WEST MAUI - Maui: Including Molokai and Lanai - page 89

Paddlers are required to maintain a 100-yard distance from humpback whales—unless, of
course, they swim over to you
Rental Shops
Almost every hotel along the main strip has activity huts offering paddleboard rentals. At
Trilogy Ocean Sports (808/661-7789) in front of the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel, boards are
$25 for the first hour and $15/hour after that. In front of the Westin Maui on the south
side of Whalers Village, boards are $30 for the first hour and $10 for each additional
hour. The cheapest rate is offered by the Maui Dive and Surf (808/270-9846,
www.mauidiveshop.com ) kiosk just south of Leilani's restaurant in Whalers Village,
where board rentals are $26 for the first hour or $41 for a four-hour rental.
LAHAINA
Unlike Ka'anapali's large, open stretch of sand, Lahaina is ringed by a barrier reef which
can make it shallow and dangerous for paddling. The trained instructors, however, know
all of the pukas (holes) in the reef, and by allowing them to lead the way, you'll be awarded
with sweeping views of the island's West Side. When you are over the Shark Pit, there's a
decent chance you'll encounter an endangered Hawaiian monk seal or a harmless whitetip
reef shark. While the 505 area can be a little difficult to navigate, it has the added benefit of
being protected from the wind and will usually have calm, flat conditions when Ka'anapali
is rough and blustery. If you've rented your own board, the best place in the immediate
area for stand-up paddling is the stretch of shoreline between Puamana and Launiupoko
Beach Parks, where the water isn't nearly as shallow and it's still protected from the after-
noon trade winds.
Rental Shops and Schools
Stand-up paddling lessons are offered in the Lahaina Breakwall area by Royal Hawaiian
(117 Prison St., 808/276-7873, www.royalhawaiiansurfacademy.com , 7am-7pm Mon.-
Fri., 7am-3:30pm weekends), Goofy Foot (505 Front St., 808/244-9283,
www.goofyfootsurfschool.com , 7am-9pm daily, no lessons Sun.), and Maui Wave Riders
(133 Prison St., 808/875-4761, www.mauiwaveriders.com , 7am-9pm daily). Rather than
mingling with all the surf school students, the stand-up paddling tours go the other direc-
tion from the Lahaina Breakwall down to the section of beach known as Shark Pit. Most
lessons start with a 20-minute session on the beach where you learn the basics of balancing
and paddling. The rates for lessons are highly variable, although at the time of research,
Maui Wave Riders offered lessons for $60, Royal Hawaiian for $75, and Goofy Foot for