Along the sandy sliver that is Hawaii's world-famous Waikiki Beach, waves sometimes reach all the way across the beach to touch solid land.

State officials are testing a sand-pumping project in an attempt to reclaim the iconic beach after years of chronic erosion using offshore sand, without having to truck in sand from around Oahu, other Hawaiian islands or even other countries.

The erosion isn't caused by heavy use from the 70,000 tourists who trample over the islands each day.

The main culprit is a sand shortage caused by shoreline development, including sea walls and the loss of dunes buried by manmade structures

While the beach still satisfies millions of visitors annually, it's barely a sandbox compared with the vast expanses found a half-century ago. If it's not cared for, Waikiki Beach will eventually disappear entirely.

"It used to be big. Now it's crowded, and everyone is bunched together," Honolulu resident Ashley Granados said as she sat alongside a spot about 20 yards wide. "The water is too close."

Beach erosion is common worldwide, and the usual remedy is to truck in sand, but that hasn't been done in any major way at Waikiki since the 1970s. Sand has been imported from other areas of Oahu, Hawaii's Molokai island and -- if you believe local legends -- as far away as Australia.

The $425,000 test program gives beach lovers hope that Waikiki could be restored to its original splendor, but officials have said it could cost $25 million to repair all of the beach.

"If we want to keep the beach there, we have to keep maintaining it," he said. "Since 1970, we haven't been maintaining it. We've neglected our house."

"Waikiki is probably best known for the fact that it's a major resort destination with sun, sand and surf," said Rick Egged, president of the Waikiki Improvement Association. "The health of Waikiki Beach is very central to Hawaii's image."