Hey Guys,
I am planning on heading to Hawaii in September for a holiday. After googling around for shops, schools and kiting spots I found there isn't a heap of info for kiting in Hawaii. I won't have my gear with me, and I may even buy a new kite and board when I am there.
Just wondering if anyone has been there and has any recommendations for shops, schools or places to stay (or stay near) for an intermediate rider wanting to learn some new freestyle tricks and wave riding.
Thanks,
Shaun
Not 100% sure yet we are still planning the trip. I have read that the winds come in from the North.
I think that September could be early for there season, not that Ive been...but was always under the impression that it was Oct to Feb for the peak of the wind...
Maui always seems to be the best island for kitesurfing from what Ive been told...
Nat
Hey,
This link has some info, it's year round but summer is the best, June - August.
www.kiteworldmag.com/travel/maui-hawaii/
Some shops will rent you a board and a harness but not kites
Something to do with insurance issues
You can borrow a pump on the beach, maaate
I kited kite beach on Maui. And after lugging a kite half way round the world and finding a beach,transport and a hire shop, I got 18 knots of wind and 1/2 meter sloppy wave action
( I only managed the 1 day amongst other stuff we were trying to do!!)
My local is waaay better and I can drive it in 2 mins!!!
( my two cents. Unless you're a big wave surfer there are better places to visit than Hawaii. Do your research. If you wanna see America, go to New York, if you want tropical/cheap then go to Vietnam )
i would love to hit maui in transition stage from windy summer to wavy winter, expensive if it don't work out tho!
ok just a little help.
Been to Maui Hawaii the last two years.
2011 in May 5 out of 10 days
2012 in August 2 out of 14 days
The place is awesome, I really liked the North shore and the people are good.
There is really only a couple of options.
Kite beach for what they call a flat water spot.
Forget it, it is not flat. It is choppy most of the area until about 5m from the shore line where some pros like to through down tricks to impress the beach goer's.
I do not rate this as a flat spot at all.
But in boots and playing off the kickers rolling in it can be fun.
I went to Hawaii for waves.
And then you have a spot West of Ho'okipa. I think you often hear it referred too as Lanes. But the locals just said go to Ho'okipa Beach Park and you will find it.
It is a good walk though with gear.
Or you can park on the Hwy and cross over and walk down the rocks.
Seems to be what the locals do, but there isn't much parking there.
This spot works good.
But only when it is quiet, if there is more than 10. Can become hectic :)
As all wave spots with 10+ people
I had a lot of fun on the waves here.
But the island of Maui has a lot more to offer than kiting which is a good thing.
I have not been so lucky with the conditions, as other friends of mine have.
But the time i spent there was great.
As for renting gear. Forget it, my first time I took only 7 and 10m and it was crazy windy. Couldn't hire a 5m anywhere so had to push on with the 7m and strapless.
Not sure you will find a place to rent mate.
Hope this helps, and hope you get good wind.
Damn, this is not what I was hoping to hear. 
I'm going end of July, stopping over from Canada and read somewhere you can rent equipment in Maui if you have a KSO recognition, or else have to do a lesson with them. Not worth me really taking a kite for one day of potential kiting, just thought it would be fun and have been buttering the Mrs up to let me have a go for months already. Son of a...
If your going to be in Canada drive down to Hood River in the Columbia River Gorge. I'm heading there for the third time at the end of June for a month. Last year kited 21 out of 24 days on a 7m (I'm 62kg) and was lit most of the time. There's also heaps of non kite related stuff to do if you are travelling with others. If your there early July you could also ride in the kiteboard 4 cancer event held at the Event site. Pm me if you want more details.
Went last year for windsurfing (I do kite as well). If you after wind June/July is the time of year, through swell is small to non-existent. As has been said there is not really any place I would call "flat water".
As shodan said, Hood River is the go if your only after wind. That place is bloody windy and consistent. Main season is June to August. Pack a wetsuit though I was there in June,water temp is very cold, air temp good. Plenty of non-wind activities to do, heck you can even go snowboarding in summer if you willing to drive an hour or two away.
Cheers
Snowboarding on Mt Hood would be a total waste of time in summer. It is the only place in the US that is open year round, but summer is taken by Olympic training on the glacier. Its ice hard, then mushy, no steeps, you would have to be pretty desperate.
Hood river is the go, and so are all the killer micro breweries. Plenty of great beers to sample after some serious sessions. Loads of hiking to do, Willamette Falls is worth seeing, and so is the fish ladder at Bonneville Dam. You will see some pretty impressive salmon making their way up stream.
In saying that I am off to Maui at the end of this mont.h, so I can report back details when I get home mid May. Been to North Shore of Oahu many times, but never to Maui so I am really looking forward to it
I was in Maui for my honeymoon a few weeks ago. After checking wind forecasts I lugged my 12m over - big mistake - it was blowing 30 knots; the locals said they only ever ride 6-9m. Couldn't kite those first few days anyway (being a honeymoon and all) & after that the wind dropped out completely.
Most places didn't rent kites; a couple did but you required IKO licence or needed to do a few hours lessons & prove that you're competent. The "flat" area is at Kanaha Beach Park, Kahului (type that in google maps).
Most kite stores are near there on the Hana Hwy. There's the Naish Maui Pro center, the Hawaiian Island Surf & Sport on corner of Dairy Rd - another store behind it. And I think North Sails was across the road from it.
Kahalui is the largest town on the island - a bit industrial, not a great place to stay. The closest place to stay to the Kanaha Beach is probably the Maui Seaside or the Maui Beach motels - next to the Hoaloha Park. It's still a drive to the kite area, although I did see one kite out in the Kanaha Harbour in front of those motels, it seemed a flatter area than Kanaha Beach; not sure if it's actually allowed.
The wave area is Hookipa Park just past the small town of Paia. Worth going to the lookout just to watch the action. We stayed in Paia; one of the few places that wasn't a massive resort area. Pretty cool town, weird mix of hippies & expensive boutiques.
To road to Hana is a beautiful drive - takes all day & winds it's way through rainforest - make sure you stop & check out the waterfalls & the Pools of O'heo (the seven pools - past town of Hana) - as it is these things that make it worthwhile - the actual town of Hana is nothing; it's the journey as they say.
We found the accommodation horrendously expensive. The food is pretty ordinary as well - Americans know how to destroy things with overuse of condiments & the deep fryer!
So I didn't end up kiting. Loved Maui (& Ohau); the snorkelling, water, whales, scenery, etc are breathtaking. But not the greatest place for flat water kiting. Being able to swim/surf/kite without a wetsuit in winter is awesome though, especially coming from Melbourne.
The other things is you definitely need to hire a car. If you want to experience other things then check the other side of the island which is more protected from the trade winds. Front street in the town of Lahaina is worth checking out for the restaurants & art galleries. The snorkeling & diving along that coast is awesome. You see whales breaching everywhere as well.
Maui is best around March/April. Almost as consistent as WA at that time of year. Kite beach is best but it's a crowded scene. Aussie conditions in summer are always better than anything the US or Canada has. Unless you're looking for novelty, don't waste your time with Hood River for a side trip - gusty winds and no kite rental options. It is a beautiful area but it's kiting is overrated (just like any place that started out as a windsurfing destination). If you're in Vancouver, Canada in July, pack a 10m and check out Squamish. Steady, steady 10m winds and very friendly locals. Freezing cold water though. Hood River is closer for me (I'm in Seattle) and I drive to Squamish rather than Hood in summer these days.
Thanks boys, thats good news about there being at least some kite rentals in Maui if the wind is up. Im going to canada to see the family since that's where Im from so not going to kite. My brother has kites and gear when Im home in Manitoba. Squamish might be fun too. I will be looking for some more equipment too, maybe a good place to find som. You wouldnt need a wettie in summer though would you? And has anyone driven Maui from kite beach around the Northern side of the island to the Western side? Ive seen videos on youtube and it looks pretty crazy. We'll be renting a car and want to check out some off the beaten track places if we can. Looked at the road South but think this would be fun too.
Been to Maui
my advice
kite here
tour elsewhere
same goes for many other places
doesn't get much better than here for the sport that we love !
So if all you wan't is decent right handers with cross shore wind (8m wind) where else would you go? Or is Hawaii the spot?
Yeah I think you guys are right. It will be more trouble than it's worth to squeeze a kite in on such a short vacation methinks. Gonna do a kite vacation next year anyway so maybe I'll just save it for then. Coastflyer, do you recommend the road for fun or is it white knuckle scary? If we go off the edge of the cliff I'll probably be dead so insurance doesn't really matter.
I went in March /April years ago and had wind everyday maybe i was lucky, If you get a chance schedule a couple of days to see the island of Kaui as this island was magic, waterfalls running inside rainforst covered volcanos (but no kite hire there)and i think less than a couple of hundred to fly to any of the other islands from Maui and it is much cheaper to organise these fights through your travel agent before you go, it would be ashame to go all the way to maui and not see some of the other islands.
Enjoy and wish i could go back soon but would be alot harder now with kids
I've spent a bit of time in Oahu for work, I kited Kailua Bay fairly regularly. It's nothing special but there is relatively flat water and then some swell works out the back. Spent a week on Maui, it was a fairly chilled crowd and a guy put me up in his place and lent me some gear, i walked to ktie beach from the airport and it was fairly quiet (was nuking though) But that was several years ago.
Along the lines that other people have mentioned, I would kite if I was there anyway, but I wouldn't go there for the sake of kiting. When the wind works the swell doesn't.
That said I'll be in Oahu in July if anyone is keen for a hookup.
To weigh in on the Canada subthread, I would go Squamish over Hood river, and if you're passing through Vancouver, head up to nitinat when it is quiet, that's a freaky place.
Hi Shaun,
Give us a call or send an e-mail. We can get you set up on Maui with whatever you need. We have a kite and windsurf school on the North Shore (Kanaha Beach) and a surf/SUP center in Kihei (South Shore). We can get you set up with kite gear when you get here. Also, check out Maui Kiteboarding Association for kite beaches/local rules, etc. mauikiteboardingassociation.com/
We can arrange for some advanced lessons (freestyle) and/or waveriding. Not sure if we will have waves in September but it is windy usually thru October and we sometimes do get some early North swells coming in. We can also arrange for accommodations. Give us a shout and we hope to see you in September!
Suzie and David
Action Sports Maui
