Author Topic: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report  (Read 403299 times)

headmount

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The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« on: March 21, 2011, 07:33:46 PM »
Just thought I'd get this started.  Spring is off to a smokin start and this is when many paddlers start focusing on a Maliko run.  If you're visiting Maui and want to coordinate for rides.. check in here.  I often work at Kanaha beach until 12 noon and then I'm bolting home in Paia to get my board for the afternoon launch.  Kanaha is a great 3/4 run destination to work your way up to going all the way to the harbor and if you let me know ahead of time and I don't have boards on my truck, I'll give you a lift.  Kelly's shuttle has been filling up with OC1s so unless you book a day ahead or so the harbor run is up to your own shuttle plans with at least two trucks with racks needed in the process.  Watch out for rocks just under the surface when you launch at Maliko at low tide, share your cell numbers with your partners, pack water, ask questions and look out for each other while you have fun. 
Aloha Bill

PonoBill

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Re: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2011, 08:53:54 PM »
Good plan, and happy Vernal Equinox. I was going to go today, but somehow didn't. Diane offered to shuttle, but after a nice lunch at Haile Maile I didn't feel much like making that effort. Had to go up and see my board, even if Mark won't let me set hands on it until Friday. He doesn't trust me to let it cure.

It's glorious.

I'm going to sell my F18 and the Penetrator. Cheap. Both beat to shit and heavy, but still fine boards. The Penetrator is wicked fast in flatwater and crazy fun in small swells--longest swellrides I've ever had. Sometimes you have to jump off to stop it. Got bent at Spartans but was repaired at SIC. Carbon rails and a glass deck and bottom. If you've got the beans to paddle it you can make it fly. Modified SIC rudder.

My F18 is a planing hull version, rock solid in the big stuff. Many, many Maliko runs. Been repaired a few times. Semi-hollow (hollow carbon fiber core wrapped with foam to make a custom width and glassed. Rode hard and put away wet.

Details in Classified, sooner or later, or just PM me if you're interested.
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.

LaPerouseBay

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Re: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2011, 12:14:40 AM »
HM had an important piece of advice in a previous thread that I'd like to second here.  If you are a first timer, please take a guide.  There are many places to land on a maliko run.  The two most common are upper Kanaha and the harbor.  Upper kanaha is about 7 miles and crosses the reef. I've put small red lines that are a rough estimate (It's been over a year for me) and it can be dangerous.  The white dot on my red line was pitching today.  Please be careful crossing this reef, particularly at low tide. 

The box marked 'Big Trees' is the defining landmark you will see far down the coast from maliko. 

If you are headed to the harbor, a big crane is your landmark.  Again, go with someone.  Fighting an offshore wind to get in or bouncing along the wall is not fun.  A good line will surf you right into the entrance.   

Todays run was a blast.  Direction was ENE, steady 20 gusting to 30.  Good bumps until Spreks, then it was very good bumps.  They seemed very groomed today.

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headmount

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Re: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2011, 10:58:13 AM »
As summer closes in and paddlers are feeling their oats you will hear them mention their times to where ever they're going.  Times go like this.  If you catch 100 glides and I catch 75 you probably come in ahead of me by 750 yds. because from what I've seen a small glide shoots you ahead about 15 yds from someone who hasn't bagged that same glide when you were right next to them.  That's a first down and a great start.  I figure roughly that glides average about 30 yds, the number I times by the 25 glide difference to arrive at 750.  Now of course some paddlers can stay on glide for over a minute by connecting glides so that they become one huge one.  On these glides they can be going over 10 mph in spots but the average  speed (with glides and a few non gliding gaps between glides) is probably closer to 8.5 to 9.5mph as evidenced by the fastest SUP times to the harbor.  OC1s are faster still averaging over 10mph.  At 10mph a paddler travels a mile in 6min.  That's real fast.  My average is around 7.5 mph sometimes  taste higher and many top tier paddlers blow by me.  But that's OK.  I know they're fighting tooth and nail not to miss any glides.  I know I have moments of fatigue where I miss three or four good ones before connecting.  So that's the difference.  Conditioning, time on the water, and most importantly keeping the board pointed correctly to catch the glide.  Remember one glide is worth a 100 strokes. (who knows?  I just made that up like a little haiku to inspire me)  When the good guys blow by, take advantage to check their line and maybe their stroke.  They usually know where they're going.

PonoBill

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Re: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2011, 11:52:41 AM »
Great advice both of you. I've never been here over the summer, but there's a world of difference between winter Maliko and Spring Maliko. I stay way the heck outside all winter and generally come in through the harbor. I never come up short reaching the breakwall for the simple reason that I did it once and REALLY didn't like the result. outside is your friend.

In the spring it's a lot more user friendly. Right now I'm looking at monster whitecaps and there no way I'm missing out today (I did yesterday). But there's no groundswell to speak of, which means if you get a little too close to the reefs you won't suddenly find yourself looking at a 30' plus breaking wave barreling down on you from the side. "Oh Shit" doesn't really cover that experience.

A guide is a near must-have for the first time. Obviously people have done it without, but it isn't wise. Unless your guide is really kind and attentive (perhaps being hired for the occasion) they are unlikely to stay close, but at least they can show you the ropes. The difference between someone that has done the gulch ten times and a newby is pretty extreme--they'll have to wait a lot.

There are more places to come in than the three red lines. I've come in at Sugar Cove. Not too bad a landing spot though it runs you kind of close to the infamous Spartan Reef. There are several paths that bring you behind upper Kanaha. You can see them on the map. They look a lot sketchier in real life than on the photo because it looks like you are headed into a box of reefs and waves. You are, but it's not bad.

Larry's white dot is the infamous unnamed upper, upper, upper kanaha wave. I got to enjoy that underwater for quite a long time once. You do dump out into a channel, but it can take a lot longer to get there than you'd like and your board might be a two piece.
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.

paddledaddy

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Re: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2011, 11:58:05 AM »
Hey Headmount:
Just want to let you know that your advice and offer did not fall on deaf ears among the uninitiated like me. I don't know when I'll be there next but I know I'll be back to Maui and wanting to have a go at a Maliko run. I would really appreciate the help when I do make the effort.
Best,
PaddleDaddy

joeag

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Re: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2011, 09:18:05 PM »

you won't suddenly find yourself looking at a 30' plus breaking wave barreling down on you from the side. "Oh Shit" doesn't really cover that experience.


That's classic  ;D

808sup

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Re: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2011, 10:59:05 PM »
Made my weekend runs. Saturday to kanaha and sunday to the harbor. The wind that made the run to the harbor so fast and fun was killing me once inside. Nearly blew me off the board as I was headed for shore, but I refused to knee it in. Built me some character  ;)

LaPerouseBay

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Re: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2011, 11:09:12 PM »
Good on ya 808.  A stong east inside the harbor entrance is a battle.  Just pretend it's dark, you have 15 hours on the clock - 5 to go - and Laird is in sight.   :) 

Big fun today.  Wind was east and very strong at the beginning of the run.  I did my usual upwind warmup/race avoidance route.  Heading upwind was slow going. Rollers were the biggest, steepest I've seen yet.  Turned around and enjoyed minimal paddling to get on superior glides.  Almost paddling optional conditions.  Relaxed and took big lefts to stay inside, hoping for another ripper across Kanaha.  

As I approached camp one (just before kanaha) the wind let up.  It got glassy as I gazed longingly at my route straight ahead.  Big east swells were still rolling.  Unfortunately, without the wind I could not chance yesterday's route.  The peaks were pitching from right to left.  With a strong tailwind you can go straight across and zig zag across the swell.  20-30 mph wind sets up great chop that oc-1's easily negotiate.  Without the wind I find it too risky.  Foam on a peak is ok if your speed is up.  Without hull speed, an oc-1 can spin and take serious gas.

Crestfallen, I took a right and paddled out to be safe.  The wind picked up and allowed me to surf left again.  Smooth very fast sailing into the harbor.  Super, super fun.

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PonoBill

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Re: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2011, 11:19:15 PM »
Fun run today, not the nukefest I expected from looking at the whitecaps from Ponohouse, but good. The first third I thought I was loosing it. I couldn't gain speed, couldn't stay in swells when I got them, and couldn't turn. A couple of times my board just kept rounding up like a displacement hull in the big waves, and turned completely out of one. I finally noticed that my leash was coming from the side of the board, not the rear. Jumped off and found my coil leash jammed under the edge of the rudder. Curses.

Pulled it loose and suddenly I was on Pegasus. My big goofy F18 is so great in these confused days with lots of wind and big, medium and small swells all going in different directions. First it's stable, so you can hang out and figure out WTF is happening, then you can catch the little guys, transfer nicely to a middle guy, ride that into a big guy and then run back on the tail and just hang on.

Got some big rides today, including one that looked like two stories with a break in the middle. The top swell dropped about fifteen feet, then there was a big flat spot, and then another swell that dropped another ten feet. I went all the way to the bottom on the first drop, then drifted up while I was going right, then turned more or less straight on with a little left and went back to the bottom again. While I was down in the bottom the upper and lower sections aligned and the whole wave fell into the trough. I pulled out just in time.

I felt like Neptune, GOD of wind and wave. I really shouldn't have wine with lunch before a downwinder.

considered an inside line, but the wind looked better outside

« Last Edit: March 22, 2011, 11:45:46 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.

Six Feet and Glassy

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Re: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2011, 11:38:36 PM »
"So far as drinking is concerned, you have my hearty approval; for wine does of a truth moisten the soul and lull our griefs to sleep....[and with small cups] we shall ...be brought by its gentle persuasion to a more sportive mood."
     Xenophon, quoting Socrates
Ken

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headmount

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Re: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2011, 11:52:10 PM »
And as you can see when you combine these open ocean experiences with well read paddlers like the men above, some wine, and my god you've got poetry. 

Very seldom is a run smokin from A to Z.  You grab moments... of acceleration and groove wherever you can on stretches that pump.  When I'm not racing I let up when it lulls so I have power to utilize the bursts when they return and I always save a little in reserve for the unknown like what 808 described inside the harbor.  Two days ago with the cruise ship docked it was a nightmare for me after an epic run.  I missed today and thought it looked like funk and squalls from shore but you guys had good runs.  Just goes to show how you don't know until you're out there.

Kissa

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Re: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2011, 07:35:26 PM »
I am feeling like an old technophobe here but can someone tell me how a adjust the screen such that the words don't run off to the left. There is no horizontal scroll bar?!?! I note that this does not seem to happen with the other Forum Topics - just the Gulch Report. I am coming over in July  ;D so am keen to see what it is all about. Cheers Dave

headmount

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Re: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2011, 10:01:38 PM »
Hey PB did your GPS work today?

PonoBill

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Re: The smokin spring and summer Maliko report
« Reply #14 on: March 23, 2011, 11:07:25 PM »
I am feeling like an old technophobe here but can someone tell me how a adjust the screen such that the words don't run off to the left. There is no horizontal scroll bar?!?! I note that this does not seem to happen with the other Forum Topics - just the Gulch Report. I am coming over in July  ;D so am keen to see what it is all about. Cheers Dave

there should be a scroll bar at the bottom of your browser screen. It's my fault for posting such a big picture. I'd fix it if I could, but the time for modifying a post has passed.

Bill--yeah, the GPS worked but I'd need to edit it a lot to post it. It's kind of screwed up. I did hit 15.8 MPH today, so there's that. Sure was howling today, and it was cookin' in the bay behind my house at 5:30.

We wuz flying.
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.

 


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