Windsurfing on Big Island Hawaii?

[Richard Shirey]

Where does an intermediate sailor wind surf on the big island? I assume the
season parallels that of Maui. Who rents gear there?

--
Richard
Huntington Beach, CA

[Mike Colee]

I sailed at a spot called Anaehoomalu bay (commonly known as "A-bay"). It's
the beach used by the outrigger hotel in Wiakola. The place to rent gear is
just to your right after you park and walk onto the beach. The fellow who
runs the rental hut is an Aussie named David. His email is:
dhume...@aol.com I would recommend you first walk over to the windsurfing
hut and talk with David about sailing that day and then if you decide to
Sail you have to walk about 200 yards up the beach to the outrigger rental
shop to pay for the gear, then you walk back to David's hut (it really is a
grass hut :-)) to pick out your gear. The water is fantastically warm (I
sailed in nothing more than swim trunks) but the ocean bottom is littered
with lava rocks so you should wear booties or water socks. The beach however
is sandy and sunny.

Mike Colee

"Richard Shirey" <rlsh...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:9YZq9.160416$U7.44...@twister.socal.rr.com...

[trnsprt]

I had a month of layovers at the Waikoloa Outrigger in Jan 2001.

The rental operation seemed average. The equipment looked older, and kind
of sparse. But I did not talk to the attendant. He may have new gear now.
Never know.

I did not rent because it was not windy. I did talk to a couple of local
windsurfers that were hanging around who seemed to indicate the Big Island
does not blow like Maui. They seemed to indicate that the average sail size
was in the 6's. Could have been pulling my leg. Don't know. The bay is
beautiful and the Big Island definitely has a more rural un-touched feel to
it when driving around than even Maui. I did not get over to the East side
though and I guess that is where Hilo is.

Best of Luck
Tom

[David S.]

It doesn't blow at all like Maui. I spent 2 August months there in the
mid 90's and it is nothing at all like Maui in August. The two
mountain peaks in Maui form an hourglass that accelerates the wind
between the two peaks and that is where the two sailing sites on Maui
are located. The trades can be doing 25 and its blowing 35 at Kihei. I
can also say that Kauai is about the same as The big island.

"trnsprt" <mabr...@gorgenospam.net> wrote in message news:<uqrmfes...@corp.supernews.com>...

[David W]

Richard,

I spent August this summer in Hawaii and went sailing at A-Bay on the
Big Island. David Hume is actually English (you yanks can never tell
our accents apart;o) He moved to Hawaii from Wimbledon 20 years ago.
Some of his more advanced kit is not the most up to date (mainly
pre-widestyle)but it's still perfectly good and he has a range to suit
different abilities. The day I went there, the wind was light to
start with but then it picked up and I had a brilliant time. Just
watch out for the coral and green sea turtles! David was meant to be
doing a tiling job but when the wind picked up he joined me on the
water (He's as impressive as you'd expect for someone who's lived at
the beach for the last 20 years!!). Have a great time on the Big
Island and say hi to David from me.

The volcano was going off when I was there a few weeks ago, so you
could be in for a double treat! It's worth making the trek from the
end of Chain of Craters Road to the lava flow.

David (Ricky Windsurfing club, UK)

"Mike Colee" <mike...@msn.com> wrote in message news:<yL6r9.156388$S32.11...@news2.west.cox.net>...