Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to keep your feet, and the correct side of the paddle to useāand after the one lesson you
should be solid enough to rent a board on your own.
Of all the schools in Kihei,
Maui Wave Riders
(1975 S. Kihei Rd., 808/875-4761,
www.mauiwaveriders.com
)
offers 90-minute lessons which run $60 if you're part of a
group, and $85 if it's a semiprivate lesson. For $140, you can get a one-on-one session
with an instructor guaranteed to get you up and paddling.
Maui Beach Boys
(808/283-7114,
www.mauibeachboys.com
)
offers slightly longer
classes (two hours) at a slightly higher price ($79).
You can also try out a multisport operator such as
South Pacific Kayaks and Out-
fitters
(808/875-4848,
www.southpacifickayaks.com
)
, which offers two-hour lessons for
$75 as part of a group, $99 semiprivate, or $139 for the private experience.
If you don't feel like being packed in with the rest of the students around The Cove,
you can opt for a multisport operator such as
Blue Soul
(3414 Akala Dr., 808/269-1038,
www.bluesoul.com
)
that will arrange for a custom experience suited to your location and
ability level. Rates with Blue Soul are $80 for a semiprivate lesson, $120 for a private, and
lessons usually last 1.5 hours.
If you want to rent a board and paddle on your own, one of the cheapest options is
Auntie Snorkel
(2439 S. Kihei Rd., 808/879-6263,
www.auntiesnorkel.com
,
8:30am-8pm
daily) in the Rainbow Mall in South Kihei. Boards will only cost you $35 (versus $40/hr
at some high-end resort stands), and since stand-up boards can be a pain to strap to your
car, this location is best if you are staying by Kamaole Beach I or II so that your condo,
the store, and the beach are all within walking distance of each other.
If you're staying in Wailea, there are stand-up operators along Wailea Beach. Situated in
the thick of the action is the
Maui Beach Club
in front of the Grand Wailea, which is an
activities company that provides stand-up paddleboard rentals and guided tours. As you
might expect, however, the rates for a single hour can be steep, and the best deal if you
plan on putting in a lot of beach time is to buy a four-day membership to the beach club
which gets you unlimited paddleboard, kayak, and boogie board rental for $103/person.