Author Topic: Maliko Currents  (Read 3793 times)

PonoBill

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Maliko Currents
« on: April 25, 2016, 01:15:47 PM »
At last night's "Conquer Maliko" event someone asked Dave about currents on the Maliko run. For some strange reason Dave fobbed the question off to me. I was busy getting a beer at the time, and my answer was probably complete babble since I was just in the audience, not expecting to have to do anything but listen. It's an interesting question though, and I have paid a little attention to water movement on the reefs. Here's what I think I know, and perhaps some more knowledgeable folks can add to the answer.

The prevailing current is driven by the wind speed and direction, with some tidal influence. If you look at a marine chart of the run, you see that there is a lot of water depth variation, and it's not simple deep to shallow like continental shelves. The entire run is actually over a succession of reefs, no matter how far out you go. the average water depth increases as you go out, but the variation in depth is even greater outside, which is how we get those monster drops. The wind current mostly runs east to west, and it's strongest close to the shallow breaking reefs. But there are some shallow sections with  channels out as much as two miles from the shore. I think these channels accelerate current and help paddlers. When you leave those channels you lose that little boost and the water feels "sticky", as if there were a counter current. But I can't find any evidence that there really is one.

  From a post Larry (La Perouse) did.

Inside the reef the tidal current has more influence. Water pours over the reef as both swell and tide change and then needs somewhere to go. The reef angle (outwards from sprecks to upper) and the wind current from the east means it mostly it empties to the west end of the reef, toward kite beach. For the Olukai race this current might be important since we'll be turning at the end of the Upper Kanaha reef and heading towards shore. Saturday there will be big tide change with low tide around noon and high tide at 9:00PM, so the current should be weak. But whatever current there is will be perpendicular to the line of travel (towards the beach). It's probably a good idea to get in as much of a move to the west as you can before you hit the shallow water where the current should be at it's zippiest.



For any time other than Olukai, the most obvious current is the last few miles before the harbor. A lot of the experienced OC and surfski paddlers arc shorewards after they pass the last breaker over upper Kanaha. I think they are taking advantage of that current, I don't think the wind is necessarily better there. A few SUP paddlers do that too, most notably Livio, who seems to like skimming the breakwall. Works for him, he goes through that area like he had a motor, but it's no country for old men. The potential for getting tagged and ending up being intimate with breakwall pylons is too great. The current seems to turn in towards kite beach past the point of uppers, merges with any tidal current, and then all that water has to get back out along the breakwall. I think that's one of the reason why the harbor entry is so whacky sometimes and you seem to be drifting sideways as much as sliding forward.

So that's what I think I know. Corrections and amplifications welcome. I wish La Perouse had been there so I could have tossed the potato on to him, I know he knows more about it.
« Last Edit: April 25, 2016, 01:43:05 PM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

surfcowboy

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Re: Maliko Currents
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2016, 06:09:07 PM »
This is the stuff that takes forever to learn. Literally years of paying attention and being out in all conditions across a route. Fascinating stuff that just shows how races ( and sometimes just calories) are won and lost.

LaPerouseBay

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Re: Maliko Currents
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2016, 09:14:19 PM »

I wish La Perouse had been there so I could have tossed the potato on to him, I know he knows more about it.


Maliko is far to complex a run for my limited experience.  I say ask this guy:

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PonoBill

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Re: Maliko Currents
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2016, 09:25:48 PM »
Yeah, but he never gives a straight answer. And besides, would you trust that face? Looks like an extra on Miami Vice.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

SuppaTime

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Re: Maliko Currents
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2016, 09:32:13 AM »
I would have liked to have gone to the "Mastering Maliko" talk but did not know about it. Is there a Facebook group or similar thing you follow to hear about events like that on Maui?

Slippahs:
Locals size 13
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None size 13

PonoBill

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Re: Maliko Currents
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2016, 11:37:55 AM »
Coconut Telegraph. Or maybe the Mango Wireless. Actually I saw it on Facebook and heard Susie Cooney talking about it, and then that kid who has been paddling in the harbor--Shantelle something--asked a few of us if we were going. I think that's the definition of Coconut Wireless--or mango.  I actually went to see Jungle Book with Diane and remembered on the way back to the house that the thing was going on. Pretty random.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

digger71

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Re: Maliko Currents
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2016, 01:47:55 PM »
Video of the session is on line for those who are interested.  Some of the same stories but some great info in there!

https://adventuresportsmaui.com/master-maliko-live-feed/

covesurfer

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Re: Maliko Currents
« Reply #7 on: April 26, 2016, 11:15:23 PM »
 http://bit.ly/1SGv82G

This link gets you there too. Suzie Trains Maui has a FB page, if you 'like' it, you will get the posts about Olukai. Likewise, you can 'LIKE' Adventure Sports Maui's FB page and you will get the 411 delivered to your news feed. Suzie, DK, Adventure Sports and others are all pretty involved with Olukai.  Interestingly, Olukai's FB page itself did not have any info on the DK/Suzie evening at AS.

headmount

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Re: Maliko Currents
« Reply #8 on: April 28, 2016, 08:53:46 PM »
Well the four of us saw a significant counter current today.  It definitely helped accentuate that wild stuff the last few miles.  I couldn't read the water for crap.  Total chaos. The board wouldn't track straight long enough to launch into a glide.    I've seen this at low tide before and it was low today when we launched.  Pono's bright idea to go early.   People that went later were stoked.

My head still feels fuzzy.

headmount

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Re: Maliko Currents
« Reply #9 on: April 28, 2016, 08:57:21 PM »

I wish La Perouse had been there so I could have tossed the potato on to him, I know he knows more about it.


Maliko is far to complex a run for my limited experience.  I say ask this guy:


A better picture would have been last night after one margarita.

LaPerouseBay

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Re: Maliko Currents
« Reply #10 on: April 28, 2016, 10:00:42 PM »

A better picture would have been last night after one margarita.


Sorry about that HM.  I think I stole it from your book.  I like that pic because it reminds me of the adventures of your past.

Jeebus, the hotel deal with the war outside?  Wow!   
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covesurfer

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Re: Maliko Currents
« Reply #11 on: April 28, 2016, 10:20:17 PM »
Well the four of us saw a significant counter current today.  It definitely helped accentuate that wild stuff the last few miles.  I couldn't read the water for crap.  Total chaos. The board wouldn't track straight long enough to launch into a glide.    I've seen this at low tide before and it was low today when we launched.  Pono's bright idea to go early.   People that went later were stoked.

My head still feels fuzzy.

Interesting. Now that you mention it, maybe that's why so much stuff was breaking, the reefs, Pier 1, it was crazy out there. I couldn't figure out why there was so much confused water and surf when the swell was relatively small. Low tide.

As a matter of practice and principle, I like blaming Pono as well. That usually is a good and accurate strategy for most things. Last two things: we're gonna miss him a lot when he leaves us next week, and, the currents may have been less than friendly today but the wind was flat out awesome, all the way to the end.

blueplanetsurf

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Re: Maliko Currents
« Reply #12 on: April 29, 2016, 02:51:58 AM »
That was a good talk, thank you!
Robert Stehlik
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