With a few "free days" at work and a birthday coming up, I thought about ways of spending the time. I considered flying to Bonaire, but late September does not offer favorable windsurfing conditions. I queried ChatGPT and Gemini AI and was advised to consider visiting Maui.
Since the Camp started on Sunday and I wanted to maximize my time on the water, I considered arriving a day earlier, on Saturday, September 19th. I contacted Robby to discuss it further, and he recommended that I arrive on Saturday as well.
When I checked the available flights to Kahului (OGG), Maui, I found that Hawaiian Airlines operates nonstop service from San Jose (SJC) to Kahului (OGG), departing at 07:00 PST and arriving in Maui at 09:23 HST. This would be an ideal flight for me, as I would have time to either sup surf, wing foil, or windsurf on Saturday. I planned to depart Maui the following Sunday, Sep 27th, at noon, landing in San Jose (SJC) at 8:00 pm PST.
Robby explained that I would have to pay an extra $300 for the extra Saturday night stay. However, I could use Camp 1's house to windsurf or wingfoil off the beach. This would greatly simplify logistics, as I wouldn't necessarily have to worry about parking at Kanaha Beach. I could rig the sails and wings and let them stay rigged!
Most windsurfers planned to buy groceries for breakfast and lunch (sandwiches), and go out for dinner in Pai'a in the evening.
Since my Hawaiian Airlines AS953 flight was scheduled to depart at 07:00, I prebooked an UberX for 05:00 (a bit overpriced at $39.95) for the short drive to San Jose Airport (SJC).
I already checked in to the flight (and had prebooked seat 17G) and a vegetarian breakfast (Coconut Overnight Oats).
Upon landing in Maui (OGG) at 09:23 HST, I retrieved the minivan (North Shore Maui Rent A Car) from row C of the Airport's Public Parking lot. The key was inside the vehicle in a lockbox (the code was texted to me prior to my arrival). Robby already picked up and delivered all of the gear, saving me time. I had no need to drive to Swift Sports (140 Hobron Ave, Kahului, HI 96732).
I found the 2019 Black Honda Odyssey but was initially unable to open the lockbox. Eventually, Ian came by and helped to open the lockbox. From the airport, I drove directly to my rental house on the beach, located off Spreckelsville Rd.
Maui Home Rental
582 Stable Rd. Paia HI 96779
Your room is the east-side unit (HOOKIPA) on the right-side door on the ocean side.
Check-in is usually after 3:00, but you could check in at noon.
As I was hungry, I decided to drive to the nearby
Whole Foods and purchase groceries for the week. I purchased the following:
- Heirloom Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Granny Smith Apples
- Organic Eggs
- Skyr
- Blueberries
- Turkey
- Swiss Cheese slices
- Half-and-Half (for coffee)
- Ground Coffee (there is a coffee machine)
- Salmon & Rice premade lunch
I ended up eating the Salmon & Rice first, as I was quite hungry. Adrian checked in as I was finishing up, and I got ready for my first day of windsurfing.
The home at 582 Stable Road is a two-story, two-bedroom duplex (Adrian and I were in the "Hookipa" section). Each bedroom has a bed and air conditioning (and it gets very hot and humid on Maui).
While rigging sails, I felt sweat pouring down my neck. It was 84 degrees Fahrenheit, hot and extremely humid.
I did not expect the wind to be so strong. After going on the 4.5m sail, I was shocked by how overpowered it was. I decided to lend my 4.5m NP Combat Wave sail to Adrian, while I rigged a smaller 4.2m NP Combat Wave.
It took me some time to change sails, as I was unfamiliar with the NeilPryde rigging procedures (which were quite different from Ezzy). Eventually, I managed to rig the 4.2m Combat Wave and sail out.
Although the wind was still crazy gusty, I felt more in control with the smaller 4.2m NP sail and had many excellent sessions. I did have to pay special attention to the underwater reefs, which became visible as the tide receded.
We finished sailing at around 16:30, after taking many breaks to recuperate from the maximum exertion required to handle the gusts.
For dinner, we decided to dine at the
Paia Fish Market in downtown Paia. We parked nearby and waited in a line to order our entrees. I ordered the following:
- Mahi-Mahi charbroiled with French Fries & Coleslaw
- Bottled water with Electrolytes
The Mahi-Mahi wasn't bad at all, but the meal wasn't memorable.
After returning home, I made some hot black English breakfast tea.
I spoke briefly with Inna (who was traveling through Lyon) and then decided to turn in early because I was falling asleep. The time difference and my lack of sleep were affecting me. I went to bed around 21:00, but had difficulty falling asleep due to the noise of jets taking off.
Day 2 - Sunday, Sep 20, 2026
I woke at 06:30, showered, shaved, and ate Skyr with blueberries for breakfast. I also brewed coffee in the Coffee maker (acceptable) and took my medicines.
I decided to stroll along the beach and take a closer look at the area. I encountered a few dog walkers and a few fishermen who had cast their lines into the ocean.
Our plan was to start windsurfing at 12:30, with the whole group at Camp 1 (our Stable Road residence).
I made a large salad for lunch, using one heirloom tomato, half a red pepper, one medium avocado, and a few cucumbers. I also had a few slices of turkey.
When Robby arrived at 12:30, we rigged our sails and started windsurfing. I windsurfed for three hours, with Robby giving me pointers on gybing technique.
Windsurfing Pointers from Robbie
1. When sailing a tri-fin board, like the JP Australia Freestyle Wave Pro
- On a tri-fin board, keep the sail upright and apply minimum pressure on the back foot. Basically, keep the board flat to get it to accelerate.
- On a single-fin board, shift your weight on the back foot
2. On Gybing
- Move the front arm toward the mast and keep the mast upright
- When moving feet out of the straps, don't stomp on the foot — be gentle to avoid upsetting the trim of the board
- In heavy chop, push down on the boom to keep the board planted (and minimize bouncing)
After my session ended, we put the boards away, and I took a shower.
We decided to have dinner at
Milagro's Food Co. (a Mexican restaurant) in downtown Paia at 18:30. We parked nearby in the public Paia parking lot and walked over. Three of us were there first, and we sat down outdoors and ordered a few drinks. I ordered the following items:
- Drinks: Lilikoi Cider
- Main: Paniolo Sandwich (white cheddar cheese, frizzled onions, brioche bun, lettuce, tomato, fries)
The Lilikoi Cider was nice and refreshing, and the Paniolo burger was excellent. However, our waitress was a bit slow with the drinks (took 20 minutes).
Day 3 - Monday, Sep 21, 2026
In the morning, I woke at 06:30, showered, shaved, and dressed. After eating a breakfast of Skyr with blueberries and freshly brewed coffee, I went for a short stroll on the beach. The wind was much lighter than yesterday, foreshadowing a light-wind day to come (though the forecast was much more optimistic).
After the walk, I was still a bit hungry, so I decided to make an omelet with smoked turkey. I had to find the right pan and oil. I managed to make a decent omelet and enjoyed it with a cup of coffee.
After breakfast, we had planned to drive to Robby's house (in Paia) to review the videos he and his associate had taken during Sunday's windsurfing session. Upon arrival, we went inside and met up with all the other sailors. Robby put up a number of videos on the TV, and he provided detailed guidance on what to improve. I had to work on the following items during gybes:
- Clew-first sailing before the rig flip
- Moving my front arm to the mast, prior to flipping the sail
- Being gentle when placing the foot out of the footstrap, to avoid upsetting the board trim
- Keeping the board carving throughout the gybe (always being on the rail)
We returned to our home at 582 Stable Road, and decided to try windsurfing. The wind was quite light, so I decided to use Adrian's 5.0m NP sail while he rigged the 5.5m. I sailed out first and found it difficult to get planing as the wind was rather light. I returned and decided to wait for wing foiling instead. Adrian also sailed out with his NP 5.5m sail but returned early due to lack of wind.
Robby came by at around 14:45 and helped set up the
JP XR Pro 99-liter wing foiling board with a 1250cm NeilPryde front foil and a 4.0m NP wing. I sailed out but had difficulty staying upright and getting the foil flying. I found the board to be quite unstable (compared to my Naish 95-liter and Armstrong 1250 cm Medium-aspect foil).
The NeilPryde 4.0m wing was excellent, with a built-in boom, and it felt similar to my Duotone SLS Slick. However, I had difficulty getting the NeilPryde 1250cm foil flying (Robby had no such issues), and the JP Australia board felt very tipsy (compared to my Naish Hover LE Carbon 95).
After a few more attempts, Robby came to help me and offered the following helpful suggestions.
Robby's Wing Foiling Tips
- Keep the back foot slightly off-center from the center line to counteract the other foot being on the opposite tack (where the front footstraps are usually attached)
- Pump quickly with the wing in very quick, short movements. Once adequate speed has been achieved, pump with the feet to get the board planing early
- During gybes, touch down briefly prior to switching feet (push on the front foot to do so)
I did manage to fly on the Neil Pryde foil (for a short duration), but the wind was very unpredictable, and I was not able to fly the foil consistently.
I practiced foiling until 16:15, when I got tired and called it a day. Robby borrowed the foil and showed all the maneuvers (tacking, gybing), making them look easy.
After the sessions had finished, we cleaned the gear, and I took a shower. I decided to make a quick drive to Whole Foods for a few more groceries.
For dinner, we decided to meet at 18:45 at the
Flatbread Company in Paia. We ordered the following to share:
- Giant Salad to share)
- 3 Pizzas:
- Pepperoni & Mushroom
- Homemade Sausage
- Mopsy's Kalua Pork
- Boris: Cider
The pizzas were not bad, and I especially liked the Homemade Sausage. I didn't try the pork.
In the evening, I brewed some English breakfast tea and munched on a couple of oatmeal raisin cookies from Whole Foods.
I continued reading Bertie Plays the Blues by Alexander McCall Smith on my Kindle Colorsoft and went to sleep at 22:30. However, the jet takeoffs made it a bit challenging to fall asleep.
Day 4 - Tuesday, Sep 22, 2026
Robby & most of the camp were planning to windsurf at Hookipa today, but sailing there is quite challenging and requires advanced skills (which I lack). I decided to skip sailing there and instead sail at Camp 1.
At night, light rain continued into the early morning. I woke at 06:30, showered, shaved, and dressed.
I ate a light breakfast of Skyr with blueberries, raspberries, and granola. Afterward, I strolled around he beach, noticing the strong morning wind (a sign of things to come).
At around 10:45, we drove to Robby's house to look at the videos from the day before. He offered some excellent suggestions on my wing-foiling technique (which I already described earlier).
Adrian was going to head to Ho'okipa for more sailing, while Robby drove me back to 582 Stable Rd., where I would be sailing by myself.
When I returned home, I made a delicious lunch of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and sliced avocado, and also cooked a small omelet with turkey. The lunch was quick and delicious.
I changed into windsurfing clothes and went downstairs to rig up my NeilPryde 4.5 Combat Wave, which I would use with my JP Australia FSW Pro 94-liter board.
After rigging, I sailed out and was stunned by the strong wind. After a few runs, I decided that it was too much and returned my sail to de-rig and re-rig the NP Combat Wave 4.2 (which turned out to be much better for the crazy conditions).
I went out a few times, but it was quite challenging, more like survival sailing. I decided to take a break and noticed that Adrian and Frank had returned from Ho'okipa. The waves there were too large, and they decided not to test their luck.
I offered Adrian my JP Australia FSW Pro 94-liter with NP 4.2 to try, and he ended up sailing most of the day. I took a few turns, but the wind was too much for me, and it was survival sailing most of the time. If I had known it was going to be this windy, I would have asked for a 3.7m sail and an 84-liter board.
For dinner, we decided to meet up at
Cafe Des Amis (a curry restaurant), where I ordered the following:
- Drinks: Bikini Blonde
- Main: Beef Curry with rice and chutney
The beef curry was not too bad (and not overly spicy).
I finished reading Bertie Plays the Blues by Alexander McCall Smith on my Kindle and started looking at new books to read. I had completed the first 7 titles of the Scotland Street series.
- 44 Scotland Street
- Espresso Tales
- Love Over Scotland
- The World According to Bertie
- The Unbearable Lightness of Scones
- The Importance of Being Seven
- Bertie Plays the Blues
- Sunshine on Scotland Street
- Bertie’s Guide to Life and Mothers
- The Revolving Door of Life
- The Bertie Project
- A Time of Love and Tartan
- The Peppermint Tea Chronicles
- A Promise of Ankles
- Love in the Time of Bertie
- The Enigma of Garlic
- The Stellar Debut of Galactica MacFee
- Bertie’s Theory of Ice Cream
- The Prime of Bertie Pollock
Day 5 - Wednesday, Sep 24, 2026
Links:
- Maui Camp with Robby Swift
- Windsurfing Gear
- Wing Foiling Gear
- Restaurants in Paia