Sunrise Paddleboarding with Maui Stand Up Paddle Boarding

Trying our hand at stand up paddle boarding before our flight was the perfect way to greet the morning, in Maui, Hawaii

Now, I will admit – getting up at 6:30am to paddle board at sunrise is not everyone’s cup of tea. But, if you find yourself in Maui and want an extra-ordinary experience, it’s well worth it to invest the time. Especially, if your flight is in the afternoon.

Leaving Hotel Wailea and getting dropped off at Makena Landing Park was effortless. Our hotel driver make sure to search for the correct white van for us to meet with our guide, Sky.  While we waited for set up of our  boards and paddles, we walked around the beach. I captured the magnificent sunrise and tried to be in the moment.

Once we were out on the water – it was just incredible. Now, one thing you must realize – you will fall in. But, it is far better to fall into the crystal clear waters of Makena Bay vs the murky Pacific Ocean off of Marina del Rey.

We learned out to properly stand up on a paddle board… well, attempted to learn. Every time I tried to stand up completely, I fell. Yet – I had the most incredible time of laughing, letting go of the idea of perfection and truly being at one with the moment.

During our two hour session, we paddled around the turtle sanctuary. It was absolutely humbling to see the large turtles swimming along, as their accompanying feeder fish cleaned them. The sun rose higher in the sky, illuminating the varying shades of blue in the water.

Sky was absolutely incredible. It was a pleasure to be out with him. During our trip, Sky took photos of our experience via a GoPro. The results were delightful. It was so nice to focus on paddling and not worry about trying to capture moments. Instead, I could just have fun.

When we were done, I called Hotel Wailea and we were effortlessly picked up – with extra towels and water provided – and brought back to the hotel.

It was a perfect morning experience before packing for our flight to Kauai.

- -