The epicenter for windsurfing on Maui is the short expanse of North Shore beaches that extend from Kanaha Beach near Kahului Airport to Ho’okipa just to the east of the town of Paia. Along this expanse of beaches you will find it all.
Kanaha is a friendly place to learn the sport. The trade winds blow from the north-east almost every day with the exception of the winter months when they are less frequent. Early mornings are still but mid-mornings will generally bring the wind and by afternoon it is often howling gusts. Newcomers to the sport can easily learn when the wind is gentle and it won’t be long before the more forceful winds will be welcomed as you develop your sea legs for the sport. The Kanaha area extends for quite a distance and so there is usually quite a bit of area to practice your skills. Rental gear can easily be found nearby and also there are an abundance of surf school classes that will share the secrets and techniques of windsurfing.
Ho’okipa Beach is another animal altogether. This is not the place for beginners but is the place you will see the professionals honing their skills. This is also the site of many of the contests which bring the windsurfing community together. Aside from the generous trade winds Ho’okipa is also often blessed with big surf and it is not unusual to see surf of twenty feet (it is located just a couple of miles away from the surf spot Jaws which often has the largest surf to be found in the world). The combination of surfing the waves and windsurfing them at the same time is an amazing art that has been mastered by the serious students of the sport.