Where to Surf on Maui
Beginner Breaks, Swell Seasons and What Else Is Worth the Drive
Maui’s surf is seasonal and directional. That catches visitors out more than anything else on the island. A beach that is glassy and ankle-high in April can be closing out in December, because the swell arriving at it is generated thousands of miles away and changes hemisphere with the calendar. Learn which coast is working when and the island gets far easier to plan. The difference between a glorious first session and a wasted morning is usually nothing more complicated than having driven to the right side of it. Here is the version we give guests, written by people who teach in it.
Quick Details
- Where lessons run: Guardrails, past Mile Marker 19 south of Lahaina — slow, sloping, close to shore, and the same wave every time.
- Other beginner water: Kaanapali Beach, Baby Beach in Lahaina and Kahului Beach Park on the north shore all run small and gentle.
- Swell timing: South-facing shores peak in summer. North and west shores get their size in winter.
- Best snorkel stops: Black Rock (Puʻu Kekaʻa), Molokini Crater, Honolua Bay, Olowalu Reef.
- Waterfall hikes: Pipiwai Trail to Waimoku Falls in Haleakalā National Park, and Twin Falls off the Road to Hana.
Our Surf Lessons
Private one-on-one surf lessons in West Maui
From
$220
1.5 Hours
All Ages
When you get to Maui, the first thing to do is get some private surf lessons from a local professional! In the bathtub-warm Lahaina waters...
Two-person surf lessons in West Maui
From
$280
1.5 Hours
All Ages
Learning to surf alongside a close friend or significant other in Maui is going to be one of the most memorable things you could do in a lifetime...
3-person group surf lessons in West Maui
From
$360
1.5 Hours
All Ages
These private surf lessons are designed for small groups of three. With just the right amount of people to make this really fun yet personal...
4-17 person group surf lessons in West Maui
From
$400
1.5 Hours
All Ages
It’s time to gather the family for the best activity of the trip: a surf lesson with a professional local surfer! With a big group like this, it’s always a blast to....
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Maui’s Surf Changes Coast by Season
South shores peak in summer. North and west shores peak in winter, which is the single most useful thing to know before you pick a beach on this island.
The mechanism is simple. Winter storms in the South Pacific fire swell at Hawaii’s south shores through the northern summer, arriving roughly once a week, while North Pacific storms do the same to the north and west shores from late autumn onward. For a beginner it matters one way. You want the coast that is not peaking. A small day on the right shore beats a big day anywhere. Check the direction, not the size.
Three Beaches That Suit a First Board
Small beats famous. Gentle and sandy beats both, every time, when you have never stood on a board and have no idea what a wave feels like arriving underneath you.
Kaanapali Beach has a wide sandy stretch, small easy waves and a protective reef, which is why it turns up on every beginner list written about this island and why so many people take their first ride there.
Baby Beach in Lahaina runs small and gentle. About as low-consequence as surf gets.
Kahului Beach Park on the north shore rolls long and slow. All three will let you fail without it costing anything.
Why Our Lessons Run at Guardrails Instead
Lessons happen at Guardrails, a mile south of Lahaina, and the reason is the shape of the wave rather than the beach.
It slopes. That is the whole reason, and it is worth more to a first-timer than any amount of scenery. A sloping wave gives you two or three seconds to get a knee up and then a foot, where a pitching reef wave gives you about one. It also breaks close enough to shore that you walk back out instead of paddling, which roughly doubles how many attempts fit into 1.5 hours. Just after Mile Marker 19. About 500 yards past Puamana Beach Park, on the ocean side of Honoapiʻilani Highway.
Where to Snorkel When the Surf Is Flat
Four spots. All different from one another.
Black Rock (Puʻu Kekaʻa) sits at the north end of Kaanapali Beach — tropical fish, turtles, sometimes octopus, and a reliable sunset afterwards.
Molokini Crater is a crescent-shaped volcanic crater and a marine sanctuary, reached by boat and worth the early start for water clear enough to see the bottom from the surface.
Honolua Bay is a marine preserve. Clear water, heavy coral cover.
Olowalu Reef runs long and shallow, and it is among the best snorkeling anywhere on Maui, which is a fair return for a reef you can reach straight off the highway. Black Rock you can walk to. The other three need a boat or a drive, which changes how you plan the afternoon around them.
H2: Waterfall Hikes Worth the Early Start
Two trails carry most of the waterfall traffic on this island. One sits in Haleakalā National Park; the other is early on the Road to Hana.
The Pipiwai Trail climbs through bamboo forest to Waimoku Falls, a 400-foot drop with rainforest on every side — the National Park Service puts it at a four-mile round trip. Twin Falls, off the Road to Hana, is the shorter option — a pair of cascades that suits a half-day rather than a full one. Both are wet, both are slippery, and both are better before the tour buses. The trailheads fill fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place to learn to surf on Maui?
West Maui, on a small, sloping, close-to-shore wave. Kaanapali Beach and Baby Beach in Lahaina are good beginner water; our lessons run at Guardrails south of Lahaina for the wave shape.
When is the best time of year to surf in Maui?
It depends which coast. South-facing shores peak in summer with swell from southern-hemisphere storms; north and west shores peak in winter. Beginners want the coast that is not peaking.
What are the best beginner surf spots in Maui?
Kaanapali Beach for its wide sand and reef protection, Baby Beach in Lahaina for small gentle waves, and Kahului Beach Park on the north shore for long slow ones.
Where is the best snorkeling in Maui?
Black Rock at Kaanapali, Molokini Crater, Honolua Bay and Olowalu Reef. Black Rock is the only one of the four you can reach on foot from a resort.
Do I need my own board to surf on Maui?
Not for a lesson. Boards, surf shoes and rash guards are included, so a first-time visitor needs nothing but a swimsuit and sunscreen.
Book Your Lesson
Local Pros Maui · 10 Hoohui Rd #110, Lahaina, HI 96761 · www.localprosmaui.net
Lessons meet on the sand at Guardrails, off Highway 30 south of Lahaina. If the guide talked you into it, the lesson itself is booked online.
