Locals and visitors flocked to Waikiki yesterday afternoon to pay tribute to the man they called a Hawai'i icon.

The city prepared by adding extra buses, keeping three lifeguard towers open later, beefing up ocean rescue staff and running a shuttle service from Kapi'olani Community College to Waikiki. But the effort wasn't as necessary as anticipated.

"It was pretty much a normal Saturday — except for the hype," said Luke Golden, a lifeguard at a tower near Queen's Surf Beach, which stayed open until dark last night. "I've seen more people (come out) for Sunset on the Beach."

Some came early to stake out good spots near the stage on Queen's Surf Beach, where a free concert was held. Others snuck on to the Sheraton Waikiki property to witness the private service. Still others took to the sea on boats, catamarans, canoes and surfboards, as Ho's family scattered his ashes a half-mile off Waikiki.

Those who arrived by noon were surprised at the lack of any crowd, especially considering the Waikiki Shell hosted a reggae concert and several hotels had large weddings and a prom.

Metered parking around Kapi'olani Park was still plentiful at noon and hardly anyone was waiting on Queen's Surf Beach for the free concert, which started at sundown.

"I was so surprised," said Donna Halkinrude, 67, of Waikiki who staked out a spot just outside the barricade at about 1 p.m. "I thought I would have to fight the crowd. But it looks like a normal weekend."

By 5:30 p.m. there were about two dozen vessels in the water, including five patrol boats staffed by officers from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. About two dozen outrigger canoes launched from the beach and met catamarans, one-man canoes, surf skis and surfers waiting about a half-mile offshore from the Sheraton Waikiki. Lifeguards estimated about 400 people were in the water at the time Ho's ashes — and hundreds of flowers — were released.

"It was very uneventful, very mellow and very beautiful," said Wesley Mundy, a supervisor with DLNR, which had about a dozen enforcement officers on the beach for crowd control. "This is Hawai'i, and aloha was all over the place."

By the time the last catamaran reached shore, the crowd at Queen's Surf Beach had swelled to about 8,000. People packed in the seating area on the beach and stood three rows deep on sidewalks to watch the free concert that featured Melveen Leed, Willie K, The Brothers Cazimero and the Society of Seven Las Vegas, among others.

Still, it was nowhere near the throng city officials expected.

"I think when people heard there was going to be 25,000 people, it scared some off," said Lt. Dwight Rodrigues with the Honolulu Police Department, which had more than 30 officers working in the area last night.

Cherie Dubats came early — about 1:30 p.m. — to get seats as close to possible to the stage. She has been a huge fan of Ho since she first saw him perform in 1968.

"I fell in love with Don Ho, I truly did," said Dubats, 70, a retired professor who lives in Waikiki and has seen Ho's show at least a dozen times. "He's part of what I love about Hawai'i."