Re: Windsurfing on Kauai

From: Francois Jouaux (fjouaux@apple.com-DeleteThis)
Date: Thu Feb 04 1999 - 17:30:27 PST


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To: wind_talk@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis
Subject: Re: Windsurfing on Kauai
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 17:30:27 -0800
From: Francois Jouaux <fjouaux@apple.com-DeleteThis>
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I spent 10 days on Kauai last May and I do not think it compares to
Maui for a simple reason: there is no convenient way to rent gear on
the island. I am already planning a trip for this year and I'll bring
my own.

If you can rent some gear or bring yours, and are adventurous (don't
mind sailing almost alone on unknown reefs) you can have a great
time there. I don't think the wind is as strong on Kauai as on Maui,
but both north and south shores seem to get the tradewinds equally,
and there is no crowd.

The only place where visitors sail is Anini beach on the North
shore, right in front of where we were camping, a dream spot for
beginners. The trade winds pick up to 5.5. The lagoon is post card
like, very friendly and 2 small companies rent and teach. We rented
from a funny man, a Magnum look alike in a beaten down brown Ford
P-U. Rentals are $40 per day for good beginner gear or run-down
advanced. The trade winds picked up to 5.5 everyday, my girlfriend
sailed all week and it was one of the best investment I did !
I sailed there twice but the wind is not that strong in the lagoon
and no easy way out. Nothing exciting.

Further west on the north coast, 2 miles long Hanalei beach is a
must stop for surfing. Pure paradise: the waves are gentle, the views
incredible from your longboard and the locals were friendly, except
for a gang of teenager girls that danced on their long board and kept
cutting my way.

After Hanalei there is the YMCA spot where locals launched on 5.0s.
It is much windier there than in Anini. The north coast outside the
reefs is not a friendly place, and get in trouble and it's your own
cruise to the Napali coast. Local surfers that ride the outer waves
are not afraid of a mile of paddling to get to their spot and back
and they are in super shape.

The East coast has onshore winds. The West cost is unaccessible.

On the South coast about two miles east of Poipu there is a nice
beach where we got sandblasted by 4.5 winds. You go through sugar
cane fields on a dirt road, through a gate and hike above a dune.
There were about 20 sailors in the sideshore winds with 6 ft waves
half a mile out. These guys & gals were impressive. A few masts were
broken and a sail trashed. There was a magazine photographer up on
the dunes. I heard that one guy rents his own gear on the parking lot
but I could not find him that day. The place looked like Waddell,
unorganized break with a lot of current and an unfriendly coast down
wind.

-Francois



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