"Every August and since the first Kite Surf event in August 2000, Martin's company, Kiteboarding School of Maui, has held an event for youth involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Martin wanted to give youth the opportunity to experience something they may never have had the chance to, while maintaining safety."
Rick Ortiz
Program Director-Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui (BBBS)
In this section, we make suggestions on the best time of the year to travel to Maui and find favorable winds (yes, the winds take a break even on Maui). We give you a seasonal take on the weather and some of the island's highlights for those periods; for example, the best time of the year for whale watching, etc. We also make suggestions on other activities you'll want to take in while vacationing on Maui. Visit this page from time to time for updates.
Winter/Spring
November through March is our winter season with cooler and rainier days than the rest of the year. But, don’t be afraid we still have warm days between those showery and cool periods and, in fact, the rains generally occur at night or early in the morning. Tradewinds blow only 40-60% of the days during these 6 months and can change to a southerly flow, forcing kiters to move to the Kihei area where the winds would be more side or side-on-shore and blow from left to right. The water temperature around the island averages 75 °F or 24 °C.
The surf action on the north and west shores can get quite large due to the big winter storms in the north Pacific Ocean, so caution should be taken especially if you venture to the north shore beaches. Kite beach on the north shore offers a variety of conditions to suit different riding levels. The NE tradewinds make Kite Beach a safe venue for beginners because the side onshore winds always bring the novices safely back to shore. Also, the sandy-bottom cove where beginners practice lies inside a protective reef. That reef keeps the ocean surface waters flat, which adds to the ease of learning. A little farther from shore, about 1/2 mile, the waves start to break at the reef, creating a great venue for intermediate and advanced kiteboarders. From November to March, the largest waves break on the outside reef, creating spectacular wave riding for experts.
This is a great time to see the endangered humpback whales playing in the ocean around the island as the young whale calves ‘beef-up’ in preparation for the long swim back home to Alaska. Also, during January and Februrary there is a chance to see snow on top of our 10,023 foot volcano-Haleakala (means house of the sun). So, be prepared if you plan on bicycling down the volcano, it can get quite cold.....board shorts are not recommended for the ride down the hill! Also, to keep our lesson clients progressing in skills, we refer them to our watersports partner in Ka`anapali, Wake Maui, to help them develop important board skills should the winter winds suddenly stop, as they can. And, when the winds pick up, the clients return to us even more prepared to continue their kiteboarding lessons.
April through October (even mid-November) months are kiteboarding heaven on Maui. The tradewinds are back in full force and blow 75-95% of the time on the north shore where the winds are side-on-shore and blow from right to left. Ocean temperature is a comfortable 76-80 °F or 24.4-26.6 °C. The hurricane season begins in June but rarely does a tropical system come close to Maui but when it does we get high humidity, with sticky and showery weather.
Summer is when Maui sees small to medium size waves rolling onto the South facing shores from Lahaina to Wailea. These waves are generated in the Southern Hemisphere down near New Zealand. Beach goers and ocean users should be careful during these periodic high surf events as the shore break can be quite treacherous on the south facing beaches. In late summer and during the month of October, early north Pacific storms generate the first swells on the north shore making for awesome kitesurfing in the waves.
The reliable north east trade winds blow constantly night and day and are stronger in the daytime when accompanied with thermal winds that kick-in early afternoon. Summer/Fall winds are generally topping out at 20-25 mph (17-22 knots) and the air is more dense than most other locations so expect to be on a smaller kite than you're accustomed to. The warm tradewinds continue to blow until 5 or 6 pm and then start to die down again just in time for that happy hour cocktail at one of the many local north shore bars. Alternately, you could visit the city of Lahaina or Kihei and experience night life at it’s best from early evening to early morning…it’s up to you. Even if you're coming to Maui primarily to kiteboard and are staying in Lahaina or Wailea on the leeward side of the island, these areas are less than an hour's drive from Kite Beach on the windward north shore.
Apart from the excellent kitboarding, there are other fun activities to do on Maui in case the wind takes a break or in the event your body needs a break. Excursions range from scuba diving and snorkeling that you can organize on your own from shore or from a boat with a dive company to endless hiking and mountain biking on trails in state and national parks. Other activities to consider are adventurous tandem paragliding, traditional Hawaiian surfing and standup surfing, and, of course, the other wind sport, windsurfing. If you want to take yourself away from the crowds and see more of old Maui, then visit Hana for a day or more and swim in the 7 sacred pools and the accompanying waterfalls. Or, for the ultimate experience, reserve one of the 3 cabins on the Haleakala volcano crater floor for up to 3 days and really explore the area. Haleakala National Park, a must see for the sheer beauty and splendor of this dormant volcano with its lunar-like surface and magical feel, will overwhelm you. To get a really up close view of parts of Maui that aren't accessible by boat or foot, take a Blue Hawaiian Helicopter tour of the island.
If you want to be near the north shore kiteboarding action, Maui Vacation Advisors offers great alternatives to the touristy hotels. If you want to really live it up or have non-kiting friends or family with you, then we definitely recommend the Four Seasons Resort Maui. And, if you are the totally adventurous type and want to camp, then you'll need to contact Maui County Parks & Recreation Department to obtain camping permits. There are camp sites within the Kite Beach area so you could literally wake up and roll right out of your tent and into the ocean with your kite and board.
So pack your bag (you only need to bring jeans, board shorts, sunscreen, and sunglasses-the rest will never be worn), you're coming to Maui for fun, sun, and surf!