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Maui 2019

 
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ldhr

Since 21 Jul 2009
1470 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostTue Oct 29, 19 2:15 pm    Maui 2019 Reply with quote

My tenth year kiting on Maui.
-- less and less kiters every year.This year we had days with head high ++ waves and good wind and the beach and waves were empty.

-- Maui is foil paradise. No matter your style or preference - Maui is A+ for foiling.
I kited 14 out of 14 days October 14 - 28 (11 days on foil mostly 5m, 3 days on surfboard 10m).

-- you can rent surfboards for $25 per day - I left mine at home and took a foil instead. I rented a surfboard on the days with big waves.

-- Maui locals - the foilers ride Clouds or Naish Boxers with long lines. The locals are typically riding 2.8 or 3.4 kites when I was riding my 5M SST.

-- Kitebeach: no camping is allowed so that has cleaned up the park and made parking easier and safer.

-- Wing foiling is here to stay. I watched guys wing foil in head high ++ waves and swell and get very long rides. With the foil you can catch the wave on the outside before it breaks... hold the wing in your back hand and carve S turns on the wave for hundreds of yards. Maui has got to be the most foil friendly wave/swell riding location on planet earth.
Of course you can do the same on a kite - but the wing definitely has appeal and efficiency.

-- The production of sugar cane has stopped for various reasons. The sugar cane fields burned in July 2019 due to wildfire resulting in ugly rown fields as far as the eye can see.
Right now Maui is a burned-out brown eye sore. Hopefully it will green-up come the rainy season.

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Sasquatch

Since 09 Mar 2005
2053 Posts
PNW
Bigfoot



PostTue Oct 29, 19 3:22 pm    Re: Maui 2019 Reply with quote

ldhr wrote:
My tenth year kiting on Maui.
-- less and less kiters every year.This year we had days with head high ++ waves and good wind and the beach and waves were empty.


Ldhr- Why do you think it is getting less crowded? More destinations popping up around the world?

Kiting reached its max and is ebbing in popularity?

Sounds like you had a wonderful trip--SCORE!

Last edited by Sasquatch on Wed Oct 30, 19 9:31 am; edited 1 time in total

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west

Since 09 Oct 2008
136 Posts
Lake Michigan
Stoked



PostWed Oct 30, 19 7:47 am     Reply with quote

Less popular on Maui because for several seasons running there wasn’t much wind, it’s that simple; the highly predictable trade winds became very fickle! Add to that the rising airline fees for baggage, and a lot of the regular kiters and windsurfers began choosing different more reliable destinations. But as ldhr noted, it is No Ka Oi!!

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Wind Slither

Since 04 Mar 2005
2570 Posts
The 503
METAL



PostWed Oct 30, 19 9:00 am    Re: Maui 2019 Reply with quote

ldhr wrote:
Maui has got to be the most foil friendly wave/swell riding location on planet earth.


I'm a little surprised by this statement given the fin boxes I've torn out by hitting coral heads that were invisible in late afternoon sun glare. Maybe you're talking bigger waves breaking farther out.

Yay no more camping, one of those F'ers keyed my rental for taking "his" parking spot.

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wylieflyote

Since 30 Jun 2006
1634 Posts
Puget Sound & Wa. Coast
XTreme Poster



PostWed Oct 30, 19 9:41 am     Reply with quote

I've wondered if destination type kite vacations are on the wane now that we can foil in almost every back yard. Has Hood River lost some visits?
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ldhr

Since 21 Jul 2009
1470 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostWed Oct 30, 19 11:05 am     Reply with quote

Less crowded - I think kiting peaked a few years ago. I'd be curious to see the numbers from the Hood River kite schools comparing this year to 5 years ago.
IMO - Event Site was less crowded this summer compared to prior 10 years.
Very few people taking lessons in Maui compared to previous years.

Foiling around the reefs....
Yes, on a surfboard you want to hit the critical sections of a wave where it's peeling/breaking....that means on top of the reef.
Foiling you want to avoid the breaking part of the wave.
When you ride high up on a foil it's easier to see the reef and the shallow spots (and turtles and rays).
But the best part - upwinders from Kite beach past Uppers and Sprecks to Baldwin and then riding the wind swell downwind.

Trade winds - I can only think of one place that has more consistent winds than Maui - Brazil.

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1surfer

Since 20 Apr 2010
354 Posts
'Ualapu'e / High Rockies
Obsessed



PostWed Nov 06, 19 11:35 am    Maui crowds. Reply with quote

I must say that I like the fact that there are less people kiting on Maui. Sure makes it more enjoyable for me. We have a place on another island and I like the kiting there much better, but I do find myself kiting on Maui a good bit. More into the down winders from Baldwin, but from my point of view less kiters at the Kanaha beaches is a good thing. Neve been into that kiting with 200 of your closest friends thing.
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