The western end of Kanaha Beach is known as Kite Beach. Just a few minutes from Kahului Airport, This beach is the jewel of the north shore. Kite beach offers a variety of conditions to suit different levels of riders. There is a long curving sandy beach that is great for beginners. The side-onshore winds bring the beginners safely back to shore. The area closest to the beach lies inside a protective reef, keeping the water flat in the beginner's area. A little farther from shore the waves start to break and create a great venue for intermediate and advanced riders. In winter, the largest waves breaking on the outside reef are strictly for expert riders only. The wind at kite beach blows all year round. The steadiest and strongest winds blow through the summer months. In winter the winds can be more diverse, and larger kites are often used. Occasionally Kona winds will blow from the south, creating an offshore at Kite beach. Kite Beach Maui has more windy days than any other kiteboarding destination in the world. The valley in central Maui creates a wind tunnel effect that funnels the wind into kite beach, in a better direction and strength.

Kanaha Beach:
Kanaha Beach is about two miles long, the majority lies within the Maui County's Kanaha Beach Park. There are several beach areas in the park that have different designated uses. It is important to respect other beach users, and other water users. Try to learn the different uses of each of the areas and you will avoid any problems with other users. This beach is shared by different groups within the community. All of which have the rights to use these areas. However some restrictions do apply to specific activities as defined by County and State and Federal law. The general layout of the water areas are illustrated by the diagram below. Please note that there is no windsurfing or kiteboarding allowed before 11am. Also there is a specifically designated area for beginner windsurfing from 9am to 11am.

This is an aerial view of the Kanaha beach showing the special use areas.

The Kite Beach:
The Kite beach is roughly divided into two areas, the upwind end to the east is known as "old hale beach", "Old Mans Beach". It is the area closest to the old Girl Scout pavilion structure. This area is west of the lifeguard tower, and launching and landing is done below the campground area. At the downwind end of this stretch of sand, is Naish Beach aka Flash Beach, and is accessed via the "Keyhole" parking area. The most western end of the zone there is a series of 5 rock groynes around Ka'a Point.

BoneYard: just offshore from Ka'a point is the Boneyard. The Bone yard is an area of very shallow reef that actually gets exposed at low tide. This area can be crossed at high tide, but kiters should take extreme caution when jumping or crashing near this area. Also any beginners should not even body drag through this area.

Action Beach:
Just downwind of the storm-water canal is the launching area known as action beach. There is a large red dirt parking area separated from the beach by a row of shade trees. Always lock your car when parking here. The wide beach has plenty of room to set up kites, and this beach is used by most of the kite schools. This beach is a great beginner area. This section of beach is mostly sandy, and is long enough for beginners to get in a good long run. Because the beach curves around, and the wind usually brings everything back to shore. There are a few submerged hazards and shallow areas to watch out for, so ask a local kiter for the known hazards before launching here. The Action Beach Launch: There is an invisible vortex in the wind created by the trees at Ka'a point. This dirty wind makes launching at the upwind end of Action launch challenging. Watch how the locals launch here, and ask them for some advice if you have not launched here before. It is not recommended to walk upwind with your kite in the air. At kite beach, there are trees close to shore (and turbulent wind). so it is not recommended to walk upwind whilst flying your kite. The trees next to the shoreline have claimed many kites over the years.

This is a view (looking East towards Ka'a point) of the Action Beach launch area at Kanaha (Kite Beach). Photo: D.Dorn

Water Plant: The rocks at the water treatment plant mark the downwind end of this beach. Kiters should attempt to come ashore well upwind of the rock wall. A safety buffer of two kite line lengths is recommended between any object. If there is no-one to catch the kite at the last beach. Kiters must do a self-exit before getting to the beach. The wind at the downwind end of this beach is more onshore that at the launch, so the distance between the kite and the beach closes very quickly. If you cannot land safely at this beach, there is a last chance beach beyond the rocks, that is used in case of an emergency landing or equipment failure. if you get stuck on the last chance beach, you should deflate your kite, and hike back along the path on the top of the rock wall. Take care not to rip your kite on the fence.

Rules and Guidelines:
With the increasing popularity of kiteboarding, kiteboarders on Maui see the need to step up self-regulating efforts to keep the sport growing in a positive direction. In addition, all kiteboarders are under specific FAA waiver stipulations.

Maui Kiteboarding map

The 11 O'clock rule:
Maui County requires that windsurfers and kiteboarders observe the 11 o'clock rule , which was adopted by windsurfers, fishermen, spear fishermen and swimmers in 1988. That rule allows for swimmers and fishermen to have exclusive access to the ocean on the north shore prior to 11 am. After 11 am, when the winds pick up to near-full strength, windsurfers and kiteboarders have shared access, while watching out for any fishermen who may still be practicing their sport. If you're planning a kiteboarding trip to Maui in the near future, please stop by any of the windsurfing/kiteboarding shops when you arrive and pick up a copy of the safe riding guidelines brochure.

FAA Rules:
As you can see from the aerial photos above, Kanaha beach lies close to the Kahului airport. The Federal Aviation Administration FAA, has rules regarding the airspace surrounding the airport, and some of these rules specifically relate to kites. Below is a list of rules that kitesurfers must observe when kiteboarding at Kitebeach Kanaha.

For a full set of rules and guidelines, go to the www.mauikiteboardingassociation.com website.