- Home
- Our Maui Favorites Revealed
Stand Up Paddle Boarding on Maui
Stand up Paddle Boarding on Maui is easy to learn and fun. Be one with the turtles. Tips from a 72 year old first time boarder
Looking to try a new adventure while on Maui? Do you enjoy the water, ocean and a good workout? Then you need to try...
Stand-up Paddleboard, or SUP.
Learning to Paddleboard is a lot like first ridding a bicycle - you may (probably will) fall a few times at first, but once you get the hang of the balance and the "motion of the Ocean" you'll be transversing the Ocean in no time! If you are on a Maui Vacation, then Kihei and Wailea have some great calm waters where you can SUP before breakfast.
(The post that follows is in memory of my dad who passed away 3 years ago. It was first written in 2012, has lots of great info and shows a lot of dad's humor. Other than University of Michigan Stadium, Maui was his favorite place to be.)
Earlier this week, my father took his first adventure on a SUP. Below are the
5 tips he learned, and then a short narrative of his first try!
- The paddle grips have a front and back, if you don't grip them correctly, you'll know it!
- Feet go wide apart and it's important to stand close to the mid point of the board. The good board are "signed" on the sides by the maker, and your feet should be placed anywhere even with the signature.
- It's like learning to ride a bike - easier to balance when moving so once up on the board, put the paddle in and start paddling!
- Don't lean forward to reach for a long stroke - stand upright and paddle with out leaning forward.
- Turning is not easy as it means you sort of stop and that means hard to balance.
Dad said:
"I'll be 72 in 2 months so I figured I'd better learn Paddleboarding now so I can impress the girls at my adult community home.
We started out on beautiful Charlie Young Beach. My (trusting) friends showed me and described how to be a pro Paddleboarder (it's always easy on the beach!). My friends watched (prayed?) as I borrowed their 11 foot board and followed their instructions. The Pacific Ocean was calm with only a slight swell and the water was warm.
My first two attempts ended in face first splashes. My friends were shouting encouragement from the shore. With more instruction I knelt on the board, then got my feet under me, stood up shakily, and looked at the horizon. I got my paddle in the water and began slowly paddling toward Japan.
Though it was peaceful on the ocean, I was not alone. My companion was a giant sea turtle who must have been older than I because he had barnacles on his head! He said girls on the beach were watching me, so I'd better not fall again. I back paddled my board to turn toward the beach and gracefully learned a problem of leaning forward into a back turning board. It was fun and I'll be back.
Maybe I'll return as a Maui Sea god; or a barnacle-headed sea turtle. Either way, I certainly worked up an appetite, and it was back to my South Maui Vacation Rental Condo as breakfast never tasted so good.”
Recent Posts
Browse Categories
Resources
Malama Hawai'i
Prepare for your trip, Understand Hawaii. The most rewarding trip is one that gives back.
Learn how you can "Malama" (Care for) Hawaii.
Every destination has its own set of unwritten rules regarding cultural etiquette.
Hawai'i is no different. MOC joins HTA & HVCB in sharing the do's and don'ts with
visitors for their time in the Hawaiian Islands.