete steps on the shore line would be next to impossible.

[Carey]

Julie, the State of Hawaii owns the land at the ocean, so building ANYTHING on their land is a major environmental task, needing CZM (Coastal Zone Management) planning, engineering & approvals, mostly this will also trigger an EIS (Environmental Impact Study)

If you were not already aware of the public access to coastal waters, any land that you purchase that is adjacent to the ocean has public right-of-way at the coastal boundaries in Hawaii.
If you are already dealing with a real estate professional, they should have advised you already on the areas of the land in question that are within the public right-of-way (the right of way varies by the coastal features, so each lot will have different lot boundaries & public lands, but I know of no lot that has the wetted areas of the lot as private land..I do know that there may be some that do have this, due to land subsidence & coastal erosion, but that is another issue to bear in mind, those lands are sinking or being swept into the ocean.)

ETA: To answer your initial question , the product you are looking for is "Hydraulic Cement".... but using this without fully confirming you have the legal right to, may just make things a whole lot more messy & expensive....

[terracore]

We're not allowed to build a telescope after a "successful" multi-year public comment and permitting process. If you want concrete steps going into a public waterway your only option is to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.

[eigoya]

With the tides being so high for the last year, I can't imagine a place in Puna where steps into the sea would be used reliably even occasionally . And then, what if there was an injury on steps you made into a tumultuous sea?

[Hunt Stoddard]

It's funny, on the ocean-side lava near our house are a number of patches of concrete that have obviously been put there by fishers. There are even a number of small wind shielding structures made from mortared rocks and also plenty of pvc pipes cemented into the lava for fishing pole stands.

If it's just a matter of making a few concrete steps down to the water so you don't kill yourself I suggest you get a "12 AM" permit. There is no paperwork required. They'll wash away in a few years anyway.