Anyone taken their foil kites to Maui?

[tkaraszewski]

I'm thinking of bringing Souls to Kanaha. I know that would be a bit of an "unusual" choice for the spot, but I'm OK with unusual. But I've never been there before and I'm wondering if anyone has any useful info on launch sites or anything.

I know this may be equally suited in the travel section, but I'd rather get answers from people who've definitely flown foil kites and have been to Kanaha or other Maui beaches than from people who've spent a lot of time on Maui but don't know much about foil kites.

Thanks!

[grigorib]

Launch is gusty AF. Foils falling down in a lull and popping up like a chute in a following gust doesn’t mix well with submerged reef heads.

[jakemoore]

The beach is narrow so if the wind direction is wrong it could be a pain to launch and land. I had a hyperlink 7 as my biggest kite. I was unlucky with wind and was not enough to ride. It was really better for our trip that way as we had more family adventure. The people I met were cool and had no issue with my silly kites .

[fernmanus]

I have taken my Souls to Kanaha many times. I launch near the Canoe House. Yes, Kanaha can be gusty, so on those days, I launch and get off the beach quickly. The Soul actually does much better than most LEI’s on those difficult launch days.

I take a full quiver 21, 15, 12, 10 in the winter. 12, 10, 8 in the summer. I am headed there again at the end of March. I plan on taking Sonic 18, 13 and Soul 10.

[tkaraszewski]

I have taken my Souls to Kanaha many times. I launch near the Canoe House. Yes, Kanaha can be gusty, so on those days, I launch and get off the beach quickly. The Soul actually does much better than most LEI’s on those difficult launch days.

I take a full quiver 21, 15, 12, 10 in the winter. 12, 10, 8 in the summer. I am headed there again at the end of March. I plan on taking Sonic 18, 13 and Soul 10.

I booked a trip From March 25-April 1, so we might be there at the same time. I will probably bring a Soul 6 and 10 and my hydrofoil. Maybe I'll see you on the beach and you can give me some local tips!

[DukeSilver]

Is Kanaha the beach where most of the BRM Cloud videos are filmed?

[fernmanus]

I booked a trip From March 25-April 1, so we might be there at the same time. I will probably bring a Soul 6 and 10 and my hydrofoil. Maybe I'll see you on the beach and you can give me some local tips!

Awesome! I will be there March 23 - March 31st. I will be easy to spot as you rarely see any foil kites being flown at Kanaha. You want to park at the Kanaha Park by the Canoe House. It is a good place to kite as they have showers. It is also a popular spot for hydrofoilers.

As far as local tips go I have two before you go. 1. If you want to see the sunrise on the top of Haleakala. It is best to do that on your first morning there and you need to get a reservation in advance. Here is a link:
https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/tour/255
2. Mama's Fish House is an expensive restaurant, but the food is very good and it is so popular that if you want to try it, you should get a reservation now.

Aloha!

[tkaraszewski]

I booked a trip From March 25-April 1, so we might be there at the same time. I will probably bring a Soul 6 and 10 and my hydrofoil. Maybe I'll see you on the beach and you can give me some local tips!

Awesome! I will be there March 23 - March 31st. I will be easy to spot as you rarely see any foil kites being flown at Kanaha. You want to park at the Kanaha Park by the Canoe House. It is a good place to kite as they have showers. It is also a popular spot for hydrofoilers.

As far as local tips go I have two before you go. 1. If you want to see the sunrise on the top of Haleakala. It is best to do that on your first morning there and you need to get a reservation in advance. Here is a link:
https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/tour/255
2. Mama's Fish House is an expensive restaurant, but the food is very good and it is so popular that if you want to try it, you should get a reservation now.

Aloha!

Thanks for this! Maybe I’ll send you a message when I’m close to arriving.

[sedluk]

I was there for a month last Nov and only used foil kites. Mostly Soul 6-7-8-9 and it is fine. The launch can be gusty so I find an open spot and get out quickly. Getting out quickly is the norm most days for everyone but it is not that bad most days. I even saw a guy with a foil race kite for a couple week most days, it was a little bigger kite and he did well. I am sure that he was very experienced and he could really get moving. I like a little shorter lines, 15-17m lines would be better in my opinion than 21m lines. Once you get out in the open the wind is more steady and no trouble except the possibility of the wind dropping which can happen every so often.