All Contents of this Page Copyright(2010) of Randolph Kashino

Maui 2000
"Windsurf and SUP Adventure"




March 27, 2010
I arrived yesterday evening via my flights from Victoria then Vancouver. There were light trade winds blowing. First thing, I drove from Kahului Airport to do some food shopping up in Pukalani. Then I drove to my vacation rental in Haiku. At Pu'u Koa, I dug out some of my gear in storage, then had a beer before going to bed. When I woke up this morning there were some clouds and the odd mauka shower and the trade winds were still light. I made some coffee, checked the weather online, Then made some bacon and eggss with pan fried red potatoes for breakfast. After breakfast, I dug out my SUP (Stand Up Paddle Board) and windsurf gear and assembled it into my car. On my drive toward Paia, I stopped at Hookipa to check things out. Waves were small and the wind was not that strong. Offshore I could see a canoe race doing a downwinder. At the point it looked like a small juniors surfing contest was happening. In Kahului, I stopped at Hawaiian Island Surf and Sport to pick up a new leash and some sun block. The wind was still looking a bit light in Kahului so I decided to head over to Ukumehame to see if I could get a SUP session in. It wasn't looking promising as I drove past Maalea Bay. It looked like the wind had just cranked up and it was white capping big time. When I got to Ukumehame, my friend Skip was already there. It was pretty windy occassionally blasting offshore. He said the wind was picking up just as a set was coming in. After hanging around for bit, I decided to head to back over to Kanaha to see if I could get some windsurfing. When I got there things looked pretty nice, however, the waves looked minimal to no existent. I rigged my 5.5 Sailworks on my Quattro 95 and headed out. Perfect conditions for a first sailing session in Maui. The winds were really steady and I my first session was a good hour and a half. I came in and had a break and chatted with some sailor friends that were here from the Gorge. I did another short session which was blasting because the wind had come up to nearly 4.5 (30 knots). I decided that my body had had enough for a first day and had a beer and slowly derigged my gear. For dinner I stopped in Paia and had a Woofer Burger at Charlies. Then headed back to Puu Koa to relax after a perfect first day in Maui.


Kanaha Uppers going off


March 28, 2010
This morning it was only a few clouds and the trades had been blowing right through the night. Made a pot of Hawaii's Lion Kona coffee, then some bacon and eggs for breakfast. After breakfast I loaded the cooler with some beer and then headed out. I drove over to Ukumehame and it was much calmer than yesterday. A little bit of wind was coming from Lahaina way and there was a small but surfable break for a SUP session. I got out right away and had the break to myself. Nice surfable 1 to 1-1/2 footers. Close offshore a couple of Humpback whales were hanging around. After a couple of hours I came in, packed up and then headed over to Kanaha. The wind was blowing steady and I rigged my 4.6 Sailworks on my Quattro 95. Another perfect sail. And...there was some swell coming in at lowers. Caught a couple of nice shoulder high waves. Uppers looked like it was going off mast high, but I thought I'd leave that for another day. I needed to get a few practice runs in on the smaller stuff. After a couple of sessions at lowers I headed way out then did a blast run back into the beach. After derigging I headed into to Kahului to do a bit of grocery shopping then headed to Pinatas for a combination burrito and a cerveza. On the drive back to Haiku, a big full moon was shining brilliantly through the trade wind clouds over mount Haleakala even though it was still daylight.


West Maui Mountains overlooking Ukumehame Beach



March 29, 2010
Windy! It kept me awake all night. The trade winds were blasting. Woke up at 6 o'clock because I couldn't sleep. Did some blog entries and checked out the internet to see what the weather future foresaw. More wind in the forecast. Made some breakfast and then headed up to the Pauwela cannery to the Quattro/Goya shop and talked with Pascal for awhile. Then headied into Kahului to do a bit of shopping. Made it to the beach by 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Rigged my 4.6 Sailworks again on my Quattro 95, but I knew I should have rigged my 4.2. Headed out about 2:30. Yes, it was windy and the I made the 4.6 work. It wasn't too uncomfortable until about 4 o'clock. That's when I decided to come in. Plenty more wind left to sail in Maui this year. Back at Pu'u Koa I pan fried some Mahi Mahi for supper.


Windy Kanaha


March 30, 2010
Nukin ! More wind last night and this morning it seemed to have backed off a bit. However, while making breakfast this morning the local newscast said look for gusts to 50 miles per hour today. Gale warnings were up for all the channels between the islands. Hmm..I think I'll do a bit of board and sail maintenance this morning. Took my time getting going and at the crack of noon I headed for Kahului. Stopped in a Second Wind to see if there was any good deals on sails and masts. I then headed to the Maui Mall and had a chicken katsu plate lunch. Not really Japanese but definitely Hawaiian. I then drove down to Kanaha Beach Park. And the wind was definitely cranking. A lot of sails on the grass and only a few out sailing. I had a beer while talking with some friends from the Gorge. After about an hour I decided to rig my 4.2 Ezzy and put it on my Quattro 95. Heading off the beach it looks like my sail was perfect again. Not overpowered and easy cruising. I blasted out and back cranking some long curved jibes. I headed out past the reef and the wind was actually lighter out there. If you can call 25 knots lighter. I was actually feeling a bit under powered. On the way in the wind cranked up again. I sailed for about another a half hour and came in. On the way home I stopped at Mana Foods in Maui to pick up some groceries for dinner. Back at Pu'u Koa I made up a Pasta sauce to go with some Linguine. Had it with a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo Wine. I kind of got a liking for this wine last summer when I was working In Ladispoli, Italy. While cooking up dinner I watched Hawaii 50 on TV. Yes..they still play the show here. After dinner, I relaxed with a Hana Bay Rum and contemplated whether tomorrow was going to be evern windier. I might have to buy a 3.7 sail!


Lots of Sails on the Grass


Less of Sails on the Water


March 31, 2010
Nuclear Stupid ! Well... it is even windier this morning than yesterday. Wind warnings are still up and the news is showing houses with their roofs ripped off last night. After breakfast I actually got going before 10 o'clock. At Hookipa, it was still closed and nobody was out surfing or windsurfing. In Kahului I went into the Neil Pryde shop to check things out. Hmm...Nice new Cabrina and Jimmy Lewis Stand Up Paddle boards. I'll have to test these out later when its not windy. Headed to Whole Foods and got a nice Turkey Avocado Baguette sandwich made for lunch and then headed to Kanaha. Yep...totally nuclear stupid. This is what the reports at Kahului Airport were today:
Noon NE 36 Gusting to 55 mph, 1pm NE 37 Gusting to 48 mph, 2pm NE 38 Gusting to 54 mph.
Most sailors who decided to go out made one maybe two runs and called it quits.

Nukin winds at Kanaha

Since I did not have a 3.7 I decided to headed over to Wailea and went snorkelling at Makena Landing. A much more calm environment, with some nice health coral and turtles swimming around near shore. I also Heard some Humpback singing while I was underwater. After snorkelling I headed to the Times Market to get some Tako Poke (Octopus marinated in seaweed and other tasty secret ingredients) and a Swordfish steak. The Swordfish was coated in Panko crumbs and the panfried and served with rice and some Kim Chee on the side. A nice bottle of Australian Shiraz wine made the dinner perfect. The wind seems to have died down a bit this evening, so maybe it will be reasonable sailing tomorrow.


Nice snorkeling at Makena Landing


April 1, 2010
The Trades seem to have backed off the tiniest little bit. Some light Mauka showers this morning. Made some eggs and bacon with hash brown potatoes for breakfast. Checked the weather forecast and it was going to continue to be windy. After lounging around Pu'u Koa for the morning I headed to down the road to Kanaha. It was still blowing pretty hard but it wasn't blasting. I rigged my 4.2 Ezzy and down hauled it to maximum. Waves were pretty small when I sailed out past the reef and the 4.2 seemed to be working OK. It was right on the edge of being overpowered, but not too bad because I was able to make all my jibes. After an hour I came in for a break and relaxed with a light beer. On my second session the wind seemed to have backed off even a little bit further or maybe I was just getting used to nuclear winds. The Kahului airport weather station said 24 gusting to 33 knots. Kanaha Beach Park is next to the airport. This session I blasted in to the uppers section of the reef, but there were no real waves happening. Any swell was getting overwhelmed by trade wind waves so it got a little messy when sailing over the reef. Lots of big turtles around. Well this session was a lot of fun and I was able to get a few good jumps. I came in a little before 4 o'clock and really took my time derigging. Had a beer and relaxed while taking the rig apart. Let it dry off a bit before stuffing it in the car. Finally headed back toward Haiku. On the way there were Rainbows over Sprecklesville and Paia.


Sailable at Kanaha


April 2, 2010
Heavy Mauka showers this morning and the trade winds were a lot lighter this morning. For breakfast I made myself a Shitake Mushroom and tomatoe Omlete served with pan fried potatoes. Did a little work on building a paddle and checked the weather. I left about noon and when I arrived at Kanaha the wind looked pretty nice. Wave looked a bit small. I rigged my 4.6 Sailworks on the Quattro 95 and headed out. Nice sailing. The Starboard photo shoot was happening and I could see the helicopter hovering over their sailors Perfect on the 4.6 and I stayed out for an hour and a half for my first session. I took about a half hour break and decide to rig the Hero Cam on the mast. My second session was about as good as the first. Today the wind was reasonable and it was fun, fun, fun. A few jumps, a few wave rides. Said hello to the turtles out here. I could see a full rainbow up wind over Sprecks. I finally came in about 4:30 derigged and went to the shopping centre to pick up a steak. Back at Pu'u Koa I barbequed the steak up and had it with a serving of rice and a tomatoe/avocado side serving. After dinner I watched some hockey on TV. The Canucks defeated the Ducks in a final shoot out. Happy...I made up a Rum.




Water starting and a then a Perfect sailing session


April 3, 2010
The Mauka showers were even heavier than yesterday morning and almost no apparent wind. Made myself eggs with some Black forest bacon and fried tomatoes. Checked the windcam and didn't seem like much was happening yet. On my way to Kanaha I stopped at Hawaiian Island surf shop and picked up a few things then headed to the beach. Not many happy looking sailors coming off the water. The word was very up and down. I had a beer and decided to wait and see if thing settled into a nice wind. I finally rigged my 4.6 Sailworks on my Quattro 95 and headed out when the wind looked good. Looks like I timed it just right. The 4.6 was perfect, although there both some lighter moments and windier moments. Waves were totally flat and I even risked a sail through Weird wave. Lots of turtles out here again. I did one run where I just cruised out and out... enjoying the sailing and had to snap out of it and jibe and sail back in. Sailing in on one of my runs I did a blast run and got a jump off the back side of a wave. After sailing I hung around and chatted with other sailors before heading to Pinata's to grab a Kitchen Sink Burrito with a Cerveza. Back at Pu'u Koa I relaxed and watch the new Ikaika Kalama SUP video. I checked the forecast and tomorrow the swell was supposed to come back and the wind was supposed to stay the same. Hmm... Windsurfing in paradise...




Another Perfect Sail and Another Jibe


April 4, 2010
Only a few clouds this morning and light Mauka showers. Winds seemed a bit light. Made myself bacon and eggs agains with some pan fried rice with Shitake mushrooms. I got on the road about 11 o'clock and stopped at the Hitech shop in Kahului to check out some SUP's. I then headed to Kanaha where it was definitely windy. I rigged the 4.6, thinking maybe I should rig the 4.2 or maybe the 5.5. Kahului Airport winds said East 22 gusting to 44. On my first run out the 4.6 was working OK then it picked up a bit more so I came into the beach and downhauled. The next run was just right and I sailed for a good hour and a half. Caught a real good wave and made a couple of bottom turns at Uppers. It picked up another notch so I decided to sail in. While I was having lunch a dark cloud ascended overhead and it started to rain. That's when I derigged, packed up and headed over to the south shore. It was nukin offshore at Ukumehame and still a lot of wind at Oluwalu. When I got to Launiopoko the wind looked light so I pulled in there. I pulled out the stand up board and went out. Nice and relaxing session and caught a few knee high waves before coming in. Relaxed on the beach for awhile. The wind was still cranking over the West Maui mountains and clouds were making a nice Rainbow. After packing up I started heading back to Haiku, but stopped at MacGregor Point to catch the sunset over Lanai. When I finally got back to Pu'u Koa it was nearly 7:30. I cooked up some Spaghetti and had it with some baked chicken. Had it with a nice California red wine from Paso Robles.


Starting to Rain at Kanaha


Rainbow on the west Maui Mountains


Sunset from MacGregor Point



April 5, 2010
Some light showers this morning which cleared up quickly and the wind seemed stronger. For breakfast got adventurous and panfried some Okinawa with my eggs and bacon. The Yams are interesting, not orange, but a mottled purple and not real sweet like regular yams. After breakfast I headed out to check things out. Hookipa still looked a bit light so I headed into Kahului and checked out the Naish shop. Nice looking 9'6" Hokua board there. I'll have to test it out when the wind gets lighter. I headed down to Kanaha, and there were a lot of scowling faces there. Kind of windy but lots of holes. I almost rigged my 5.5... then my 4.6...hmm looks like it might blasting outside so I finally rigged the 4.2 Ezzy. I rigged with a lighter wind downhaul. Really light on the inside...had to slog to the windline. When I got there it was a blasting run out past the reef. I managed to hang on for about 45 minutes to an hour and then sailed in and downhauled the sail to max. My next session was just a challenging. A slog out to the wind line and then fine sailing out past the reef and then there were some moments of light winds. On the way back I managed to get some waves. On one I got buried by a breaking wave because I caught it just as it turned a white mass of angry water. A little time in the washing machine and I was going again. As one sailor on the beach said..."Very challenging moments out there today" An understatement if I ever heard one. Back in the parking lot as I was derigging there was Chris Caldwell from Ottawa with his son Julien. What the heck was he was doing here? Well...he said I was thinking I should bring my son to Maui sometime... and that time was now! After sailing I headed back to Haiku and up to the small shopping centre and got some extra beer and food. Used up some of the leftover chicken from the other night with some Dolmades I had picked up in Paia. Finished up the night with a rum.


Swimming with Turtles


April 6, 2010
No real showers this morning. I quickly made some bacon and eggs with some Paia blend Anthony's Coffee for breakfast and then it was on the road to Kihei. Met up with Chris and Julien at the Times Market and then we head down the road past Wailea and Makena Landing for some snorkeling at Oneuli Beach. Swimming right off the beach we found a turtle on the sand. Swimming further out I chased a trigger fish for awhile but didn't get a good photo. Tried the same with a cleaner wrass, but it was just to skitterish to get a decent photo. Over by the point, I dove down about 15 feet and another turtle swam by. Got a few good photos of this not too shy turtle. While swimming near the bottom I could hear humback whales singing some offshore. After an hour of this we headed back into the beach, dried off, then headed to Chris and Juliens' place at Maui Sunset. After chatting over a coffee and sandwich it was time to go play again. I headed over to Kanaha Beach Park. The wind looked real light to day, so I rigged my 5.5 Sailworks and sailed out on my Quattro 95. My first run was a planing run on both reaches and then the wind died down another notch. I was able to get planning on the way out but had to slog back to the beach. It was definitely windier inshore. I eventually ended up at the lowers beach and could get upwind so I finally sailed in and swapped my Quattro 95 for my Hawaiian Island Stand Up Board. I rigged the sail on my SUP and went sailing for the rest of the afternoon. I even managed to get the SUP planning a couple of times. At about 4:30 I sailed in and washed up the gear and dried it off while having a beer. Back at Puu Koa I fixed up another plate of leftover chicken with some rice and relaxed after another busy day of playing on Maui.


Oneuli turtles are not shy


April 7, 2010
Calm and no showers this morning. Cooked myself another batch of bacon and eggs with hash brown potatoes for breakfast. After updating my blog I head in towards Kahului. The plumes from the sugar factory stacks were actually blowint the opposite direction to the south. I stopped in at the Naish shop and picked up a 9'6" Hokua SUP to test out today. I drove to Ukumehame and it looked like there was some nice south swell coming in. For my first session I went out on my 10'6" Hawaiian Island SUP and caught a couple of nice shoulder high waves. Caught a few more and then came in and got the Naish board out. On my paddle out it was definitely less stable than the 10'6" but it wasn't too uncomfortable as I got used to the smaller sized board. I was able to catch some more waves and the board worked pretty well. It felt a bit loose in the tail, but that was probably because it was set up with a quad set of fcs fins. After this session I came in and had some lunch, a sandwich and a beer. It was a late lunch, about 2:30 in the afternoon. I then rigged the Hero Cam on my paddle and went out for a little photo session. After this I finished up the afternoon session on my 10'6" Hawaiian board because the waves had dropped down to knee high waves. I finished just after 4 o'clock and drove back into Kahului to drop of the Naish board. Then it was back to Pu'u Koa where I barbequed up a steak and had a bottle of Argentina Malbec wine with it. Then I relaxed with a rum and watch some TV.


Ready to test out the Hokua


Surfing the Hokua on a small wave


April 8, 2010
Clear sky and windy this morning. I cooked up Okinawa Yam, bacon, red onion and egg mix for breakfast. I thinking of calling it the "Colour Purple Madness". After breakfast I worked on the paddle a bit more, sawing up some Koa wood that I had picked up. After hanging around until lunch, I could see the wind had picked up. I headed into Kahului to do a bit of shopping before ending up at Kanaha. I could see the wind was a perfect 4.6, so thats what I rigged. Once out sailing it was a perfect 4.6 and the steadiest wind so far. My first session was my last because I just kept sailing until my body said it was time to get back to the beach. Waves were almost no existent today except for the odd wind swell. Back at the beach I derigged and relaxed a bit while I let the gear dry out a bit. Later, back at Pu'u Koa I cooked up a stir fry and the watch some of the Merri Monarch Festival on TV.


Just in case your wondering why I don't rush to the beach first thing in the morning. It's the Law!


April 9, 2010
It was another fairly clear morning, although there were showers most of night. The wind was blowing lightly and the airport wind said North East 10 knots. For breakfast I had some Oats with blueberry yogurt and Coffee. I worked a bit more on the paddle, laminating parts of what would be the handle together. About 11 o'clock I head out the door. I stopped at Ho'okipa Park and only 2 or 3 sailors were out in what looked like marginal wind. After Ho'okipa I directly to Kanaha where the wind was looking just a light. It started to pick up and I was considering a 4.6, but everyone else seemed to be on 5 plus square meter sails. I kind procrastinated, talked with Dave W. awhile then rigged my 5.5 Sailworks. I waited for a gust and got planing off the beach and the wind kept strong until I was out past the reef and then it got light. I jibed and then slogged back in. That was my sail of the day. Back at the beach I slowly derigged and rigged an beer. After packing up I headed for the Neil Pryde shop to see if I could score a Cabrinha SUP to try out tomorrow AM. I arranged to pick it up in the morning. I then went to the Maui Mall and got a Pork Katsu and Rice meal at the Maui Mixed Plate. On the way back to Pu'u Koa I made a detour up to the Haiku Center to replenish my beer supply. Back at Pu'u Koa I relaxed and watched some more of the Merri Monarch Hula Festival on TV.


Light Wind and Few sailors at Hookipa


April 10, 2010
Nice clear sky this morning but the winds seemed light again. I made some Oats and Toast for breakfast then headed out the door and drove into Kahului to the Niel Pryde shop and picked the 9'6" Cabrinha SUP to test out. I drove over to Ukmumehame where Chris and Julien had been waiting for me to arrive. They went out on surfboards and I went out on my 10'6" Hawaiian Island SUP for a start. Waves were coming in a nice 2 plus feet and the wind had not come up yet.


Only 3 of us out here and its already crowded!


After catching a few waves with the 10'6" in went in and took out the the 9'8" Cabrina and found it a bit tippy at first and it rode a little bit lower in the water than the Hokua, but I quickly found the spot to stand and it then felt pretty good. I paddled out and caught a nice 2 footer and it was nice and lively and very responsive I was able to easily do a couple of bottom turns and cut back. Paddling back out I tried going right through a face and the board punched through the white water with ease. After this session I came in and set up the Hero Cam on the paddle and went out again to get some photos. Wouldn't you know it, just when I want to get some photos the swell dies down and then it starts to get windy. The winds were starting to howl off the West Maui Mountains so it was time to go in. Nice morning Stand Up Paddle Surf session at Ukumehame. For lunch I went back to Pu'u Koa and made myself an Maui Avocado sandwich and had it with a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. After lunch I dropped off the Cabrinha Board at the Niel Pryde store, did some shopping for board shorts, shirt and a hat and got an invite to the "Oxbow on Maui" premier VIP Oxbow Lounge.


Standing on the Cabrinha 9'8" SUP


Surfing the Cabrinha 9'8" SUP


After shopping I drove down to Kanaha Beach Park to see there was any wind happening. It looked much the same as yesterday and was on the verge of rigging when everyone said it was not worth it, so I rigged a Beer.0 instead. I chatted with Ben and Julia for a while discussing the pros and cons of fibreglass polyester versus epoxy surfboards.


Racing Big sails on a light wind day


After Kanaha it was time to go back to the Neil Pryde shop for the Oxbow Lounge event. Lots of people there and geat food and Maui Brewing Company beer provided. I had the Big Swell IPA. Chatted with some of the Niel Pryde staff, mingled with the crowd that included, Laird Hamilton, Levi Sever, Carine Camboulives, Jason Polakow and SUP champion Candice Appleby.


Oxbow Team at the Niel Pryde Maui's Oxbow Lounge.
Oxbow Rep, Candice Appleby, Carine Camboulives, and Laird Hamilton


After the Oxbow Lounge, I headed back to Pu'u Koa and relaxed and watched the last of the Merri Monarch Hula contest on TV. Today was a pretty fun day.

April 11, 2010
Even lighter trade winds this morning. I was slow to get going and made breakfast late. Did some updating on my website and a little more work on my paddle project. By noon there was still not much sign of wind, so I decided to see if surfing was possible. On my way past Paia, I drove down to Secrets Cove and there was a light, maybe 10 knot trade wind blowing. Enough to make surfing here annoying, and not enought for windsurfing. I drove into Kahului, and checked in at the Hawaiian Island shop, to see what their call was. They said Kihei maybe. I decided to head up to Ukumehame. It was annoyingly windy there also, but I got my Stand Up Board of the car, and paddled out to the reef. Kind of choppy but I was able to catch some 2 footers. After a session I went back to the beach and had lunch and a beer. During my lunch break, (it was actually about 3pm) the wind started dying down. My last session was a long one and the wind had died to nothing and the swell was still coming in, but a little smaller, maybe 1-1/2 feet to 2. I finished surfing about 5 o'clock and relaxed for a bit on the beach before packing up and making the drive back to Haiku. For dinner, I panfried a swordfish steak in a Panko coat, had some rice and an Australian Shiraz with it. Watched some hockey (Colorado Avalanche vs L.A. Kings) on TV. Today was a relaxing day in Maui.


Light trades at Secrets


Just enough wind to get the wind mills turning on the West Maui Mountains


April 12, 2010
Heavier than normal rain this morning and no wind. I could tell by the way my coconut tree wasn't swaying in the wind. Made bacon and eggs with pan fried potatoes and some pineapple on the side. After breakfast I did some major work on the paddle project and got the main shaft laminated together with my patent carbon fiber system. By noon the rain seem to have subsided so, I headed down the road. As I drove past Hookipa it looked like the wind was picking up. When I got to Kanaha the wind looked pretty steady, but there was a big dark cloud above. I rigged the 5.5 Sailworks and went for a sail anyway. The wind inshore was pretty steady and it was easy to get going. On the outside of the reef it was really chop. Lots of wind but my knees and board were taking a beating. I stayed out for about an hour and came in when the wind started to get uncomfortably light. After sailing I went to Pinata's and had a Kitchen sink burrito and a cerveza. Back at Pu'u Koa I undid the clamps from my paddle lamination, then made some light dinner and watch Ocean Paddler TV on Channel 16. There is no wind tonight, real quiet, but there's rumor of wind and waves tomorrow.



April 13, 2010
Got up early this morning and the rain was coming down heavy and there was no wind. Made some breakfast of bacon and eggs with Okinawa potatos. After breakfast I drove up to Jimmy Lewis's place to pick up a 9'9" Mano SUP that I had arranged to test out. Drove back to Pu'u Koa and thought I might do some work on the paddle, but the rain just wouldn't stop. So I decided to jump in the car and drive to some place where there was sun. I ended up at Ukumehame where it was dry and sunny. It, however, was a bit too windy to go for a Paddle. So, I decided to work on my paddle project on the beach. Kind of a meditation, carving some would off the wood to make a shaft, on the beach. After a couple of hours the wind died and I got my 10'6"Hawaian Island Stand Up out and went out to see if I could catch a couple of waves. It was still choppy and the wind was all over the place. When I went out it was onshore, then went to side shore. I came in when it went to offshore. Had some lunch and a beer, then the wind started to die down. So, I got the 9'9" Jimmy Lewis SUP out to take for a spin. The board floated my 200 lbs fine, but again, it felt a bit tippy for the first few minutes. The waves were a bit small, maybe 1 feet to 2 feet on a good set. When I caught a wave the board seem to bottom turn just fine and I never felt uncomfortable on it. I did a couple of sessions and by the end the waves were becoming really small so I came in and called it a day. I drove back to Pu'u Koa and got a quick shower and then it was off to the airport to pick up Joe McBride. On the way back we stopped in Paia for dinner at Cafe Mambo. We had a great Garlic Shrimp and Rice dinner with some Big Swell IPA.


Taking the Jimmy Lewis Mano out




Surfing the Jimmy Lewis Mano



April 14, 2010
Again almost no wind this and a very overcast this morning. For breakfast I made bacon and eggs with hash brown (purple) Okinawa potatoes with the last of the Anthony's blend Paia coffee. After breakfast we did some modifications to Joe's bed which needed some additional support. I then worked on my paddle project, gluing the raw blades onto the end of the shaft section. It was 11 o'clock by the time we headed down the road and the first stop was at Ho'okipa park to check out the waves. No wind and the waves were quite messy. It looked like they were coming from the North East, the North and the North West. Nobody was at the point and everbody was at the middle trying to catch whatever came their way. We then drove into Kahului to the Hawaiian Island shop and picked up a paddle for Joe to use. Then it was off to do some shopping and then lunch at the Maui Mall. After lunch, it was a drive up to Ukumehame Beach Park. The tide was high and there was a bit of wind, but there was the occassional nice looking set of 1 to 2 foot waves coming in. Joe went out on my 10'6" Hawaiian Island board and I went out on the 9'9" Jimmy Lewis board. I again felt a bit unstable for the first couple of minutes. Conditions were a bit messy with chop coming from a couple of different directions. I loosened up after a couple of minutes and found the sweet spot on the board to stand. It was about an inch foreward of the carrying handle. If I wanted a little more stability I moved one of my feet a little back from the carrying handle. The waves today were a bit longer period than yesterday and a little smaller, therefore they were not as steep and I had to paddle a bit harder to catch a wave. Once on the wave the board felt great and very controlable. It was very easy to surf backside and bottom turned nicely. It was definitely more responsive than the 10'6 Hawaiian Island board and felt a little more responsive than my 10'8" Jimmy Lewis pintail board that was back home. On a bigger, steeper wave I think this board is going to work nicely. After a couple of sessions, I came in and Joe stayed out for awhile. Offshore there was an Humback well breaching, giving a good show for the whale watching boat. A turtle was foraging only a few feet off the beach. Can't get more tropical than this. After surfing we drove into Kihei and picked up some groceries before heading back to Pu'u Koa. For dinner, I made up some pasta sauce with angel hair spaghetti served with a Shiraz wine. After dinner I did some more work on the paddle while Joe did some blogging on the internet. Checked the weather for tomorrow and it looked it might be a bit windier and hopefully less cloudy.


Joe on a nice SUP wave at Ukumehame


April 15, 2010
A quiet morning. Low wind and almost no rain. The wind picked up to a northerly later. Joe cooked up a breakfast of bacon and eggs with red potatoes seasoned from the rosemary plant we found out in the Pu'u Koa garden. I worked on my paddle project for awhile. Joe worked on is Facebook page. I also worked on my blog from yesterday a bit later in the morning. It was after noon before we got going and stopped to do a bit of shopping for Aloha shirts. Then it was a drive up to Launiupoko Beach park. We had a late lunch at the picnic table while we checked out whether or not we were going to surf there. There as swell coming in, but there was also periods of really gusty wind blowing side off to side onshore. After our lunch and a beer we decided to head back down the coast to see if we could find a less windy spot. We decided to pull into Olowalu Park. It didn't seem as windy and the waves seemed to be breaking quite nicely. Now..this place has a reputation of having sharks around sometimes because a decade or so ago a swimmer had an unfortunate encounter with a Tiger shark. But, that goes for all of the Hawaian islands and considering the hundreds of thousands of people who swim in the oceans here, I thought the probablity as very low of having a problem. In the end we the temptation to Stand Up Paddle surf here was too great, so we got out the boards and went out. The reef here was quite shallow, but it was a higher tide and it was about 2 feet deep. Swell was about 1 to 2 feet and came in sets about every 10 minutes. The water here was also extremely clear. We had a good 2 hour session and Joe stayed out the longest while I decided to take some pictures. Olawalu is one of those idyllic spots that few tourists seem to find on Maui. After SUP surfing we headed back to Pu'u Koa in Haiku. We had some Tako Poke and Kim Chee for pupu's and then I panfried some Swordfish which we had with rice and a nice Pinot Grigio white wine by Barefoot. Then we watched a video tape, that we had set to record, of the Vancouver Canucks defeating the L.A. Kings in the first of the Playoff Games. Go Canucks Go!


Mano means Shark




Stand Up Paddling at Olowalu


Punching out through the waves




April 16, 2010
No rain this morning, but a definite wind. I didn't know if it was a trade wind, but I was hoping. Before a late breakfast I headed up to Jimmy Lewis's place to drop the Mano board off. While there he gave my a 10'4" all rounder to try out. When I returned to Pu'u Koa I worked on my paddle project while Joe cooked another great breakfast of bacon and eggs with panfried red potatoes. Then it was off the Kahului to the Hawaiian Island windsurf shop where Joe got an 84 litre JP freestyle wave board and a couple of Ezzy sails. It was lunch time so we went to Pinata's and I got a couple of Enchilas and Joe got the Kitchen sink Burrito. After lunch we drove to Kanaha Beach Park. The wind was north, directly on shore, so this was going to be an interesting sail. How about sailing straight down the beach and straight up the beach. I stayed out for a few runs then came in. Joe stayed out for a few more runs and did some sailing in the waves. After sailing we did some food shopping up in Pukalani and then drove back down to Haiku through Makawao. For dinner I made up a smoked pork stir fry which we had with another bottle of Pinot Grigio wine. Then watch a Ikaika Kalama Stand Up Paddle Surf video.


Some of the Kanaha Krew


April 17, 2010
Calm this morning and no rain. We decided to to head out early and only had some Oats with Yogurt for breakfast. I made some cheese sandwiches and avocado sandwiches for lunch. After breakfast we went to Ho'okipa to watch the start of the Butterfly Effect event. Waves were pretty big to launh at Ho'okipa so the event got delayed and we heard it got moved to Sprecks. After watching some surfing, we drove over to Ukumehame. Things looked small with the occassional swell coming in. I went out on the 10'4" Jimmy Lewis board and Joe went out on my Hawaiian Island board. Joe took to the right break, I took to the reef (middle) break. The wind was a bit annoying and seemed to pick up offshore just when a decent swell was breaking. By noon the wind was really annoying so I came in and had a beer and some lunch. Joe soon came in and also dug into the lunch. After lunch we headed for Kanaha to do some windsurfing. Wind there was marginal 15 knots. Joe rigged his 5.3 Ezzy Panther 2 and I rigged the Sailworks 5.5. Joe was able to get planing on the way out. I slogged most of the way until I got a bit of wind at the reef. Outside I jibbed and slogged back to the reef and was able to get planing once on a wave. Waves were a decent size today about 8 to 10 feet, but wind was marginal for me. Joe had better success with sailing. I had to do a bit of walking back up the beach, so I didn't end up at Kiter beach. I had a bit of wind on one reach out and jogged my way through the breaking waves and made it out under full sail. I jibed and started slogging in and when the wave got a bit more critical I was able to start planing down the face. Another sailor went right in front of me as I was sliding down the face. I did another of couple of runs out and caught some waves and then decided to come in because the wind wasn't really strong enough for me. Joe sailed for awhile longer while I derigged. Chris and Julien were also at Kanaha and I talked with them while I derigged. We decided to head into Paia for dinner at Cafe Mambo, where to our surprise the Butteryfly Effect apres event dinner was being held. After dinner we headed back to Pu'u Koa and watched some hockey on TV.


Gathering for the Butterfly Effect event at Ho'okipa


Watched some surfing at Ho'okipa


Did some Stand Up Paddle Surfing at Ukumehame


Did some Windsurfing at Kanaha


April 18, 2010
It started off being very calm this morning but then got windier later. I did some sanding work on the paddle project while Joe did some internet surfing and then made us a bacon and eggs breakfast. I chased a chameleon (or Green Anole Lizard, Anolis carolinensis) around the Aloe plant in our garden for awhile trying to get a good photo. We got going by noon drove straight to Kanaha, except for a stop at the Kuau mart for some lunch and beer for the cooler. At the beach winds still looked a bit light so we had lunch. The wind started picking up, so Joe rigged his 5.2 Ezzy and I rigged my 5.8. When I got sailing the wind was just enough to get me planing and after an half hour the wind picked up another notch and it was perfect. Waves were about 3 to 4 feet with the occassional 8 footer. Today was a jumping day and I got a few good launches on the way out. Made my match on one logo high wave that had become critical and got eaten by it. Spent a few minutes in the washing machine before getting up and surfing inside. No damaged gear, so I sailed back out and kept sailing. We finished up around 5 o'clock, derigged and we were heading back to Pu'u Koa when we decided to stop at Hookipa to watch the other windsurfers finishing up their session of the day. Back at Pu'u Koa we had Spaghetti with meat sauce and a California Merlot wine then watched the "Bourne Ultimatum" on TV. Crashed after that. More wind is promised for this week.


Chameleon in the garden


Windsurfing at Kanaha Lowers reef


April 19, 2010
Sunny and windy this morning. I did some work on the handle for my paddle, Joe finally got up and then I made some Oats for breakfast. After breakfast I made some spam musubi for lunch. We headed for the beach about 11:30 and stopped to do some shopping for beer and other necessities. At Kanaha beach it was looking pretty windy. We had some lunch before rigging. Joe rigged his 4.7 went out and soon came back in saying it was too windy. I had rigged my 4.6 and I told Joe to rig my 4.2 while I went sailing. It was perfect 4.6 sailing for me and the wind was really steady. Waves were small maybe 3 feet maximum. Outside there was some bigger wind swell building on the outer reef. Joe and I sailed uppers for the nex couple of hours. I got a couple of pretty good waves, and a few good jumps. I finally came in a little before 4 o'clock and Joe stayed out a bit longer. I decided to call it a day, but Joe wanted more and went out again for another half hour. After sailing we went shopping and back at Pu'u Koa we had some spicy Tako Poke for pupu's and then I barbequed a couple of Swordfish steaks. We had that with some rice and stir fried brocolli and onions served with white wine. After dinner we watched some hockey on TV.


My paddle project in progress


Papaya lunch at Kanaha


Joe at Kanaha


April 20, 2010
Light Mauka showers and the trades are blowing this morning. Looks like another great day for windsurfing. I made some eggs with black forest bacon and hash brown red potatoes for breakfast. After breakfast I worked on improving our mast racking system inside the car. On the way to Kanaha we stopped at Hawaiian Island to exchange Joe's 5.3 for a 4.0. At Kanaha it was looking nuclear. Joe started rigging his 4.0 but needed a shorter mast, so he drove back to the shop, while I rigged my 4.2 Ezzy sail. I had lunch while waiting for Joe to return from the shop. In the meantime the wind was getting even stronger. The airport wind sensor was saying East 22, gusting to 33 knots. When we finally got sailing the first reach out was a bit overpowered for me and the same for Joe, so we had to come in and make some sail adjustments. After some adjustments the sail was just right, but the wind was very gusty which made things challenging. Fortunately waves were small, but good enough to do some jumping on the way out. I came in after an hour or so and had a 15 minute break before heading out again. Outside the reef there was some big wind swell peaking up. Nice smooth 5 to 10 foot rollers. Later in the session, it got a bit choppy some I came in for another break and took some photos. Joe came in and then we went for a final sail of the day. It was still windy, lots of turtles on the surface out on the reef and a few flying fish were cruising over the surface. I lasted about 15 minutes before coming in for the day. Joe stayed out until he was happy to come in. After derigging, we headed over to Kihei to visit with our Victoria freinds, Mark and Karin who were staying on the beach at Hale Kai O Kihei. We sat outside, had some beer and watched the sunset over the West Maui Mountains. For dinner we went to the Stella Blues restaurant. I had the Coconut Shrimp dinner with a Big Swell IPA. Joe had the Seafood Jambalaya. After dinner we drove back to Pu'u Koa and crashed after another perfect day on Maui.


Nuclear Tuesday at Kanaha


Hale Kai O Kihei Krew


Sunset over West Maui




April 21, 2010
Bit more quiet this morning, some Mauka showers and the wind picked up later in the morning. I awoke late, about 8:30 then did some updates to my website. Joe made us some bacon and eggs for breakfast. Before sailing we went to Niel Pryde some shopping. At Kanaha it was looking windy again but gusty. Joe rigged the 4.0 then headed out sailing. Chris did the same. I had lunch and then rigged the 4.2. The first run out was pretty good, but as expected it was gusty. Joe and Chris sailed lower lower Kanaha. I sailed from Weird Wave to Uppers. The gusts and lulls were from 20 knots to 35 knots, so no one had the perfect sail. I was done sailing by a little after three o'clock. I was content to relax at the beach for awhile. Joe came in and had a beer and that was the sailing for the day. Aloha to Chris and Julien who were leaving Maui tonight. We headed back to Haiku, but stopped at Paia to do some shopping. Got a t-shirt and some groceries. Back at Pu'u Koa in Haiku I did some work on my paddle project and then for supper we pan fried some Mahi Mahi and snow peas served it with rice and a California Merlot. Then we watched some hockey and the Canucks defeat the L.A. Kings on TV.


Maui Rainbow on the way back to Haiku


April 22, 2010
Another quiet morning and the trade wind showers had died off when I got up. We decided to go SUP surfing this morning and for breakfast had Oats with Honey Yogurt and Papaya. We headed directly over to Ukumehame where the surf was looking about 1 to 2 feet. The wind was blowing onshore when we went out so our first rides were a bit bumpy for the first session. On the second session the promised south swell started coming in about every 10 minutes. Nice 3 to 4 foot waves started going off. I was on the Jimmy Lewis 10'4" board and it was perfect for the sets that were coming in. Very stable and fast enough to keep ahead of the pealing critical secton of the wave. In summary, a very fun board to surf. On my last session I strapped the Hero Cam on my paddle and had some fun taking pictures while surfing. Joe was keeping to the right break, but came over to the middle break after awhile. We finished up about noon then headed to the Maui Mall to get some lunch, before heading to Kanaha. Winds were looking a bit lighter, so Joe picked up a bigger board and sail at the Hawaiian Island shop. When we got to the beach everyone was saying it was a light 4.5 to 5.0, so I rigged my 5.5 Sailworks and Joe rigged a 5.2 Ezzy. It was about 3:30 when we went out and the wind on my rig ranged from light to way overpowered. On one reach Joe and I were on mountains of swell that were peaking in the 15 to 20 foot range on the outer reef. On the inside reef I got a couple of nice bottom turns on 4 foot faces. The wind seemed to be getting a lot stronger and it was getting hard for me to hang onto the rig, so I headed in and called it a day. After sailing we did a bit of shopping before heading back to Pu'u Koa. We washed the salt off and after awhile headed out for dinner at a new restaurant up in Haiku called "Spice and Rice". Joe had the Burmese Khauk-Swe (cow-sway) noodles and I had the Chicken Curry. Back at Pu'u Koa I soon crashed after a hard day of playing on the water.


Joe catches a nice wave at Ukumehame


Surfing the 10'4" Jimmy Lewis Allrounder


Aloha Friday, April 23, 2010
Beautiful sunny morning in Haiku with only a trace of trade winds. We woke up pretty late... probably needed the rest from yesterdays activities. Relaxed most of the morning...did some updates on the webpage. Joe made an omelet with black forest bacon and pan fried red potatoes for breakfast. On the way to the beach this morning we met up with Mark and Karin. At Kahaha it was looking pretty light so I rigged the 5.5 Sailworks and headed out on the Quatro 95 but it was way too light. I came in and got the Stand Up board and put the sail on that board. That was the right choice I went out jibed and caught my first wave of the day at lowers and then I went out again and caught another. I repeated the same and the next wave I got a bottom turn. Carl from Hawaiian Island was out on his kite and we said hello's in passing waves. Mark and Karin showed up on the beach. Mark went sailing on a 5.5 Ezzy with a JP 101. After sailing we went to Cafe Mambo in Paia. I had the Paella while the Shepards had the fish burgers. We went back to Pu'u Koa and talked for awhile. Afterwards, Joe and I watched the Canucks make a decisive win over the Kings.


The Paddle


Sailing the SUP


April 24, 2010
Clear sunny morning with only a hint of trade winds. The forecast was for very light winds today. I did some work on the paddle project to make it usable. It is getting close to being finished. Funny thing, at home the same project would only take about a week to complete. The pace here in Maui is a bit different. All this windsurfing and paddle surfing that has to get done really interferes with other projects. Joe made us some bacon and tomato sandwiches with papaya for breakfast. I packed away my windsurf gear because I didn't think it was going to get windy enough to use it again this trip. We decided to head over to Kihei to visit our friends Mark and Karin and maybe go for a snorkel trip somewhere. On the way over we stopped at the Hawaiian Island shop and dropped of Joe's windsurf gear. At Mark and Karin's condo at Hale Kai O Kihei we considered the snorkelling over a beer. Instead we had lunch and then went for a Stand Up Paddle session off their place and then we introduced Mark, Karin, Silken and Makena to Stand Up Paddle boarding. Joe went for a snorkel and found a windsurf fin and some sea urchins. After surfing, Mark and Joe went shopping for dinner while I relaxed at Hale Kai. A wedding reception was going on the beach next to Hale Kai. The sunsed over Lanai was awesome. Mark and Joe's shopping ended up in a dinner with barbequed steak and Ono. Mark also pan fried some Opah and Wahoo and made a Shitake mushroom, ginger, Onion and butter sauce. Dinner with a sea breeze and a good Chardonnay wine. Life is hard in Maui...


Sunset over Lanai


Maestro Chef of Hale Kai O Kihei


Aloha Sunday, April 25, 2010
Blue sky and a light trade wind blowing on this last morning on Maui for this trip. When I woke up I did some finishing work on the paddle. Joe put together a breakfast of Honey Yogurt with Papaya and Pineapple. Then we headed off to Ukumehame beach. The clear skies made the reef and bottom around Ukumehame look more brilliant than normal. I headed out on the 10'4" Jimmy Lewis Cruise Control SUP, while Joe took out my 10'8" Hawaiian Island SUP. An annoying onshore wind made things a bit challenging, but the waves on the left break were usable with the occassional 3 footer coming in. After and hour we came in and had a beer and lunch break then headed back out for another session. I split this between the left break and the middle reef break. We surfed until 2 o'clock then packed up and headed back to pack up. We had to stop at Hawaiian Island shop to drop off Joe's paddle and then up to Jimmy Lewis' place to drop off the Cruise Control SUP. Then it was back to Pu'u Koa to pack up the gear. While we did this we watched the Vancouver Canucks defeat the L.A. Kings which put them into the next playoff series. We finished packing at 7 o'clock and headed to the Kahului airport. Aloha to Maui.


Time for one last wave at Ukumehame







Aloha,
Randy




Nani wale ia pu'e one la
I ka nalu he'e mai a'o Kananaka
Kahi a maakou a i he'e ai
I ka 'ehu'ehu o ke kai

so beautiful is that stretch of sand
with the surf of Kananaka
where we also have ridden the waves
there in the spray of the sea

**Traditional Hawaiian mele. For a beautiful rendition of this, listen to a version by Keali'i Reichel (Collection-Two) Kamalei. Punahele Productions. kealiireichel.com
Kananaka is the name of an hawaiian mermaid.
see also: http://www.huapala.org/Kam/Kananaka.html