Maui Tips

[isobars]

Do the tourist stuff -- I thoroughly enjoyed the catamaran ride for snorkeling at Molokini, the dawn bike ride down Halaekala, etc, -- in the morning before the wind starts, then sail, then catch an early bird restaurant meal, then crash; you'll be ready for it, especially after and before getting up early every morning to do the tourist stuff. Don't forget that even when it's not windy when it should be at your place, Kihei is often blowing very well. It has saved MANY of my days there. We even got all dressed up (even put on a shirt and some footwear) and went to some 5 star hotel restaurant in south Kihei for a fancy and expensive meal. Fugheddaboutit. Hell, Mama's Fish House had better food, and that's not saying much. The best meals I ever found on Maui were consistently at Haliimaile General Store in Makawao up the hill from Paia; huge and widely varied menu, incredible food.

[MCDORO]

Shout out for Simmer in Paia. They are out of the way but give you enough so that you don't have to be going back and forth. Besides, the have Thommen boards. Second the Paia Fish market/Haliimaile General Store....but also, go to Mama's for lunch....It's worth it, and you can sail later in the day for a change.

[dabull1]

[keycocker]

Caught Wille K at Casanova. Played straight ahead Rock and Roll mostly. Santana covers too. Best music in Maui but his Mom said his health is failing.

[loosescrew]

Sailing out of the cove sb no problem. However, u r a little isolated from the social scene at Kanaha. September could potentially be the start of our groundswell so it's recommended to have a good chicken jibe.

Franks friendly cars has wagons but no vans. Martin in Kihei has decent vans at a good price. Otherwise the costco route someone mentioned is next best thing.

Second wind would be my first choice for rental gear. Kevin is fair and has great gear. Convenient location

Food in Paia is good at Mambos, Flatbread, Fish Market, and Mana's for groceries. Also The Dunes on the golf course in Kahului is fun and the Makawao Steakhouse - eat at the bar area. Also Wholefoods on Wednesday discounts their food bar by 2 bucks and the have 2 slices of pizza for price of one between 4-6 each day.

No worries on the homeless peeps. They won't bother u and many of them just like to camp at Old Mans where the kiters launch. Many of us leave our cars open at the upper parking lot. Windsurf gear isn't worth much compared to SUPs and surfboards. Just be observant especially if u go hiking or to Makena. Highly visited tourist spots have more issues than our windsurf spots.

No one will bother the girlfriends. There are very fit and attractive women at both the windsurf and kite launch sites. I'm sure they will fit right in.

And if u can catch a Willie K show he is incredible. He plays on Tuesdays up at Casanovas (don't eat there the food sucks) in Makawao or Kimos in Lahaina I think on Fridays and they have great food and ocean views. He also plays at Mulligans on the Golf Course on Wednesdays.

[katiedog]

All well covered,although some of the drives suggested are a bit long for me.Give Wailuku a visit ,Ioa Valley etc.Consider Maui Friday nights /events in Wailuku and Makawao . There are many yoga places in Paia for the women if they are inclined .DO the downwinder from sugercove to Kanaha over and over and over...if you have someone to pick you up. Thumbs up for Matt and Kevin both for gear.

[isobars]

[SAS]

[isobars]

Total crapshoot; we had to drive based on forecasts. At least on Maui, the sailing spots are close enough that one can wait until it's blowing to pick a site without missing much sailing. The only side trip that mandated a commitment interfering with sailing was the drive around Hana. Even a trip to Kaanapali for its many attractions (e.g., shopping, snorkeling, beauty, and/or heat if the windward side isn't hot enough for ya) could be aborted without missing out altogether if a forecast favorable to driving gave way to sailable wind.

That's one of Maui's many strong points; a little bit of planning and the eagerness to get up in the morning to fit it all in can cram in a huge amount and variety of entertainment for the entire family without sacrificing shred time to the Borg. It's usually easy to do at least four very different fun activities each day if one actively pursues them rather than waiting for them to occur spontaneously. Do your homework before you go, make and prioritize a list of things to do, make reservations if necessary (e.g., Molokini catamaran, Haleakala dawn bike ride, maybe a Jeep rental for the drive around Hana (or it that paved by now?), and always leave the noon-5 PM wind window open in your schedule.

Oh, yes ... another tip. Leave most of the crap you think you need home. I take a harness, helmet, booties (for reefs), sandals or flip flops and a few T shirts for dress occasions, board shorts, a toothbrush, a thick book for airport delays, and not much else. Schlepping a ton of crap out there makes little sense to me; they have Walmart and Costco in case I forget something. If ya can afford the trip, ya can afford to buy a fan, a cooler, and the camera batteries ya left home. K.I.S.S. This isn't Mount Everest; packing should take 10 minutes, not 10 hours, and nobody cares whether your "outfit" -- your wristwatch, cap, and board shorts -- matches.

I also tan up thoroughly before I go. The next-to-the-LAST two things I want in that heat are a sunburn and a coat of greasy lotion.

The LAST thing is air conditioning. I won't even TRY to do without that. I swear the people who say Maui cools down at night must live outdoors in Houston.

[SAS]