Hook up with group for Maliko run ???

[cruzanboard]

Im sure there is a thread somewhere on this, but couldn't find. . . .

Visiting Maui in mid-August and would like to do a Maliko run with a group.
Will rent a board, use the shuttle service, etc. Just don't want to go out solo.
How can I hook up with similar level paddlers to do the run and just keep an eye on each other?

There is a group in Santa Cruz that does DW runs and uses simple group emails or FB to hook up.
Hope there is something similar in Maui.
Thanks in advance.

Bruce W.

[PonoBill]

If you do the shuttle you'll start off with eight or so other paddlers. The only problem is that they will probably all be experienced and will disappear fast. It's tough to stay together on a Maliko run, the swells are big and fast. If you're catching them consistently you're twice as fast as someone who isn't. For someone to stay with you they really have to work at it.

The best bet is to hire one of the guides. Bill Boyum has enormous patience and knows the run better than most. He can get you in if you have trouble or coach you into a successful run. Jeremy Riggs is a great coach who focuses on reading the water and handling your board. either of them is a great choice for a first run.

Maliko is simply a different animal. You find swells a lot bigger and with more speed and power than you may expect. And there are very few places to safely bail from a run that just isn't working for you. Summer is certainly a  more beginner-friendly time, but it's always Maliko. 

[covesurfer]

^^^^^^Excellent advice, either Bill (Headmount) or JR is a fine choice for a guided run.

To get lined up and figure out the landmarks usually takes a few runs. You're going to want to establish where you are going to come in (Sugar Cove, Kanaha, Oil Tanks or the harbor) and have your guide help you find the right things to look for so you can get in where you plan.

Summer is nice because swells are rare and that expands the bail out options if you really feel the need to end it.

I'm a slow learner I guess. It took me around two dozen runs before I finally felt somewhat like I knew what was what on Maliko. I would say it took at least twice that many before I started to feel some real confidence.

Of course, Pono Bill took me on my first Malikos, in the middle of winter with plenty of bump in the ocean. I'm not sure he meant to scare the crap out of me but winter Malikos can do that, even if you're very experienced, which I surely wasn't back when he tried to make me cry. Summer is awesome on a typical tradewind day with no groundswell. You're gonna get hooked.

[PonoBill]

You're not sure I meant to scare the crap out of you? I guess you are a slow learner.

[cruzanboard]

Thanks for the tips. Was hoping going with a group would be enough, but I understand the benefits of using a guide. Don't know how the Davenport and other Santa Cruz runs compare to Maliko, but I have first hand experience in getting my butt kicked on a new DW run. Better to relax and enjoy the glides rather than worrying about things. Thanks again.

[covesurfer]

You're not sure I meant to scare the crap out of you? I guess you are a slow learner.

You know how I'd like to respond to that, but Admin would probably blacklist me for foul language. I know you live for scaring people, not just me, but anybody you can sucker into going out on a 'festive' day, whether it's surfing or downwinding. The weird thing is, I kind of like getting scared out there every so often. It's a lot easier to say that in the summer, when there is no big swell. However, with Iselle coming our way as soon as Thursday, we have a prediction of surf over 18 feet at 21 seconds by Monday. This on the heels of inches of rain.

Cruzan, like PB said, you can just jump on the shuttle and there's usually 6 or 8 paddlers that you could trail. The problem is, everybody is fast and it takes a while before you're dialed in and you are unlikely to keep up, even if you're a pretty decent paddler and downwinder.

Maliko is kind of technical, with some unique conditions in certain areas of the run. Initially, you have to at least know a few landmarks so that you can get on your line, not go in over the reefs and make the end comfortably.

In theory, if you plan to end up at the harbor, you could paddle straight out from the gulch for 8 or 10 minutes, turn left, head for the I'ao Valley notch and stay to the right of the crane when you see it along the harbor jetty from a few miles away. As long as it's a no swell day, chances are you'd be ok. But, the entrance can be hard to spot and if there's north in the wind, you'll get pushed to the inside. It really is better to get some guidance, at least for one run.

I have gotten very used to having my ass handed to me by a lot of folks on the Maliko, and many of them are girls. There are often some of the best paddlers on the planet, just casually smoking down Maliko, almost any time you go out there.

[supgobes]

I was thinking of going to Maui at the end of October or November.  What are Maliko conditions generally like that time of year for someone less experienced at downwinding.

I would be looking to go out with a guide.

[PonoBill]

Lots of fun, but you definitely want a guide then. North swell starts end of October--sometimes even sooner depending on what's happening in the arctic. December through February is prime covesurfer-scaring time. Come to think of it, it's pretty good for scaring me too.