The group behind Hawaiian Paddle Sports may not have chosen the most imaginative name, but they did choose something true and accurate. Hawaiian Paddle Sports is a tour and teaching outfit that specializes in eco-friendly tours in and around Hawaii that take place on boards and boats. They also offer expert lessons on boating and boarding activities like surfing and stand-up paddleboard lessons.
Hawaiian Paddle Sports first opened its doors, or rather first started taking guests out on adventures on their banner in 2010. Since then, thousands of their guests have enjoyed what they call an authentic and sustainable eco-tour of Hawaii. It is important to accentuate that this group takes environmental sustainability very seriously. Every tour and lesson begins with a mini-beach clean-up, and throughout your time with your instructor or guide, you will learn valuable tips on how best to care for the surrounding environment to ensure every guest and resident on the island that comes after you, gets to enjoy the natural beauty just as much as you have.
This outfitter has grown incredibly since its inception and now offers an array of tours and lessons, so much so that their website can be confusing to navigate. An important thing to note is that all of their tours take place on Maui. All tours except for their outrigger canoe tours depart from either Makena Landing or Olowalu, while all outrigger canoe tours will depart from Poolenalena Beach. Poolenalena Beach is located just north of M akene Landing. During some of the winter months, Hawaiian Paddle Sports will also send select tours out from Honolua Bay, a beach that is in the far northwest corner of the island. With such a variety of launching spots, it is really important to pay attention to your own launch location when booking and to clarify it when necessary with a phone call.
There are a myriad of tours and guided lessons you can choose to book with Hawaiian Paddle Sports, but their most popular offerings are as follows:
Outrigger Canoe Tours
The Hawaiian Paddle Sports group is one of the only groups on Maui that will take guests on an authentic outrigger canoe tour. This is a three-hour tour in which guests sit either in a six-seat, 45-foot long Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe or in the 12-seat Double Hull Canoe. Guests will often catch sight of whales during the winter on these tours and a quick snorkeling experience is often included on warmer days.
Surfing Lessons
There truly aren’t many places better to learn how to surf than in Maui, an island renowned for exceptional surfing conditions for every level surfer. With Hawaiian Paddle Sports, guests enjoy private lessons away from bustling areas and with some of the most beautiful backdrops in Maui.
Turtle Kayaking Tour
There is a wonderful stretch of coastline that lies between the Oneuli Black Sand Beach and Nahuna Point that is locally (and appropriately) called Turtle Town. This area is rated among the best snorkeling locations on the island thanks to its great array of reefs that support mare life like Hawaii’s iconic green sea turtle. Hawaiian Paddle Sports’ turtle kayaking tours offer guests a way to get real close and personal with these majestic sea creatures via paddling and snorkeling.
Insider Tips:
-All of Hawaiian Paddle Sports activities involve water. Most of them will involve going out into deep water. It is not recommended for you to leave valuables like your wallet, phone, and keys in your vehicle, and yet it can feel discomforting to bring them out with you so far. While the tour group will provide a dry bag to put these valuables in, if you want to take pictures with your phone and keep it close, we recommend getting both a waterproof cover and something to ensure it will float should it fall into the water.
-Those susceptible to motion sickness should make sure to take appropriate medication or wear anti-nausea devices to prevent the feel of seasickness due to the rolling ocean waves.