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Windsurfing in Kauai
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hemmy007



Joined: 10 May 2002
Posts: 101

PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

MauiMakani wrote:

M near Poipu can be great ocean and wavesailing on a south swell, ...

Try throwing your rig into the ocean off the cliffs at.... Just be sure that the rope is in place so that you can haul your rig back up the cliff when you are done. ..

Further around the south side, I had a couple of great sessions near ...





Other than Anini (inside the break water)
all spots on this island are expert to expert+++.
The island is not set up for WS rental b/c of this fact.
Anyone who does not surf/sail DOH and should stay avoid
any WSing outside the breakwater.

Hundreds of people have been KIA at this island's beaches,
with some beaches having almost five dozen since the 60's.

Many spots, including the three mentioned here
have very serious down wind penalty if you break your gear
or can not get back up wind (or back to shore in straight offshore wind shifts).

All of the three spots you mentioned, have periods where the wind will shift straight offshore and often shuts off as the wind line moves out.

Of the places that you listed, shipwrecks requires a swim thru Sandys/Wedge-like shore pound with NO WIND, if you can not get back to the cliff/rope access. Shipwrecks now requires key access to the top of the cliff, so unless you know locals, no go.

Also, watching locals kite and ws these spots does not mean that you have the skill to make that work and get in.

Wear booties. Just b/c the locals do not does not mean you will not need them when you have to walk your gear on your head over razor coral with overhead shore pound.

Always understand and identify your options to get back in and do not go out further than you are comfortable swimming back to shore.

Because so few people even WS there anymore, it makes every spot a bit more sketchy, when no one else is out. Last time I was there for a month and had to WS by myself every session if I did not shout out for company.

In the late 80's and thru the late 90's,
there used to be some crowds,
esp on the weekends.

Now WS by yourself, so sail safe and have fun.

Be cool to the people that you meet at the beach and they will return that respect. Many locals I have had the pleasure to know on the garden isle have shown me more aloha than anywhere in the world.
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cgoudie1



Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Posts: 2597
Location: Killer Sturgeon Cove

PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 1:04 am    Post subject: Re: Windsurfing in Kauai Reply with quote

Yep it was Celeste. I've fixed the number in the previous post,
thanks for the correction.

-Craig


dsgrntlxmply wrote:
cgoudie1 wrote:
...
There are lessons and a gear trailer at Anini almost every day, and
if you contact the propriator (a very pleasant women who's name
I don't remember) at 1 808 826 9463 ...


That number is the one for Anini Beach Windsurfing, which at least some years ago, was operated by Foster Ducker.

The trailer with gear sounds like it might have been Celeste Harvel, Windsurf Kauai, 1 808 828 6838.

One of the most memorable experiences of my second tries at windsurfing, years ago, was sailing (while taking instruction from Foster Ducker) at Anini in what can only be described as a cloudburst: very low visibility in sudden heavy rain.

This would have been mostly wonderful, had I not left the car windows open, with my rental unit's telephone book on the passenger's seat floor.
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beaglebuddy



Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120

PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 4:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's true, Kauai is the drowning capital of America.
Every morning and evening I walk my dogs to a point at the end of my road in Princeville, at about 150' elevation I can see much of the North shore from Kilauea to Haena and most of the time there isn't even so much as one little fishing boat out, on the weekends in the summer there will usually be a boat or two out in the distance so if you get into trouble there are very few lifeguards or anybody to pay any notice.
If it's particularly windy Middles in Hanalei bay is fairly safe.
But if you break down off the Y camp in Haena the next stop is Midway island I think.
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 3:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Other than Anini (inside the break water)"


Breakwater? That funny. No breakwater at Anini. It's simply a shallow reef, which is very much a problem at lower tides. There are openings to the outside, but you need to have good skills to hold your position and ultimately find the avenue back.

I have to say, you're right about the need for booties. Many spots on Kauai have nasty shallow reefs with tons of urchins. Even at Anini, about half way out to the reef, it starts getting quite shallow. If one's a beginner, you definitely don't want to fall in the shallower areas. However, off the beach to about half way out it's nice and sandy, so as long as you're careful, things are great.
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 3:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm sure Anini is a rock/coral reef, which is what was meant, I'm sure Very Happy
I got 2 pretty good days at Middles, backside wave riding, just overhead waves, but was eyeing Hanalei's Bowl takeoff the whole time. Pinetrees was a little too light. Probably could have sailed deeper at Hanalei, but that pack of surfers at the Bowl was pretty big.
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dsgrntlxmply



Joined: 16 Jun 2010
Posts: 255

PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 3:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

swchandler wrote:
"I have to say, you're right about the need for booties. Many spots on Kauai have nasty shallow reefs with tons of urchins. ...


All sorts of interesting creatures lurk there.

During a snorkel swim near the end of the day, working a bit eastwards from the boat ramp at Anini, I passed (carefully) over and got a picture of a moray eel. It was not clear at the immediate moment, whether this was a type that the fish picture guide suggested as "harmless", or as "potentially aggressive."
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MauiMakani



Joined: 07 Aug 1995
Posts: 28

PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 10:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Speaking of booties and moray eels, I had a friend put his feet down on the reef while sailing Kihei on Maui. He started yelling and kicked his foot up in the air with a moray holding on to the end of it. Luckily he was wearing booties, so the teeth did not get through to the skin, just the very end of the bootie. Quite a site. Shocked
My wife ended up getting washed up on the rocks without booties at another wave spot, and ended up with so many urchin spines in both feet, that it looked like they had been sprinkled liberally with pepper.
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 12:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good warning stories, as OP is looking for a challenge, and should find it on lonely (for windsurfers) Kaui.
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SPQR



Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 274

PostPosted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've windsurfed and kitesurfed Kauai for many a year. As all of these responders have said, yeah you can get in trouble. But go to Y Camp, go the the point on the right where the kiters launch, slog to the wind line and stay upwind and see how comfortable you are just sailing back and forth towards the beach. Maybe after a couple of days you will feel comfortable enough to sail down to Tunnels. But even if you don't you probably will never sail in a more beautiful location. If your are fairly decent you shouldn't have any problems unless you break down, and if you stay to the right of the point just outside of the reef you will be able to rip. And even if you do break down the locals are pretty cool and help out. A couple of years ago a sailboarder from the mainland got separated from his rig near Tunnels and Teri, a local who lives right on the beach rescued the sailer while windsurfing. Give it a go, it's an awesome spot.
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beaglebuddy



Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120

PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 2:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When you go out about 100 yards from the ycamp at Haena and turn around it looks like you are in Tahiti, the mountains rise straight up and are so close it really is beautiful.
There is a story I read somewhere about Laird breaking down out there a long time ago, he was drifting away towards Japan a long way from shore when a small boat just happened to see him. A needle in a haystack.
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