State officials are calling the use of buoys to separate swimmers and stand-up paddlers in the waters off Ala Moana Beach Park an experiment. So we'll take Laura Thielen at her word that they'll be removed if a better solution can be found.

And we'll hope that the ultimate answer is simply a restoration of common courtesy, as tensions subside between the swimmers who have traditionally plied the Honolulu lagoon's placid waters and the growing number of stand-up paddlers, including many novices, attracted to the easy-to-navigate spot to try out the relatively new sport.

Employees of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, which Thielen heads, installed seven buoys last week, marking a corridor for stand-up paddlers on the outside and swimmers closer to shore.

The separate zones are meant to ensure the access and safety of all users. DLNR first presented the idea of installing buoys at a public meeting in May 2009, when state officials were fielding about 30 complaints a day from swimmers and paddlers competing for space. But the number of complaints has subsided since then, indicating that the diverse users have learned to live with each other.

The DLNR's Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation will assess the new set up for the next six months, gathering feedback from users before deciding whether to make it permanent.

Reactions the first few days were mixed. There were complaints that the buoys interrupted the natural swim line, restricted open movement and spoiled the view of the lagoon from the beach. Both swimmers and stand-up paddlers said the marked lane, near a reef, could be treacherous during low tide.

But perhaps those complaints, too, will be temporary as users get used to the new guidelines.

Underlying the dispute are long-standing complaints by resident swimmers that they are losing access to a community beach park to business enterprises catering to tourists. Numerous businesses advertise stand-up paddleboarding equipment for use at Ala Moana Beach Park, transporting the gear so the tourists don't have to lug it around themselves.

It may take more than a few well-placed buoys to ease ill feelings over what some swimmers see as encroachment from Waikiki, but considering the popularity of stand-up paddling and the fact that Ala Moana is a perfect place to do it, this issue isn't going away.

While the state is wise to try to broker a fair solution, it also should recognize that the best approach may ultimately be to let swimmers and paddleboarders work it out among themselves. The dwindling number of complaints in the last year indicates this is possible—and common courtesy, surely, is preferable to unsightly buoys near the shore.