The last two days of the month brought some very large surf to the North Shore of Maui. The swell started to rise significantly late in the morning of the 30th and continued to build throughout the day to heights well in excess of the 25 feet necessary for a high surf warning. This big surf meant Maui’s world famous big wave break came to life. I had the opportunity to head out to Haiku to watch the action at Jaws both on the late afternoon of the 30th and the morning of the 31st.

Each day had its own distinct personality. The afternoon of the 30th was a building swell with particularly big and hollow barrels. I arrived just as the wind was dying and was able to see the very tail end of the windsurfing action. The windsurfers were interspersed with a handful of tow surfers (surfers being pulled into the waves by Jet Skis). After the windsurfers packed up, it was just the tow surfers left in the lineup. I was able to watch Maui Real Estate Team Agent Martin Lenny’s son Kai catch a couple on his windsurfer before towing into a few nice waves. The beautiful late afternoon light was a striking contrast with the menacing looking surf. Here is a quick video showing some of the waves from Monday afternoon.

The surf peaked in size overnight and then started to come down on the morning on the 31st. While the surf was smaller, it was still substantial by the standards of mortal surfers. The composition of the wave riders had also changed. With lighter winds, the line up was dominated by surfers paddling into the waves with their own two hands. There was also one tow team surfing the left and legendary waterman Robbie Naish was out on a stand up paddle board. Here is some video I captured from yesterday morning.

I always enjoy the opportunity to head down the bumpy, old, dirt roads that lead you to the cliffs above Jaws. This wave is a sensory experience and a true spectacle of nature. While I can’t bring you the full sounds of the roaring surf or the smell of the salty mist generated by the waves, I hope these videos give you at least a taste of the visual feast that Jaws offers.

Yesterday, I posted some pictures and video of the big paddle in session at Jaws on January 4th. Last night, I had the opportunity to sort through all of the video I shot from up on the cliffs. Here is a compilation of my best footage. While it is tough to replicate the energy and the action that you see from the cliffs, I hope it gives you a sense of the size of the waves, and the extraordinary challenge of catching these waves without the assist of a Jet Ski. Enjoy.

There was a high surf warning today on Maui’s North Shore. That means the infamous surf break Peahi or Jaws came to life. This break has been better known as a mecca for tow-in surfing. The wave was thought to break too fast for surfers to paddle into the big waves so Jet skis were used to tow surfers into the giant surf. Over the last couple of years, the perception that Jaws is too big and fast to paddle has changed. Today marked a shift as surfers were only paddling into Jaws for most of the morning. Jet Skis were only used to pull surfers out of the impact zone after wipe outs. They were put to good use as surfers were charging the big surf and paying the consequences. The speed of the wave combined with strong off shore winds made for a tough entry into the wave and some pretty spectacular wipe outs. Here is a video and some photos from today’s action.

For more pictures of today’s action, check out our Facebook page photo gallery for additional pictures.

The Maui Real Estate Team wishes everyone a very happy, healthy and safe new year.

I just wanted to share a short video we put together for our listing at Kuau Plaza. As the video will show, Kuau Plaza is right in the heart of all of the Maui North Shore water sports action. It is just a short walk to Mama’s Beach and Ho’okipa. Paia is only a mile to the east. County zoning allows for vacation rentals.

This could be a great second home for the water sports enthusiast. This condo is offered for $225,000. This listing sold! Check out the Kuau Plaza listings page for other units in this small Paia area condo development. Due to its size, it can be long periods between listings. Contact The Maui Real Estate Team if you would like to be notified when new listings go on the market.

Sugar Cove in Spreckelsville is one of the favorite beaches of The Maui Real Estate Team. This small North Shore beach is a fun spot for windsurfing, kiteboarding, SUP and surfing. It is also a fun spot for kids to get in the water. Most of the time, the waves are user friendly for kids to body board, body surf or just play. I took my Contour Roam for its first spin in the surf last weekend and took some video of my niece and nephew enjoying all that Sugar Cove has to offer.

If you are a water sports family in the market for a luxury condo, it is tough to beat the condos at Sugar Cove. Every once in a blue moon, condos will come up for sale in this fantastic North Shore beachfront complex. Check to see if there is any Sugar Cove Condos for Sale on MauiRealEstate.com. Contact The Maui Real Estate Team if you would like to be notified about new listings.