Second Wind board & 2 sails - 7 days $290, 14 days $522, 28 days $783
Maui Windsurf Company board & 2 sails - 7 days $319, 14 days $561, 28 days $890
Kanaha Kai - board & rig - 7 days $290, 14 days $529, 28 days $820
Pritchard Windsurfing
Naish Maui - boards & 2 sails - 7 days $290, 14 days $495, 1 month $795
Hawaiian Watersports - Board & rig - 7 days $279
Obviously this is a pretty competitive market, so the prices don’t differ that much between places. So it’s the details that make the difference, it’s worth checking
- That they have the kit you want to sail.
- How close they are to your accommodation and preferred spots - Kanaha Kai for example is right near Kanaha - so you can change kit easily.
- What your situation is if you damage kit - do they offer insurance, how do they assess replacement value and so on.
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If your serious about your windsurfing then you’ll care a lot about the kit you will have in Maui.
Rentals
For intermediates who plan to improve a lot, I think hiring is an obvious choice - you can change board every day if you like, and work your way down from bigger boards to wave kit if needed. For short stays, with no time to amortize excess baggage costs, and when you want to be on the water almost every day regardless of the conditions, it makes sense as well. You should be able to get 30 days rental (1 board, 2 sails) for about $800 for 30 days, which beats buying kit, and comes close to bringing your own.
Bringing your own kit
If you already have gear you’re comfortable with, and you are staying long enough that excess baggage fees don’t worry you then bringing gear with you is a good option. However it’s worth considering that the reason Maui is so attractive is probably that the conditions are different to home! So your normal gear might not be what you want to sail on Maui - a combination of bringing gear and renting by the day when conditions don’t suit can work well.
Buying in Maui
If you’re happy to buy second hand kit, Maui is paradise. There is a huge supply of gear, from ex-rental gear, local pros, photo shoots and the local sailors. It shoudn’t be hard to turn up with nothing and have a full complement of kit in a day or so. One big advantage is that the second hand gear for sale is going to be matched to the local conditions. There’s also such a glut of gear that there are some great deals available. If you’re staying more than a month it starts to get cheaper than renting, and if you go for a mix of bringing gear and renting even more so. e.g. if you bring some sails and buy a board.
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Airports
Kahului (Code OGG)
Honolulu (Code HNL)
Flights
You can fly direct to Maui from San Fransisco and LA. If you’re coming from the UK, Heathrow to Maui is likely via one of these. Top tip - a return ticket to Maui seems to work out much cheaper than a single ticket. If you’re arriving in Honolulu you’ll need to organise a flight to Maui. Hawaiian airlines have one way flights between Maui and Oahu from $39 at the moment.
I had good luck with Kayak for tickets and flight planning. If you’re bringing kit make sure you check the airline’s policy. Ocean source has a good listing of airlines policies but it’s not always up to date, and of course luck plays a part.
If you’re flying to or from Sydney, JetStar seem to have the best deals especially for one way flights at USD $460. However they’re likely to be more strict on bagage than the non-budget carriers. I’ll post an update once I’ve tried them with kit!
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Welcome to my Maui windsurfing guide blog. I’m spending a lot of time finding various info and tips for my 2009 Maui trip, so I thought I’d get it all together in one place and share. Enjoy!
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