Light Wind Fun

We've been having light winds the last several days on Maui. At times, the ocean has looked like glass, better for wakeboarding than windsurfing. Maui Windsurfing video correspondent, Norm Roediger, writes in and sends this video:

Hey just because the wind has been really light doesn't mean the fun is over! Grab a big board and join the fun at Kanaha! Just watch out for things climbing on to your head in the slow speeds.

Norm

Hookipa in August

Ever wonder what Hookipa is like in August when there aren't waves? Well, there's still some baby waves. Maui local guy, Norm R. shows off his looping abilities in this Maui Windsurfing video.

Not to be outdone by the big boys, Kalani Hunt is working on his flatwater backloops. I don't think he gets around enough in this video to say that he completed it. Props to him for going for it though.

Damn! Missed It!

It just figures. My day was tied up working, running errands and waiting for the cable guy. So of course, Maui gets the first swell we've had in ages. Reports from friends say it was pretty damn good too, occasional logo high sets, wind in the 4.7 to 5.0 range, though a bit offshore. Uppers was apparently pretty crowded as everyone jumped on this rare early season swell. Maybe some leftovers tomorrow...

Here's some more light wind sailing caught by video guy Steve R. featuring a one-handed heli-tack.

Light Wind Again

Light winds have again taken hold here in Maui. Those who like light-air cruising on big sails or light wind freestyle windsurfing are still out getting wet.

Video guy Steve R. caugth some of that light air sailing in this latest Maui windsurfing video.

Steve also wrote in with a report on his days sailing this year:

Through 19 August 2005:

Total days= 231

Windy days= 168 (72.7% of the total)

of the windy days I have had to take 28 days off to rest my wrists, but have missed no days due to injury or back pain, which is very unusual. A windy day is here defined as sailable for me on my biggest gear (75L/4.7), about 16mph.

Still windy this week on Maui. As I mentioned in the last report, there is literally no swell or wave action on the north shore, so it's just free-ride and bump-n-jump windsurfing. I sailed 4.5 on Tuesday briefly, befor the wind really cranked in and then subsequently drastically dropped. Also sailed today mid-day, nice mellow 5.0 - good for freestyle practice and freeriding. Yesterday was similar, maybe a little lighter from what I hear.

In other news, this week we finally saw regular gas exceed the $3/gallon mark on Maui. Most gas stations in Kahului are at $3.01/ gallon now. Factor that in as you reserve your Al West windsurfing van for your vacation. Filling up my van now costs about $100. Ouch.

Not much else happening in the windsurfing world here right now. No waves, so there's not much excitement. Some of the pros are out testing and tweaking their sponsors 2007 gear. Yes, they're actually designing and testing stuff for the 2007 lines right now. Mistral shaper Mark Nelson was working with Nick Baker today on some 2007 Mistral protoypes at Kanaha. Phil McGain is out testing his Maui Sails, along with Kevin Pritchard.

Winds might get a bit flukey the next couple of days. We've got the remnants of former hurricane Fernanda passing south of us which may bring in a bit of rain and instability.

Winds Making a Comeback

Stronger winds started to fill in again today on Maui. Wasn't expecting anything better than 5.8 today, but turned out that 5.0 was well-powered during the early part of the day I was there. Later in the day, it looks like the wind kicked in even more. Still no waves though and by that I mean zilch, nada, nothing. So it's just flatwater cruising windsurfing and a bit of freestyle to spice things up. Kind of like a warm, tropical lake.

Light Winds Continue

More light winds the last couple of days. Winds on the north shore of Maui topping out in the mid- to upper-teens. Still possible to get some windsurfing in though - just gotta have some bigger gear. 6.0 or bigger for guys. 5.0 or bigger for the wahines. Things should start returning to normal tomorrow or Monday.

Hot, Dry and Light

It was a hot and dry day today on Maui, with light wind, tempting only the die-hard and desperate windsurfers out onto the water. Average wind speeds peaked at about 19 today but mid-teens was more common. The water was spectacularly clear and blue, the surf as flat as I've seen it.

Got some more video today from Maui Windsurfing video correspondent Steve Robinson. The first shows young ripper Kalani Hunt ripping it up for a photo shoot last week.

In our second video today, one Maui Windsurfing video correspondent captures another on video as Steve gets some footage of Norm Roediger practicing his flat water backloops at Kanaha.

Rainy, Gusty, Puffy

Take a few days off from windsurfing and it's easy to forget about updating a windsurfing blog. Monday's Maui windsurfing was characterized by gray skies, rain showers and light wind. Yesterday I caught a very brief lunchtime session on 5.0 but it was pretty up and down, and I hear it was even more so later in the day. Today I hear reports that it was really light on the inside and puffy. The atmosphere has been pretty unstable thanks to an upper level low. No doubt that's been contributing to the less than stellar sailing conditions. Things are supposed to start stabilizing though, so we'll likely see some increased winds and perhaps more stable as well.

Just Another Beautiful Day on Maui

Today's windsurfing on the Maui northshore was a beautiful, mellow 5.0 day. Got there early to avoid the early afternoon crowds. Got on the water a little before noon, not too many others out. Sailed up to Uppers and enjoyed some uncrowded small-kine backside riding. The wind was a little shifty and up and down, but the 5.0 was usually big enough to get through the holes, except for some absolutely glassy holes in the break a couple of times.

Lots of folks out for a mellow Sunday sail. Matt Pritchard and his wife made it a family day of sailing and brother Kevin was out on a new Maui Sail with a video cam attached to the foot of his mast. I'm betting he'll be posting some video of today's session on Maui Sails forum.

By about 1:30, Kanaha was getting packed with windsurfers and local picnicers. The water was getting more crowded too. Wind was pretty northerly (onshore), especially as the day wore on. Early on was the time to get it, as clouds rolled in later in the afternoon. All in all though, another beautiful day on Maui.

More High Winds

Thursday and Friday we saw more high wind windsurfing here on Maui. Thursday was more 4.0 for the guys and sub 4.0 for the wahines. Yesterday was 4.5 out of the gate at 11am, then it dropped for awhile, but came back and by late afternoon was up into the 4.0 range again. Wind direction has been a bit more north northeast, which has made the waves a bit more onshore sometimes, although they're really small and mushy. Good ramps for jumping and maybe a turn or two backside up at the Uppers wave garden area, but that's it.

Looking at the satellite there's an ominous swath of clouds just east of the big island moving this way - remnants of a former tropical depression. Looks like that may dampen things up later this weekend.

What's For Lunch?

Today's lunch special featured a tasty portion of sun-seasoned 4.5 on a crisp and snappy RRD CultWave, a serving of backside riding on petite blue Pacific wind waves, finished with side dish of jibe a la duck.

Diners who arrived later in the day found that the special had sold out and had to settle for leftovers from yesterday's 4.0 seafood chowder sprinkled generously with sand and salt spray.

High Winds Return

After some relatively tame wind late last week, the Maui wind machine is back on full-strength, delivering strong winds. Yesterday and today both delivered wind in the upper 20s, accordign to iWindsurf. Sailing this afternoon, I found myself with plenty of power to spare on my 4.0. I could have been out on my 3.5, but it just wasn't worth it. Most guys were on 4.0s. Women were on small 3s. One local woman was overpowered on her 2.9. Thinking about it, The Gorge has the reputation for the high-wind windsurfing destination in the U.S. But, having sailed the Gorge for 8 years, I can honestly say that Maui in the summer delivers a higher frequency of wind in the 4.0 range than the Gorge. Keep that in mind if you're looking for a high-wind windsurfing destination.

And, if you put any stock in what the weather forecasters say, it's supposed to get windier over the next week or so. Our high pressure to the north is supposed to strengthen to 1034 MB and we're supposed to get some small low pressure systems passing south of the islands. So, if many people are talking about the conditions today being "nuts," it ought to be certifiably looney in a few days.