Secret North Shore Getaway

Surfer's Yoga Hut

Misty Mountains of the North Shore

  Winter is here and that means the surf is up on the famous North Shore of Maui. When I moved here I told myself I would become a better surfer since I have some of the best waves in the world on my new island home. So far I have been amazed at the conditions here. The wind has been almost nonexistent, which never seemed to be the case on Maui. Also the sheer numbers of waves seem to be keeping the crowds down a bit. I do hear that these first few swell can be pretty special since all the winter surfing vacationers and pros are not here yet. But while surfing is definitely at the forefront of winter season, Heidi and I decided to spend a little time just relaxing at a secret getaway on Malaekahana beach.

Malaekahana beach sunrise

North Shore cabin

  Our little beachside cabin turned out to be a 3 bedroom, hang out on the lanai, grill up some brats kind of place. Small waves made the ocean very inviting just out front and the lack of wind made the water look like glass. Away from the lights of Honolulu we could see tons of stars outside and the milky way stretching across the night sky. And it was a perfect jumping off spot for some early morning surf sessions.

Practicing my cutbacks

Grabbing the rail

After discovering a hidden local breakfast place near sunset beach called Ted's bakery we stopped at a favorite wave of mine where I knew Heidi would have a good vantage point for some pictures. The waves looked fun and only two guys were out so I ran down into the water and caught 15 or so waves in a little over an hour. Heidi honed her surf photography skills and it also helped that I rode the waves into very shallow water. I made sure to be up on the wave which gave me a little buffer from the boulders below. On the very inside section the barely submerged rocked would propel the wave up into crazy designs, throwing the lip up and out in a disjointed barrel.

Usually I would have kicked out by now but since I knew Heidi was taking pictures I went for the inside shallow section