Maui to Molokai

[StillStanding]

Hi ,i have a couple of questions regarding M2M am going to be in Maui with my family and would like to do this Race  .Can I organise a ride back to Maui on the same day with my Board ? If so ,how and who ?If not what are my options ?
Thanks
StillStanding

[greatdane]

http://www.maui2molokai.com/escort-boats/

[StillStanding]

Thanks GreatDane i was looking for a more comprehensive answer ,perhaps from someone with first hand experience with a few details as well ,i appreciate the link 

[covesurfer]

There are two races that include SUP, one in April, put on by Maui Paddling Hui, and another in July that is promoted by Rodney Killborne. I've done the race seven times in the past few years and it's pretty epic. Well worth it but definitely a commitment of time and money.

Your escort boat is pretty key as far as coming back over and also if you have friends or family that want to ride along across the channel (sea sickness is a big consideration). Your boat can provide transportation back to Maui for you and your board (or OC) but you have to arrange all that with your boat captain. Otherwise, you're kind of stuck having to ship your board back on Matson, which can take several days before it gets back to Maui. I've never used Matson so far. You can put a dry bag on your boat with all kinds of stuff that you'll want at the end, including dry clothes, some snacks and drinks. Also, you'll want something that can take a lot of getting splashed if you ride back into the wind and waves to Maui on your escort boat. Whatever you want to do, be sure and work it out in advance with your boat captain.

Some people send their boards back with a boat and fly Mokulele Airlines back. I've done that but prefer the boat ride along with my board or canoe. I don't know about other folk but every time I've done the race, it's cost me around $300 to $350 for the escort and ride back and that is with splitting the boat with at least one to two other paddlers.

You gotta put in the training for the race, it's 27 miles from Maui to the finish at Kaunakakai. Really fast people can do it in 3 hours. But that's smoking fast. Normal, solid paddlers on SUP are likely to be between 4 and 5 hours if conditions are decent. I've had it go flat and hot and also be nuking for most of the run and nuking is a lot more fun. Conditions can really take a toll on you, one race I think I fell at least 40 times. That can get exhausting.  It's really worth coming over before the race and getting a week or so water time in local conditions. They won't necessarily be like the crossing to Molokai but it will help to do some runs.   

[StillStanding]

Thanks Cove that was very informative ,ill be there july 7 through 17 .yes will do the training and hopefully the wind will blow!Thanks again.
SS

[digger71]

Cove - have you stayed over and done the M4M as well?  Seems to be the most fun part of the run if you can spend the extra day.

[covesurfer]

digger, yes, we stayed over in July and did M4M a couple of times. That is really, really fun too as you are paddling on the windiest and most lined up portion of the course, the Kamalo Channel. A group of us that paddle together on Maui all went, split rooms at Hotel Molokai on the night after M2M, and then did M4M. People sometimes describe the Kamalo run as 'Kihei on steroids', incredible glides that can be linked over and over and over. Feels like a constant surf session.

Clare Seeger Mawae (Molokai Outdoors) promotes M4M. When I did it, she had all kinds of perks included, like transportation around Molokai for meals, rides and board transport to the start of M4M and even helping arrange rides for boards and paddlers back to Maui after the race.

This past summer (2016), there was a complication with two M2M races, one promoted by Rodney's Handsome Buggah Productions and the other by Clare's organization on Molokai. Rodney's race was scheduled two weekends prior to M2O and Clare's was one week prior. It was controversial. I did not race either of the July races last year but did do the April race. The conditions for the April races can be pretty wild and wooly but then, so can July. You just never know what you'll end up getting. One year, it was on the light side most of the way, then got great for a few miles after the Kamalo buoy before dying completely. It was a July crossing and the last 6 miles were like paddling through a hot desert on the ocean. Brutal. 

If it looks like the wind could go light, take more hydration than you think you'll need (don't ask me how I found this one out) and avoid the temptation to go too close to Molokai at the end of the race, you'll end up fighting currents at the end and possibly end up on the reef. It happens to a lot of people, even ones that have done the race before.

[Kieranrsup]

The whole "M2M", "Maui2Molokai Challenge" and "M4M" is sounding more confusing than ever last time I checked!!!

The "M2M"(Rodneys race) - the race that has always run 2 weeks out from M2O is on 15th July(Last I heard)

The "Maui2Molokai Challenge"(Claire from Molokais race) - which ran the week before M2O last year has also been advertised as being on the 15th.

The "M4M"(Claire from Molokai again) - is run on the Sunday 16th this year.

Unless things have been sorted between the organisers it appears there is 2 races going from Maui to Molokai on the same day..................................... very confusing.
Very difficult for overseas paddlers to pick which is which. It also puts paddlers in the position of having to choose a side which kinda detracts from the simple down winding pleasure that is that stretch of water.