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Maui sailing/surfing advice needed
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SwellRipper



Joined: 21 Apr 2009
Posts: 193
Location: Channel Marker 11

PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 5:46 pm    Post subject: Maui sailing/surfing advice needed Reply with quote

Advanced (not expert) Bay Area windsurfer and novice goofy foot surfer needs advice for first Maui trip. I'll be there in December and have places to stay. I'm looking for general beach, surf, gear, and water wear advice or comments. For example, here I'm generally sailing 5.0m/85L or surfing longboard, wearing a 4/3 full wetsuit and no booties. I generally sail the SF Bay, but sometimes sail the coast up to around mast high. So how should I approach Maui for my first trip in December? Thanks in advance.
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ctuna



Joined: 27 Jun 1995
Posts: 1125
Location: Santa Cruz Ca

PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 8:35 pm    Post subject: No wetsuit needed. Reply with quote

No wetsuit needed.
Even a shorty can cause you to overheat.
Personally I like having some rubber on for damage protection.
Rash guards and board shorts.
Most start out at Kanaha for windsurfing .
The Heavy surf and windsurf spots are near Hookipa.
There are many shore break and small peak spots near on the way
to Lahina for surfing.
The local shops can fill you inn.
Also there are many past threads on this.
O there is a coral bottom there so if you are touching down a lot
which is generally frowned on get some booty's or you can get cut.
Watch out for hidden obstacles on the lower tides.

There are a few sites like this
http://www.mauiwindsurfing.net/maui-windsurfing-information/
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dsgrntlxmply



Joined: 16 Jun 2010
Posts: 255

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 12:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Respect the Hawaii sun. I like a long-sleeved UV rashguard (O'Neill makes some good ones that claim SPF 50 equivalent).

My legs burn easily, so I resign myself to looking like a doofus, and wear Under Armour leggings under my board shorts: Heat Gear if I can find them, Cold Gear if not. Sadly, these seem to be available only in black.

Given the presence of coral, I strongly recommend footwear.

I also like and recommend Sol BlueWater sunscreen. It stays on fairly well, and stings eyes less than many others (relies upon sub-micronized zinc oxide and one other chemical).

If you don't rent a van from a windsurf-oriented place, car rental companies (and my complaint is specifically about Avis from a year ago) can stick you with a gigantic wad of two-each keys/transmitters all cabled together. This means that unless you have someone staying ashore, you need some sort of clever plan to deal with the car key problem, because this mess is too big to fit in, say, an Aquapac Keymaster pouch.

The rental shops are all within a few minutes' drive of the beach at Kanaha. The people at Hi-Tech and at Second Wind were both very easy and helpful to deal with.
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3.7_Maui



Joined: 20 Jul 2012
Posts: 22

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 5:28 am    Post subject: stay warm Reply with quote

I used to windsurf the bay area for many years before moving to Oahu and now Maui. You do not need booties but do assume there is a reef a few feet below you - so fall in sideways and even if you can touch the bottom do not!
The reef is alive with spiked or fanged critters. Do show up with something more than a rash guard - it is not summer time in Dec - and yes it gets cold at times on Maui in the winter - mostly due to the wind chill factor. Some days will feel warm and a rash guard will be enough, others will be cold and you will see the locals in 1ml neoprene tops, vests, or full spring suites. In that movie RIP, Robby is wearing a wet suite in some of the winter Hawaii scenes.

Hookipa is side off - Sprecks side or side-on, and Kanaha is almost always side-on. They all have waves, Everything is easy and comfy on Maui - so expect to have a great time.
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combs



Joined: 01 Apr 1997
Posts: 129

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Give Matt Pritchard a call for gear. He can usually beat any shop quote by providing twice the gear for the same price...great gear too and you get to meet a legend! matt@pritchardwindsurfing.com Pick up a beater cargo van at Al West's and have them remove all the rear seats so that you have a safe and secure place to store/transport all the gear that Matt will give you.
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rich1



Joined: 10 Apr 2000
Posts: 156

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been an almost annual (sometimes twice in one year) visitor to Maui since the late '80s, and last year was the first time I went out at Hookipa. So this the point of view of an outsider who is very familiar with Maui, and I am by no means an expert on the conditions or the breaks like the guys who live and sail there, but here are my observations.

Kanaha is awesome, you'll loose count of your bottom turns on a good day, and when you go down, you just get washed into the the inside where you can sort yourself out. Local sailors have told me that uppers can be great, but every time I've headed up there, I've never had a good ride. I think proper local knowlege makes a difference in this case. Lowers is just a real nice wave to sail all day long.

If you want to give Hookipa a go, my advice is, wait until the waves at Kanaha are too small to be fun before heading out at Hookipa. And watch all the AWT streaming footage from this year. You'll get a really good feel for where you should position yourself and how to get out. Also be aware that if you trash rental gear, you're paying for it. That was one of the reason why I never ventured out, this was the first year I was on my own gear, so I knew what it would cost me if I wrecked any of it.

Have fun!
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rich1



Joined: 10 Apr 2000
Posts: 156

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I prefer Kimo's to Al West to be honest. I've rented for years from them (Al West), and it was more of a hassle, and more than once I had to get charges removed from my bill. 2011 I rented from Manaloha, and they were ok, but this year I went with Kimo's and they were the best by far.
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victor



Joined: 03 Aug 1998
Posts: 581

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 12:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

no. shore maui is possibly the most water sport friendly place in the world. just go.
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keycocker



Joined: 10 Jul 2005
Posts: 3598

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 2:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I live in Maui and wear a shorty in winter along with my friends, but never booties. Standing on the bottom with or without is a very bad idea.
If you rent from Matt take a lesson. Can change your whole sailing.
Hookipa will get you hurt. It breaks on the rocks inside. At the AWT tour 17 sailors went on those rocks, inc. Josh Stone, Brian Talma, and whole list of guys better than me.
When the wind doesn't blow in Kanaha you can sail in several places in Kihei in mostly offshore no waves. It is not popular with locals but on a vacation you can fill in a day that way.
We stick with Kanaha and Sprecks on occasion.
If you drive to Hana remember not to arrive, just take Maui Revealed along and stop where other cars do, walking the scenery.
Nothing in Hana ,it is the road you are visiting. Makes it a lot better to rent a convertible Sebring for the drive.
Those "small wave " places on the way to Lahaina can be over head high the whole time you are there. I like launiopoko but there are dozens.
Good spot for a surfing BBQ. If you bring extra dogs and offer them around to locals the positive response may surprise you.
Uh,, you already know not to screw with anybody on the wave or the beach so no problem, right?
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Trebor_HI



Joined: 17 Aug 2008
Posts: 26

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 2:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I live Oahu and have never sailed on Maui so don't know Maui's reef situation. If you drift downwind and can't get back to your original launch you may find yourself stuck on very shallow & sharp reef. Should that happen booties will save your feet. For surfing, if you're used to wearing wetsuits in CA, and surf without in HI, you may end up with sore ribs, sternum and knees. And fer sure, don't forget your sunscreen!
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