Intermediate Windsurfer questions

crashpile · Joined: 03 Aug 2010 Posts: 40

Hello Everyone,
I am an intermediate windsurfer in the Gorge, as well as a school teacher. My beginner windsurfer girlfriend, also a school teacher, and our 10 month old daughter and I are thinking about a windsurfing vacation to Maui for the last week of March. I am not in the footstraps yet, but am in the harness and can dependably waterstart. My girlfriend does not have a regular waterstart. We have looked at a few different places to rent gear, take lessons and stay and it is a bit overwhelming. Does anyone have recommendations for windsurfing spots, lesson providers at our level? The internet has a ton of information but doesn't have "local knowledge" and personal recommendations. Thank you to anyone to who responds.

motogon · Joined: 19 Aug 2000 Posts: 376 Location: Philly

May I suggest? Bonaire - warm, flat and shallow. Great for beginners.
Maui is not best place for beginners: you'll be sailing in open ocean, it's big, bumpy, gusty winds, currents ...
I mean it's doable, but not best for you at this stage. From non-windsurfing point of view Maui beats any Caribbean hands down.

katiedog · Joined: 09 Jul 2000 Posts: 117

Last year there was no wind so to speak for almost 3 weeks before I went in March 10th . Turned on the 8th ,I kited 5.5m-9m for ten days North and south side . Kanaha had logo to mast waves 3 days . Check with Matt Pritchard ....about equipment, house rentals ,cars etc. lessons

NOVAAN · Joined: 28 Sep 1994 Posts: 1549

You must consider Bird Island Texas. World Winds has great gear to rent. The end of march and all of April is the windy season. Its warm, shallow flat water and easy.
No kites allowed. Lots of nice windsurfer's to hang with. Cheap condo's to rent in the area. South padre island is even better for all the same reasons except the rental gear is just ok. Expect 80/85 air 70 plus water. Spi has condos to rent on the bay or the ocean side. Night life and good eats. i have been going down there for a long time. If you would like my input, call me at 805 219 0435.....Tony

dmilovich · Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 99

+1 on Novaan's recommendations! You'll learn and advance much quicker than in Maui, given your skill levels at present. (been going to South Texas for 7 years)

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

The one thing good that Maui did for me as a novice (after three years of lots of planing WSing) was FORCE me to quit uphauling and learn to waterstart. It was that or not sail, due to the rough water. Trying to learn from scratch there would have been a miserable and frustrating waste of time.

Corpus Christi/Bird Island trumps Maui hands down in that particular contest, IMO. Everything else, Maui wins, especially if the wind doesn't cooperate.

kazzo · Joined: 07 Jul 2009 Posts: 6

scottwerden · Joined: 11 Jul 1999 Posts: 302

The trade winds die in the winter and typically return late March. A lot of people come to Maui about that time because there is still plenty of big north swell days so the wave sailing gets really good.

Kanaha, on the north shore, has a reef about 1/4 mile off shore. The waves break on the reef. If you are learning you probably want to stay inside the reef. You might want to wear booties - people who are not used to Maui will kick their legs when water starting and invariably hit coral, and coral cuts are nasty and painful. It is hard to get into trouble at Kanaha if you stay inside the reef.

The Kihei side of the island is flat water and better to learn but if the wind clocks off-shore and you cannot waterstart, you can get blown out to sea. The Hawaiian name for the channel on that side of Maui is "road to Tahiti". So if you are learning, don't go out too far. There is a very nice little park in north Kihei at the corner of Ohukai and S. Kihei road. A lot of people launch there.

Long time windsurfing school at Kanaha is HST.
http://hstwindsurfing.com/

coachg · Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3550

Another vote for Corpus Christi/Bird Island over Maui at your level. Being a teacher as well I'm guessing the end of March is your spring break. Bonaire would be great if you had more than a week, but I'm guessing you don't. Bonaire has limited flights out of Houston so you are looking at transfers, layovers and a long trip for just one week. Corpus Christi/Bird Island are not chips shots from Portland either, but far more available than to Bonaire if going for only one week.

Coachg