Maui Brown water

[littleray]

My wife and i are here for a few weeks and wonder,after the heavy rains,should we be avoiding the brown water?
Staying out at S Turns and the brown goes quite a ways out.Waves look not bad right now,am.

[Caribsurf]

sounds like the perfect name for a new Kona beer  "Maui Brown Ale"

[covesurfer]

Whether you paddle out or not is based on your own best judgement.

Nearly everyone will advise that you avoid going out in murky, brown water after a big runoff event. Sharks do get attracted in-shore under those conditions because a lot of crap gets washed into the ocean and they come in to investigate and do what they do, the clean-up crew. It is also said that they may be more likely to snap at you as a case of mistaken identity when the water quality interferes with their vision. I have witnessed multiple sharks swimming in areas where runoff is going directly into the ocean here on Maui after a big rainstorm. I felt safer off-shore 1/2 mile+ than I would have near the beach under those circumstances. Anyway, it isn't BS that sharks come in after big runoff.

You can also get an infection if you have open cuts or get sick. But that can happen even when the water looks clean.

I believe that the risks of going in after a big rain almost certainly increase. I probably shouldn't admit that I've had some great sessions when I went in way too soon after a storm but I have.......good luck!

[PonoBill]

It clears up very quickly. It was brown a couple of miles out yesterday at my house, and it's blue but foamy now. Depends on wind and current, but at generally all you need to give it is just a day.

[supdiscobay]

We surfed S Turns a lot when we were there and on several occasions, multiple surfers saw a 10' Tiger shark that is know to frequent this area.  I got there early one morning with no one out and the water was murky all the way out past the peak.  It was a good size day with close out sets rolling through.  I decided to go down to Rainbows where it the water was clear.  I figure if there are more surfers out, my odds are much better than being a lone wolf.  Then again, I feel much better standing on my board than I would laying down.