Will be on Maui for 10 days in February, looking for a way to paddle outside of basic 2 mile tourist trips. Already on tap to try an outrigger canoe, looking for a kayak club or someone to go w/for at least 1/2 day trip, or even full day trip or two. Not too comfortable w/just renting boat and taking off, since we don’t know the area. Anyone got any helpful information??? Thanks.
Me, Too
I’ll be on Oahu in September and I’m also looking for info on outfitters or clubs in the area or nearby islands.
poo
Me three…in July
I’ll be on Oahu and visit some of the other islands. Twogood kayaks is in Kailua ( http://www.twogoodkayaks.com/ ) and they rent kayaks and surfski’s by the half day or full day. They’ll bring the boat right to the beach for you. I’m looking to rent a surfski and try an OC1 too.
Andy
Maui
If you like to snorkel, definately kayak around the Prince of Maui hotel area all the way to Big Beach on the south of Maui. There is cheap parking at the Prince and the beach they have is clean and a short 200 foot or so paddle to the beginning of Turtle Town and a ton of gorgeous reefs. The water is from a few feet to 30 or so and you should be able to see all the way to the bottom. The paddle time isnt too long and its only a couple of miles to Big Beach from there one way. You will pass by the Red Rock Cliffs (I think thats the name) which have crystal clear water 30 foot deep at thier base where you can dive and feed the fish frozen peas.
On a side note, the Hernandez Ranch has a great horse ride trip if your so inclined. We have gone several times with them and the kids always have a great time and some of the views you see cant be seen any other way.
what part of maui?
when my wife and i were there we ending up meeting some outrigger paddlers from a club in Kihei…they meet at 6am…you are there you paddle with them…kinda cool…(we met them at the humpback whale sanctuary there)…
rob
Maui paddling
I’ve already contacted the Kihei Canoe Club, have them lined up for Tues. & Thurs. while we are on Maui. We’ll be staying at Papakea, which is north of Kaanapali. Still looking for a group or someone to paddle with.
We were on Oahu in March, stayed on Waimanalo Beach (quirky old place, very interesting), which is just south of Kailua. There is another place (besides Twogood)where we rented from in Kailua, I think it was Kailua Kayaks, they give you a boat and one of the little trailers and you walk the boat about a block to the beach (no problem). Just don’t book for a week on-line ahead of time ( little cheaper that way). It was pretty darned windy most of the time we were there (even small craft warnings were out), we were told those didn 't apply to kayaks and that it was okay to go out. We chose not to go out. Were not given a refund, but after we grumbled enough they let us take it out in merchandise.
"Da Mokes"
I just got back from a visit with my wife’s clan on windward Oahu. Spent most of the time in Kailua…and, as always, made several trips out to the “Mokes” off Lanikai beach. Conditions were pretty good for kayak surfing in those clunky plastic SOT units everyone seems to use out there. (I’m not so fond of them, but that’s the customary craft for the locals…)
Some cautions about the Mokes (Mokulea Islands). First, landing on the beach of the larger island is an exercise in luck, timing, and quite often some hilarity for onlookers. The currents converge right at the beach to create some collossally confused waves. I got dumped once…and most people I watched found themselves dragging their capsized boats up to the beach too. Waters nice and warm though. Make sure everything is strapped down and take it all with good humor.
Secondly, the waves off the island can get pretty big…with surprisingly steep faces. It’s a hoot if you catch them right…but be prepared to get pummelled if you hit them at more than a slight angle. (Yeah, I got tossed pretty spectacularly a few times.) I also watched one experienced outrigger guy get his long hull trapped on a steep face only to have it nose down and then rocket upside down several feet above the wave. He was shook up but OK…I wish I had a video of it.
Also, don’t forget to bring snorkeling gear. There are some nice stretches of large coral heads between Lanikai beach and the islands.
Finally…watch it. Things can get pretty dangerous out there in Winter.
Aloha.
K-beth–sounds like fun.
I was in Oahu a week ago and Kailua Beach was calm; I did not rent a kayak, and agree with above poster–when I rented a kayak there in 2005 and dollied that Ocean Scrambler tandem, or whwterver the heck it is, across the street, it was like paddling a plastic barge. My wife got soaked–but other than that, it was not extremely fun. She and I hit Maui in Dec, and need good and descent rental info. Maybe I will try the bhoat club. Outriggers would be fine if we can rent them. Everyone in HI is either on an outrigger, a SOT, or a paddleboard. I think SINKs are not even out there, although I relaly don;t understand why a skilled roller would not enjoy warm waters to roll in. Maybe I am missing something.
Anyone on here considering a folder so that they can bring their own yak–maybe that’s a solution.
Cheaper parking
than at the Maui Prince is at the state park which is on the N. end of the beach in front of MP. The parking lot is directly across from the historic church.
Check South Pacific Kayaks in Kihei for rental of kayaks. They prefer to have you take a tour but will rent kayaks.
Another place to launch is in the same area. Makenna Landing is reached by making a right turn instead of left to the historic church. Go early as the wind can come up after 10 AM.
Yes you are
I had a sink for a few months on Maui last year. (How’s it doing for you Lonborg? 
While it was fun to roll, it didn’t work out as well for me as I had hoped. It is difficult to get in the cockpit and get out through the shore break without getting a cockpit full of water and sand. Landing and exiting the boat before the next wave can be a wet proposition too. Much as I hate to admit it, SOT’s are an advantage in these conditions.
PS: please don’t feed the fish with frozen peas or corn as a writer above suggested. They can’t digest them and it can kill them. (we humans have a similar problem with corn don’t we:) Who wins the corn race at your house?
maui yaking
i kayaked there a few years ago…well we did do a tour…it was great and i thought worth the expereince…we swam with dolphins, big sea turtles, saw whales and did some great snokeling with hundreds of types of fish in a lagoon. i think they were out of weilea(sp?) south shore etc. we yaked east where the road turn to dirt at a bay and went from there. you will have to do a search on the net for maui kayaking. I think you can rent your own…but i doubt you would find the wildlife of the sea…
my 2 cents
Maui Paddling
CoolDoc: Will let you know what we find after we get back, have rented a condo in Papakea on West side of island. Have made contact w/a local paddler who may be able to help us (he takes no more than 4 people out at a time). Send me your e-mail and I will let you know how we do.
It has been a few years
since you were there. The road is paved all the way to LaPeruse now and if you paddle East, you were on land as the water is west of the shore line
It is not hard to find turtles, fish, snorkeling, etc. just go where you see a lot of kayaks and day tour boats
Working fine
I mostly launch it from a beach that doesn’t have much shorebreak, and when I have launched through shorebreak, it’s been on beaches steep enough that I could get settled in with the skirt on and then slide down into the water between waves. It’s fun for messing around in the slop along the reefs and cliffs, skills training that I can’t do in the open boats, etc. I’m not wild about its behavior downwind, but it’s at a huge disadvantage to the ski for that anyway, so I just tell myself that it’s good training.