Maui Experiences Camp

2026-09-19T23:21:00-07:00hawaii, windsurfingNo comments

With a few "free days" at work and a birthday coming up, I thought about how to spend them. I considered flying to Bonaire, but late September does not offer favorable windsurfing conditions. I queried ChatGPT and Gemini AI and was advised to consider visiting Maui.

While checking out Maui, I learned about a Maui Experiences Camp hosted by Robby Swift from September 20th to 29th. This 10-day camp was longer than I had intended, but it happened to coincide with my days off. I contacted Robby to get more details and learned the following about the camp:

10 days of on-the-water coaching
9 nights' accommodation (individual rooms on the North Shore)

Shared accommodation in a 2-bedroom house at Camp 1 on Stable Rd.

10 days of equipment rental
10-day vehicle rental

(2 people per car) -> I would have to share a car

Professional video from land every day
Drone video on select days
1 session of water photography

Since the Camp started on Sunday and I wanted to maximize my time on the water, I considered arriving a day earlier, on Saturday, September 19th. I contacted Robby to discuss it further, and he recommended that I arrive on Saturday as well.

When I checked the available flights to Kahului (OGG), Maui, I found that Hawaiian Airlines operates nonstop service from San Jose (SJC) to Kahului (OGG), departing at 07:00 PST and arriving in Maui at 09:23 HST. This would be an ideal flight for me, as I would have time to either sup surf, wing foil, or windsurf on Saturday. I planned to depart Maui the following Sunday, Sep 27th, at noon, landing in San Jose (SJC) at 8:00 pm PST.

Robby explained that I would have to pay an extra $300 for the extra Saturday night stay. However, I could use Camp 1's house to windsurf or wingfoil off the beach. This would greatly simplify logistics, as I wouldn't necessarily have to worry about parking at Kanaha Beach. I could rig the sails and wings and let them stay rigged!

The daily plan, as far as I understood, was as follows:

09:30 - 10:30 - Meet at Robby's house to review the previous day's videos and discuss the day's plan
12:00 - 14:00 - Windsurf or wing-foil at Camp 1/Kanaha/Hookipa (depending on wind and waves)
14:00 - 15:00 - Take a break
15:00 - 17:00 - Windsurf some more, but need to finish at 17:00 as surfers start to dominate

Most windsurfers plan to buy groceries for breakfast and lunch (sandwiches), and go out for dinner in Pai'a in the evening.

Robby would supply the following gear:

Surf SUPs:

JP Longboard SUP, which is 9'3", 130-liter
Surf Pro 8'6

Wing Foils

Neil Pryde Foils 1000, 1250
Wings

Windsurfing Boards & Sails

JP Australia Freestyle Wave Pro
NeilPryde Combat Wave

In case of no wind, the following activities are possible:

downhill mountain biking from the top of Mt. Haleakala
visiting local windsurfing factories
snorkeling

Day 0 - Saturday, Sep 19, 2026

Since my Hawaiian Airlines AS953 flight was scheduled to depart at 07:00, I prebooked an UberX for 05:00 (a bit overpriced at $39.95) for the short drive to San Jose Airport (SJC).

I already checked in to the flight (and had prebooked seat 17G) and a vegetarian breakfast (Coconut Overnight Oats).

Upon landing in Maui (OGG) at 09:23 HST, I retrieved the minivan (North Shore Maui Rent A Car) from row C of the Airport's Public Parking lot. The key was in a lockbox inside the vehicle (they texted me the code before I arrived). Robby already picked up and delivered all of the gear, saving me time. I had no need to drive to Swift Sports (140 Hobron Ave, Kahului, HI 96732).

North Shore Maui Rent A Car

Confirmation: NSMCCP15834
Car: 2019 Black Honda Odyssey
License Plate: LLK223
Airport Location: Row H, I, J of the Airport Public Lot
Key: inside the lockbox, inside the vehicle

I found the 2019 Black Honda Odyssey but couldn't open the lockbox at first. Eventually, Ian came by and helped to open the lockbox. From the airport, I drove directly to my rental house on the beach, located off Spreckelsville Rd.

Maui Home Rental

Hookipa Room (East side)

582 Stable Rd.

Paia HI 96779

Check-in is usually after 3:00 pm

Robby was already there, waiting for me. He rigged the NeilPryde Combat Wave 4.5m sail and set up my JP Australia Freestyle Wave Pro 94-liter board.

Hungry, I drove to the nearby Whole Foods to buy groceries for the week. I purchased the following:

Heirloom Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Granny Smith Apples
Organic Eggs
Skyr
Blueberries
Turkey
Swiss Cheese slices
Half-and-Half (for coffee)
Ground Coffee (there is a coffee machine)
Salmon & Rice premade lunch

I ended up eating the Salmon & Rice first, as I was quite hungry. Adrian checked in as I was finishing up, and I got ready for my first day of windsurfing.

The home at 582 Stable Road is a two-story, two-bedroom duplex (Adrian and I were in the "Hookipa" section). Each bedroom has a bed and air conditioning (Maui gets very hot and humid).

While rigging sails, I felt sweat pouring down my neck. It was 84 degrees Fahrenheit, hot and extremely humid.

I did not expect the wind to be so strong. After stepping up to the 4.5m sail, I was shocked by how overpowered it was. I decided to lend Adrian my 4.5m NP Combat Wave sail while I rigged a smaller 4.2m NP Combat Wave.

It took me some time to change sails, as I was unfamiliar with the NeilPryde rigging procedures (which were quite different from Ezzy). Eventually, I managed to rig the 4.2m Combat Wave and sail out.

Although the wind was still crazy gusty, I felt more in control with the smaller 4.2m NP Combat Wave sail and had many excellent sessions. I did have to pay special attention to the underwater reefs, which became visible as the tide receded.

We finished sailing at around 16:30, after taking many breaks to recuperate from the maximum exertion required to handle the gusts.

Here is a video of my weekly sailing at Camp 1:

For dinner, we ate at the Paia Fish Market in downtown Paia. We parked nearby and waited in a line to order our entrees. I ordered the following:

Mahi-Mahi charbroiled with French Fries & Coleslaw
Bottled water with Electrolytes

The Maui Camp includes the following windsurfers:

Boris
Adrian
Nick
James
Jurgen
Frank
Robby

The Mahi-Mahi wasn't bad, but the meal wasn't memorable.

After returning home, I made some hot black English breakfast tea.

I spoke briefly with Inna (who was traveling through Lyon) and then decided to turn in early because I was falling asleep. The time difference and my lack of sleep were affecting me. I went to bed around 21:00 but had difficulty falling asleep because of the noise of jets taking off.

Day 1 - Sunday, Sep 20, 2026

I woke at 06:30, showered, shaved, and ate Skyr with blueberries for breakfast. I also brewed coffee in the Coffee maker (acceptable) and took my medicines.

I decided to stroll along the beach and take a closer look at the area. I saw a few dog walkers and fishermen casting their lines into the ocean.

We planned to start windsurfing at 12:30, with the whole group at Camp 1 (our Stable Road residence).

Here is the Day 1 Video recorded by Erik Aeder & Robby Swift:

I made a large salad for lunch, using one heirloom tomato, half a red pepper, one medium avocado, and a few cucumbers. I also had a few slices of turkey.

When Robby arrived at 12:30, we rigged our sails and started windsurfing. I windsurfed for three hours, with Robby giving me pointers on gybing technique.

Windsurfing Pointers from Robbie

1. When sailing a tri-fin board, like the JP Australia Freestyle Wave Pro

On a tri-fin board, keep the sail upright and apply minimal pressure with your back foot. Basically, keep the board flat to accelerate.
On a single-fin board, shift your weight on the back foot
Keep the front leg straight and lean back with your shoulders (not the buttocks)

2. On Gybing

Move the front arm toward the mast and keep the mast upright
When moving feet out of the straps, don't stomp on the foot — be gentle to avoid upsetting the trim of the board
In heavy chop, push down on the boom to keep the board planted (and minimize bouncing)
Avoid sinking the tail (as it drains speed) and try to keep the board flat and carving
Before flipping the sail, move the hand closer to the mast

After my session ended, we put the boards away, and I took a shower.

Here is a GoPro Hero 13 video recording of my session:

We decided to have dinner at Milagro's Food Co. (a Mexican restaurant) in downtown Paia at 18:30. We parked nearby in the public Paia parking lot and walked over. Three of us arrived first, sat outside, and ordered a few drinks. I ordered the following items:

Drinks: Lilikoi Cider
Main: Paniolo Sandwich (white cheddar cheese, frizzled onions, brioche bun, lettuce, tomato, fries)

The Lilikoi Cider was nice and refreshing, and the Paniolo burger was excellent. However, our waitress was a bit slow with the drinks (took 20 minutes).

Day 2 - Monday, Sep 21, 2026

In the morning, I woke at 06:30, showered, shaved, and dressed. After breakfast of Skyr with blueberries and freshly brewed coffee, I took a short stroll on the beach. The wind was much lighter than yesterday, foreshadowing a light-wind day to come (though the forecast was much more optimistic).

After the walk, I was still a bit hungry, so I made a smoked-turkey omelet. I had to find the right pan and oil. I made a decent omelet and enjoyed it with a cup of coffee.

After breakfast, we planned to drive to Robby's house (in Paia) to review the videos he and his associate shot during Sunday's windsurfing session. When we arrived, we went inside and met up with the other sailors. Robby put up several videos on the TV and gave detailed guidance on what to improve. I had to work on the following items during gybes:

Clew-first sailing before the rig flip
Moving my front arm to the mast, prior to flipping the sail
Being gentle when placing the foot out of the footstrap, to avoid upsetting the board trim
Keeping the board carving throughout the gybe (always being on the rail)

We returned home to 582 Stable Road and decided to try windsurfing. The wind was light, so I used Adrian's 5.0m NP sail while he rigged the 5.5m. I sailed out first and found it difficult to get planing as the wind was rather light. I returned and decided to wait for wing foiling instead. Adrian also sailed out on his NP 5.5m sail but returned early because of the lack of wind.

Robby came by around 14:45 and helped set up the JP XR Pro 99-liter wing-foiling board with a 1250cm NeilPryde front foil and a 4.0m NP wing. I sailed out but struggled to stay upright and get the foil flying. I found the board to be quite unstable (compared to my Naish 95-liter and Armstrong 1250 cm Medium-aspect foil).

Here is a video recording of Day 2 at Camp 1:

The NeilPryde 4.0m wing was excellent, with a built-in boom, and it felt similar to my Duotone SLS Slick. However, I had difficulty getting the NeilPryde 1250cm foil flying (Robby had no such issues), and the JP Australia board felt very tipsy (compared to my Naish Hover LE Carbon 95).

After a few more attempts, Robby came to help me and offered the following helpful suggestions.

Robby's Wing Foiling Tips

Keep the back foot slightly off-center from the center line to counteract the other foot being on the opposite tack (where the front footstraps are usually attached)
Pump the wing quickly in short, quick movements. Once adequate speed has been achieved, pump with the feet to get the board planing early
During gybes, touch down briefly prior to switching feet (push on the front foot to do so)

I did manage to fly on the Neil Pryde foil (for a short duration), but the wind was very unpredictable, and I couldn't fly the foil consistently.

I practiced foiling until 16:15, when I got tired and called it a day. Robby borrowed the foil and showed me all the maneuvers (tacking, gybing), making them look easy.

After the sessions, we cleaned the gear, and I took a shower. I decided to make a quick drive to Whole Foods for a few more groceries.

For dinner, we met at 18:45 at the Flatbread Company in Paia. We ordered the following to share:

Giant Salad to share)
3 Pizzas:

Pepperoni & Mushroom
Homemade Sausage
Mopsy's Kalua Pork

Boris: Cider

The pizzas were not bad, and I especially liked the Homemade Sausage. I didn't try the pork.

In the evening, I brewed some English breakfast tea and munched on a couple of oatmeal raisin cookies from Whole Foods.

I continued reading Bertie Plays the Blues by Alexander McCall Smith on my Kindle Colorsoft and went to sleep at 22:30. However, the jet takeoffs made it a bit challenging to fall asleep.

Day 3 - Tuesday, Sep 22, 2026

Robby & most of the camp planned to windsurf at Hookipa today, but sailing there is challenging and requires advanced skills (which I lack). I decided to skip sailing there and instead sail at Camp 1.

At night, light rain continued into the early morning. I woke at 06:30, showered, shaved, and dressed.

I ate a light breakfast of Skyr with blueberries, raspberries, and granola. Afterward, I strolled around the beach, noticing the strong morning wind (a sign of what was to come).

Around 10:45, we drove to Robby's house to watch the videos from the day before. He offered some excellent suggestions on my wing-foiling technique (which I already described earlier).

Adrian was going to head to Ho'okipa for more sailing, while Robby drove me back to 582 Stable Rd., where I would be sailing by myself.

When I got home, I made a delicious lunch of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and sliced avocado, and I also cooked a small turkey omelet. The lunch was quick and delicious.

I changed into windsurfing clothes and went downstairs to rig up my NeilPryde 4.5 Combat Wave, which I would use with my JP Australia FSW Pro 94-liter board.

After rigging, I sailed out and was stunned by the strong wind. After a few runs, I decided it was too much and returned to de-rig and re-rig the NP Combat Wave 4.2 (which turned out to be much better for the crazy conditions).

I went out a few times, but it was quite challenging, more like survival sailing. I took a break and noticed Adrian and Frank had returned from Ho'okipa. The waves there were too large, and they decided not to test their luck.

I offered Adrian my JP Australia FSW Pro 94-liter with NP 4.2 to try, and he ended up sailing most of the day. I took a few turns, but the wind was too much for me, and most of the time it was survival sailing. If I had known it would be this windy, I would have asked for a 3.7m sail and an 84-liter board.

Here is a video recording of Day 3 at Hookipa:

For dinner, we decided to meet up at Cafe Des Amis (a curry restaurant), where I ordered the following:

Drinks: Bikini Blonde
Main: Beef Curry with rice and chutney

The Beef Curry was not too bad (and not overly spicy).

I finished reading Bertie Plays the Blues by Alexander McCall Smith on my Kindle and started looking at new books to read. I had completed the first 7 titles of the Scotland Street series.

~~44 Scotland Street~~

~~Espresso Tales~~

~~Love Over Scotland~~

~~The World According to Bertie~~

~~The Unbearable Lightness of Scones~~

~~The Importance of Being Seven~~

~~Bertie Plays the Blues~~

Sunshine on Scotland Street

Bertie’s Guide to Life and Mothers

The Revolving Door of Life

The Bertie Project

A Time of Love and Tartan

The Peppermint Tea Chronicles

A Promise of Ankles

Love in the Time of Bertie

The Enigma of Garlic

The Stellar Debut of Galactica MacFee

Bertie’s Theory of Ice Cream

The Prime of Bertie Pollock

Day 4 - Wednesday, Sep 23, 2026

I woke at 06:30 (I did not sleep very well and woke at least 3 times). I ate a light breakfast of Skyr with blueberries, raspberries, and granola. Afterward, I strolled around the beach, noticing the strong morning wind (a sign of what was to come).

Around 09:15, we drove to Robby's house to watch the videos from the day before. He mostly showed the videos from Ho'okipa (for the other guys).

Here is a video recording of Day 4 at Ho'okipa

When I returned home at 11:00, I made a light lunch of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and sliced avocado, and also cooked a small omelet with turkey. The lunch was quick and delicious.

Since most of the crew were out sailing in Ho'okipa, I decided to sail out on my own. I rigged two sails: NP Combat Wave 4.2 and NP Combat Wave 4.7m. I started on the 4.7m sail, but later switched to the 4.2m as the wind picked up.

I had a long, excellent windsurfing session and attempted many jibes. I also tried to break through the whitewater but got slammed a few times. Overall, it was an excellent windsurfing day.

Because of the threat of tropical storm Nolo, Robby was delayed at Costco (I guess people are preparing for the worst-case scenario). Nolo might hit the Big Island on Friday/Saturday.

For dinner, we drove back to Robby's house, where he grilled enormous steaks, baked French fries, and made a large salad. I had a fantastic time catching up with everyone. We also watched the latest videos from today's windsurfing at Ho'okipa and Camp 1.

On the Kindle, I resumed reading Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain.

Day 5 - Thursday, Sep 24, 2026

We are closely monitoring Hurricane Nolo and had plans to start windsurfing at Camp 1 at 13:00

When I returned home at 11:00, I made a light lunch of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and sliced avocado, and also cooked a small omelet with turkey. The lunch was quick and delicious.

Here is a video recording of Day 5 at Camp 1:

I had a long, excellent windsurfing session and attempted many jibes in the NP Combat Wave 4.2m sail and JP Australia FSW 94-liter board. I got through the whitewater and rode some of the whitewash. Overall, it was an excellent windsurfing day.

The wind was very gusty with lots of holes.

For dinner, we decided to dine at the Paia Fish Market in downtown Paia at 18:30. We parked nearby and waited in line to order our entrees. I ordered the following:

Cajun charbroiled Mahi-Mahi with potatoes & coleslaw
Bikini Blonde Beer (draft)

Day 6, Friday, September 25, 2026

A SEALY PROBLEM

I woke at 06:30 (I did not sleep very well and woke at least 3 times). I ate a light breakfast of Skyr with blackberries and granola (I finished all the blueberries and raspberries). Afterward, I strolled around he beach, noticing the strong morning wind (a sign of the approaching hurricane).

I talked to Inna and Alex, who wished me a happy birthday. Inna is in the Dolomites (Urtijei) and enjoying her spa there. I made a light lunch of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and sliced avocado.

At 11:30, we drove to Robby's house to look at yesterday's videos. I got some more pointers on my jibing technique.

I closely monitored Hurricane Nolo and planned to start windsurfing at Camp 1 at 13:00.

Robby told us Ho'okipa is flat and that there are also concerns about water quality there.

As we started preparing to windsurf at Camp 1 at 13:00, our next-door neighbor (aka Karen) told us a seal was on the beach. Hawaiian law prohibits approaching a seal within 50 feet, so we couldn't launch from our usual spot.

We waited for Robby, and he managed to call Jason Polakow, who owns the house two doors down, and ask him to let us launch from his private property. He was kind and allowed us to do so, and we carried our windsurfing gear two driveways down.

Robby rigged an NP Combat Wave 3.7m sail — a brand-new sail he had never used for me. However, I felt wrist pain and decided to wait before sailing out. Everyone else had sailed out off Jason's beach.

Here is a video recording of Day 6 at Camp 1:

Nick noticed the two seals had moved to a new location, and our usual Camp 1 launch stop was available again. We decided to move back there.

I carried the JP Australia FSW 94-liter board there and then the NP Combat Wave 3.7m sail. I decided to try sailing out. It was very gusty, and the 3.7m sail was sometimes too small and other times too large. However, I got going multiple times and had an excellent session. I sailed for about one hour before the wind started to fade.

After we finished at around 16:00, I cleaned the gear and ran a short errand to Whole Foods for a few groceries, including raspberries, half-and-half, cucumbers, tomatoes, and cookies.

For my birthday dinner, Robby initially planned for us to dine at Bistro Casanova, but could only get a 17:00 or 20:30 dinner time. We decided to dine at Marco's Grill & Deli.

At Marco's, almost everyone ordered lasagna, and the staff took 40 minutes to prepare it. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything special either (standard cafeteria fare).

Day 7, Saturday, September 26, 2026

I woke at 06:30 (I did not sleep very well and woke at least 3 times). I ate a light breakfast of Skyr with blueberries, raspberries, and granola. Afterward, I strolled around he beach, noticing the strong morning wind. The sky was dark and looked quite ominous.

I made a light lunch of tomatoes and cucumber, and also cooked a small omelet with turkey. The lunch was quick and delicious.

I was closely monitoring Hurricane Nolo and planned to start windsurfing at Camp 1 at 12:15 (after checking in for my Alaska Airlines flight back home).

The rest of the crew headed to Robby's house and then to Ho'okipa, but I did not want to sail there. When I checked the wind forecast on iwindurf, it reported 31 knots at Kanaha, with gusts up to 40.

I rigged the NP Combat Wave 3.7m sail and my JP Australia FWS 94-liter board. The conditions looked crazy, and only a few other windsurfers were out sailing. I sailed a few times, but it was very challenging and extremely tiring.

At around 13:00, Adrian returned. The Ho'okipa conditions didn't seem very favorable, so he planned to sail at Camp 1 as well.

The rest of the crew arrived shortly, parked at JP's lot (to avoid upsetting the nasty Karen nearby), and James went out sailing on my NP 3.7m sail, followed by Robby, then me.

I tried the 79-liter JP Wave board, but it was hard to get it planing and tail upwind. Robby swapped it back to the JP Australia FWS 94-liter. I sailed a few more times, attempting a couple more jibes, but without success.

Here is a video recording of Day 7 at Camp 1:

For dinner, we met in Paia at 18:30 and dined at the Paia Fish Market. I ordered the following for dinner:

Ahi Cajun charbroiled with potatoes & coleslaw
Lilikoi Cider

The Ahi was good, but I prefer the Mahi-Mahi. It was our last dinner (for me) and a bit sad, as this Camp was coming to a close. I discussed various windsurfing destinations, and Robby said that the clinic at Icaraizinho, Ceará, Brazil should be high on my bucket list. He also recommended the La Ventana Beach Resort. The La Ventana Demo Center has all the NeilPryde windsurfing and wingfoiling gear.

We also stopped by Artisan Ice Cream for a scoop. I tried the Salted Malted Vanilla Chocolate Fudge, and it was delicious.

Day 8, Sunday, September 27, 2026

I woke at 06:30. After showering, I ate a light breakfast of Skyr with blueberries, raspberries, and granola. I brewed fresh coffee and enjoyed it on the porch, with a beautiful view of Maui's beach. There were whitecaps on the water, and it looked windy. I checked the windsurf forecast, and it promised a lot of wind today, too. Unfortunately, I needed to pack for my flight.

Once I finished packing, I decided to complete one final stroll along the beach. It was a little less windy than yesterday, but still plenty for windsurfing.

I made a light lunch of tomatoes and cucumber and ate all my remaining vegetables. The lunch was quick and delicious. I checked on Hurricane Nolo, and fortunately, it had moved west and away from the Hawaiian Islands.

At around 09:55, Robby drove up to say his goodbyes and offered me a lift to the airport. He dropped me off at the Alaska/Hawaiian terminal, and I quickly checked in. I hoped my flight AS954 (departing at 12:10 HST) wouldn't be delayed by the strong winds.

The Hawaiian Airlines flight was uneventful, and I landed in San Jose at 20:00. After collecting my luggage, I ordered an UberX and was home by 21:15.

Here is a video of Day 8 at Hookipa:

Day 9, Monday, September 28, 2026

While I was back at work, the rest of the camp was out sailing at Hookipa.

Day 10, Tuesday, September 29, 2026

On the last day of camp, there were some nice waves to sail at Hookipa.

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