Stand Up Paddle Happiness

Aloha,

Happiness ...A Day Off, time with friends, ocean, nature..good meals..ahh.
It takes  planning for me to take time off..and it is so worth it when it all works out. Even though we live in one of the most beautiful places on the planet, most of us  work quite a bit to be able to live on Maui.
  Because of my previous love affair with outrigger canoe paddling, and life spent on some sort of surfing device in the waves, I have been wanting to jump into a new sport that fits my life style now .
This new calling is a combination of  paddling and surfing. Stand Up Paddle ( SUP) takes balance, some effort and a willingness to deal with the learning curve.
My dear friends Stacey and Chet who have stayed with me many times throughout the years, had moved down to Wailea after their upcountry hiking days at Hale Ho'okipa Inn.  Stacey and I had talked about Stand Up Paddle for quite some time and this weekend , we made it happen.

Having the right equipment makes all the difference between enjoyment and struggle. I borrowed a board that turned out to be too small.  However, no worries...Wailea Beach has a concession stand with some really sweet and helpful ocean folks called Maui Ocean Activities. The Beach Boys we met were Shaun and Phillip. We were in good hands,  they run a first class activity. You can find them at mauioceanactivities.com
 or 808 357-8989, to arrange your activities.They offer snorkel gear, kayaks, and SUP boards and paddles...What more could anyone want to enjoy a day of ocean fun? Being able to support small locally owned businesses is a great passion of mine. Anyone who reads my blog posts will recognize this.

Contributing to my Happiness Level was one amazing encounter while paddling our way back to shore. We had seen several Honu, turtles, and that is always nice.
However,  when a rare and endangered  Hawaiian Monk graced us with a swim by, my Happiness meter went off the charts...He/She was quite large and just cruised right by us, close and curious. Oh, wow!!!! I managed to stay on the board despite wanting to jump up and down with excitement.

There were some visitors who shared this experience with us and they were a little freaked out. I could not help myself and had to let them know just how blessed they were. I gave them the low down on the rare Monk seal and told them if a seal beaches for a rest, the whole area gets roped off to protect them from being bothered. We are very serious about guarding these magnificent creatures, and I will never forget the sound of that seal breathing as it broke through the water and the curious look in it's eyes.
With Aloha,
Cherie

Sunday in South Maui

Aloha,

Sunday often finds me looking forward to doing something fun, take the day off, do some art, take a hike... I enjoy the end of the weekend.

Today after breakfast I was on a mission to view property in South Maui before my Real Estate showings tomorrow.
The Maui Banyan and the Grand Champions both fit the criteria for my search. One is in South Kiehi right across the street from the beach, the other is in Wailea on the hill just above the beach.
        I remember when this area of South Maui  before it became a vacation spot for so many, and it was dry forest along the coast. I used to camp and surf along this coastline back in the day.  I did not recognize the area when I  moved back to Maui from the Big Island. What was once lava fields had become emerald green golf courses, and it was a bit unsettling.
       I went to one of my favorite little beaches, and had a swim and was able to try Paddle board, and really enjoyed the experience.. I have to say that I do want to get into it a bit more.  Despite the wind and water chop, I was able to stand up and paddle and turn around to come back in on my second try.
      I decided to drive all the way down to La Perouse Bay. The Old Kings Trail was calling Annie and I for walk down the coast. It's a very special area, with ancient Hawiian ruins, and Old Hawaii feel.

It was peaceful and a stunningly beautiful day.
These are the kinds of days that remind me just how blessed I am. I don't really ever forget it, but,  walking in nature really brings it home.
Come to Maui to experience simple and beautiful nature, and kind weather.
  Living in Hawaii is a daily blessing.
I hear my neighbors strumming their ukuleles, laughing, and singing right now, the moon is large, and today was a great day.

With Aloha,
Cherie

Stand Up Paddle

Aloha Folks,

Ku Hoe He'e Nalu...Stand Up Paddle..

A new water sport was born in the early 2000's. Some surfers scoff at it, others really enjoy the freedom of being out on the water, even with no waves. They say, necessity is the mother of invention. Maui's own Laird Hamilton and other big wave riders developed this sport as a means of training when waves were down.

I have yet to try this sport, but there are a couple of things that are apealing to me. This is a surface water sport. From the stand up perspective, the paddler has a great view down into the water.

I also like being able to cruise on calm, no wind, no wave days. I spent alot of years racing outrigger canoes. Having a paddle in my hand is a lovely and familiar feeling.


Last week I was able to jump into a canoe and have a leisure afternoon paddle I was so happy, it had been way too long. I just wanted to paddle off into the sunset. Hawaii has Outrigger Canoe and Paddleboard races interisland.

I have crossed the channel a few times in the Outrigger canoe races. A lot ot training was involved, and it was wild, challenging and alot of fun. There is now a division for the Stand Up Paddle as well in some of these races.

My suggestion for stand up paddlers who are new to the sport, pick calm days and areas that are not crowded to get the hang of it, and maybe stay in those uncrowded areas until you really know what you are doing, and can do it well.. These boards are huge, and nobody wants to be on the receiving end of one.

Above all, have fun and be safe.

Summer is officially over, ahh, it was a nice summer, not too hot, some really gorgeous days.

As the days start shortening, and our thoughts turn inward, may you all enjoy this season of harvest.

Aloha for now,
Cherie