I get kind of amused reading comments in Windsurfing Magazine from people tired of seeing photos and articles of “perfect” conditions in Maui. They want photos and articles about “real world” conditions. It’s gotten pervasive enough that some board companies even make boards called “real world” wave boards.
What many people don’t realize about Maui windsurfing is that, although, yes, we do get a lot of beautiful, sunny, warm days with 20 knots and head- to mast-high waves, we also get a fair amount of “real world” days. On Maui, that might mean, gray skies, rainy, squally, drizzly, and wind bouncing around between 10 and 30 and shifting directions. Except for the wetsuit, these days remind me a lot of the typical storm sailing I used to do in Seattle before moving to Maui. It’s gray. It’s gusty. Sometimes you need a 7.0 or bigger, sometimes a 4.0 – all in the space of a few hours.
So. You want real world conditions? We got your real world conditions right here pal!
Yet another day today of gray skies and marginal winds – 4.5ish to start things out, then backing off into the upper teens – 6.0 conditions. Then up again to 5.0 conditions, then down to 6.5, then back to 5.5, until the 4:00 hour when the wind shut down completely. Zip! Nada! Zilch! So, all you whiners writing into the magazines about wanting real world conditions, come on over. You’ll be stoked!
