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Oahu vs. Maui

 
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prevett



Joined: 25 Jun 1997
Posts: 65

PostPosted: Sun May 02, 2021 2:17 pm    Post subject: Oahu vs. Maui Reply with quote

My wife and I moved to Maui about six months ago. I windsurf, mostly wavesailing, but also do some surfing and SUP-surfing. So, Maui is great for me. For the wifey, though, Maui is less compelling. Oahu is more interesting for her, with a nice combo of both metro Honolulu with more stuff to do for non-windsurfers and less populated areas as well (East shore, North shore).

We both work remotely, so either island is fine for that.

The big question is: Does Oahu have enough wavesailing?

While Maui North shore is definitely ground-zero for wavesailing, is Oahu good enough? After reading previous discussions on this topic, it does seem like there are some good spots on Oahu. But given the hordes of surfers on Oahu, windsurfing in good breaks doesn't seem to be generally supported there.


Last edited by prevett on Sun May 02, 2021 2:59 pm; edited 1 time in total
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Sun May 02, 2021 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DH, Kahala, backyards are prime wavesailing spots, 1st being side side on, 2nd side off, 3rd side on.
Where 4.5 works for Maui, 5.5 and bigger boards for Oahu.
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ctuna



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

PostPosted: Sun May 02, 2021 6:36 pm    Post subject: Maui is like the Windsurfing Capital of the World Reply with quote

Maui is like the Windsurfing Capital of the World.
Maybe Pozo is the next in line.
Robby Naish made the main island work but
even he eventually moved to Maui.
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Sun May 02, 2021 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Robbie moved to Maui for the exposure and marketing.
He's one of the few sailors who liked 5.3 conditions and surf.
Home base Kailua is not surf sailing, nor is nearby Kaneohe or Lanikai.
He's got plenty of days at 'yards and Revelations, Mokes and Kahuku.
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capetonian



Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 1196
Location: Florida

PostPosted: Mon May 03, 2021 11:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I used to live on Oahu. I left because of the high cost of living. I'd move back in a heartbeat if I could afford it. So much more diversity of conditions than Maui. But yes, bring a bigger board and a bigger sail.
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allen



Joined: 13 Aug 1996
Posts: 237

PostPosted: Thu May 06, 2021 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can you rent equipment anywhere on Oahu?
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jse



Joined: 17 Apr 1995
Posts: 1460
Location: Maui

PostPosted: Tue May 11, 2021 11:56 am    Post subject: Re: Oahu vs. Maui Reply with quote

prevett wrote:
My wife and I moved to Maui about six months ago. I windsurf, mostly wavesailing, but also do some surfing and SUP-surfing. So, Maui is great for me. For the wifey, though, Maui is less compelling. Oahu is more interesting for her, with a nice combo of both metro Honolulu with more stuff to do for non-windsurfers and less populated areas as well (East shore, North shore).

We both work remotely, so either island is fine for that.

The big question is: Does Oahu have enough wavesailing?

While Maui North shore is definitely ground-zero for wavesailing, is Oahu good enough? After reading previous discussions on this topic, it does seem like there are some good spots on Oahu. But given the hordes of surfers on Oahu, windsurfing in good breaks doesn't seem to be generally supported there.


We have lived on Maui for 5 years now. Not sure where you live, but I would only consider Oahu now as a winger. I think the wing opens up a lot more territory for a wave oriented person, in that you need less wind and less wave to enjoy the sport.

You say north and east Oahu is less crowded, however the point is getting there. Traffic can be a bitch on Oahu with 80% of the state's population trying to get somewhere to do the same thing you want to do. As for your wife, it's understandable that she is drawn to Oahu for the items stated, but it's a short inter-island flight away - we do that often - to take in the museums, a few shows, etc... I actually think putting on my tourist hat when we are there makes it more of a pleasure than if we lived there.

OTOH, if I could just nestle down in Kailua or Lanikai and never leave, I might be happy there.

Steve
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Trebor_HI



Joined: 17 Aug 2008
Posts: 26

PostPosted: Sun May 30, 2021 3:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you choose Oahu, might want to take up kiting as it can be done in lighter winds. In its heyday, there would be 50 windsurfers out at Mokes, these days it almost 100% kites.
Since you surf, I think you'll find that Oahu has waaay more to offer than Maui.
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coachg



Joined: 10 Sep 2000
Posts: 3549

PostPosted: Sun May 30, 2021 4:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kiting has been cancelled. Take up wingsurfing. Laughing

Coachg
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capetonian



Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 1196
Location: Florida

PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Trebor_HI wrote:
If you choose Oahu, might want to take up kiting as it can be done in lighter winds. In its heyday, there would be 50 windsurfers out at Mokes, these days it almost 100% kites.
Since you surf, I think you'll find that Oahu has waaay more to offer than Maui.


If you are on the south shore there isn't really anywhere to kite. Toes is too offshore and gusty. Diamond Head I saw a few kite, but not often. Best kiting in waves was on the North Shore. Kailua also saw lots of kiters. Problem is drive from Kailua or south east side of the island to the North Shore was usually 1.5 hours.
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