Surfing & Bodyboarding on Maui — My Picks by Experience Level
My Maui surf and bodyboarding picks by experience level, from mellow beginner longboard waves to serious reef breaks, plus the surf checks I’d look at before heading out.
A lot of Maui surf guides throw every famous break into one list. I don’t think that’s very helpful. A mellow longboard wave, a fun bodyboard shorebreak and a serious reef break are three completely different things. These are the places I’d actually point guests toward, separated by experience level.
Go early whenever you can. The wind usually comes up later, and a spot that was glassy at 7:30 can look completely different by lunch. 😂
I’d check Surfline for the individual break, then check Hawaiʻi Beach Safety or the NWS if there is any advisory. Don’t choose a spot just because the number of feet sounds small. Wind, tide, swell direction, reef and shorebreak all matter.
Beginner & longboard-friendly
The Cove — easiest South Maui learning spot
2120 Iliili Rd, Kīhei, HI 96753
From Wailuku: about 25–35 min
From Grand Champions / Wailea: about 10–15 min
If someone has never surfed before and wants something close to Wailea, this is the obvious place to start. The waves are usually slow and forgiving, and there are surf schools here all the time.
Good to know: It can get REALLY crowded. A beginner wave is still not beginner-friendly if twenty people are trying to catch the same one. Go early and consider a lesson for your first time.
Grandma’s / Pāpalaua — mellow little longboard stop
Pāpalaua Wayside Park, Mile 11–12, Honoapiʻilani Hwy
From Wailuku: about 30–35 min
From Grand Champions / Wailea: about 35–45 min
This is the one I was telling you about on the way toward Lāhainā. Grandma’s is around the Pāpalaua stretch, roughly Mile 11–11.5, just before Thousand Peaks. It’s known for softer, mushier waves that roll both ways over the reef, so it can be really fun on a longboard when the swell is right.
I like putting Grandma’s and Thousand Peaks together because you can look at both and see which one looks better that morning instead of deciding from your phone.
Good to know: It is still a reef break. Small and mellow does not mean sandy-bottom beginner pool. Watch where people enter and exit, don’t go too low on the tide, and skip it if the swell has size.
Thousand Peaks / Ukumehame — one of my best beginner & longboard picks
Ukumehame Beach Park, Honoapiʻilani Hwy around Mile 12
From Wailuku: about 30–40 min
From Grand Champions / Wailea: about 35–45 min
If you’re a longboarder or a beginner who already has a little ocean confidence, I really like this stretch. There are lots of different peaks, long rolling rides and more room to spread out than at The Cove. Several local surf schools use this area for exactly that reason.
You may also hear people call nearby parts of this stretch Guardrails. That’s another local lesson/friendly zone, but I wouldn’t have a visitor chase an exact little pin. Look at the water, watch where experienced surfers are entering, or go with a local instructor.
Good to know: Reef and rocks on the inside, and it can get shallow at low tide. Bigger south swells change the whole personality of the place.
This is another local favorite for long, mellow rides, and it’s a nice place if some people want to surf while the rest of the group hangs out. There’s grass, shade and a little protected ocean pool for kids.
Good to know: The reef gets shallow and sharp, especially at low tide. Weekends can get packed, so morning is much nicer.
Pāʻia Bay — fun beach break, but not my beginner pick
Pāʻia Bay Beach Park, Hāna Hwy / Pāʻia town
From Wailuku: about 20–25 min
From Grand Champions / Wailea: about 35–45 min
This can be really fun for an intermediate surfer or practiced bodyboarder when it’s clean. It’s a beach break instead of the mellow west-side longboard setup, so it has more punch and can develop rip currents and shorebreak.
Good to know: I would only call this beginner-friendly on a genuinely tiny, calm day. There is no lifeguard here, so if you’re unsure, enjoy Pāʻia and watch instead.
Tavares Bay / Kuʻau — local North Shore option
Kuʻau area, east of Pāʻia
From Wailuku: about 20–30 min
From Grand Champions / Wailea: about 40–50 min
This is more of an intermediate local surf option than a first-day spot. It can have fun rights and lefts when it’s small, but the same reef break can get hollow and powerful when the swell comes up.
Good to know: Go early before the trades turn it bumpy. If it looks bigger or more technical than you expected, believe your eyes and go somewhere mellower.
Lāhainā Breakwall — small days only for less-experienced surfers
Lāhainā Harbor / Front Street area
From Wailuku: about 45–60 min
From Grand Champions / Wailea: about 60–75 min
On smaller days there can be approachable waves here, but the outside gets fast over shallow reef and the lineup gets crowded. I’d put this in the ‘you already know how to surf’ category unless you are with an instructor.
Good to know: Lāhainā Harbor reopened with limited operations after the fire and rebuilding is still ongoing in 2026. Be extra respectful of access, closures and the community while the area continues to recover.
Hoʻokipa — watch first, surf only if this is truly your level
Hoʻokipa Beach Park, Hāna Hwy, Mile Marker 9, Pāʻia
From Wailuku: about 25–30 min
From Grand Champions / Wailea: about 40–50 min
My boys and I love going to Hoʻokipa, but for watching the surfers, windsurfers and those HUGE turtles. 💕🐢 I do NOT send beginner surfers into this lineup. Reef, currents, cleanup sets, wind and a very experienced crowd make it a completely different thing from The Cove or Thousand Peaks.
For a strong intermediate, a small clean morning can be possible. Once it has size, leave it to people who really know what they’re doing.
Honolua is one of my favorite places to snorkel when it’s calm, but winter Honolua is a completely different animal. When the north swell is running, this is a serious, fast reef wave with a heavy crowd and very little margin for mistakes.
Good to know: Advanced surfers only when it’s working. Everyone else can watch from the bluff and be very happy they stayed dry. 😂
Māʻalaea / Freight Trains — expert territory when it turns on
Māʻalaea Harbor area
From Wailuku: about 15–20 min
From Grand Champions / Wailea: about 25–30 min
When a solid south swell lines up, Māʻalaea can produce one of the fastest waves around. This is not a place I’d send someone who is learning or even casually intermediate. If you’re not already an experienced reef-break surfer, watch.
Bodyboarding & bodysurfing
Kamaʻole I, II & III — best place to start on a SMALL day
South Kīhei Rd, Kīhei
From Wailuku: about 30–40 min
From Grand Champions / Wailea: about 10–15 min
For families or someone who just wants to play on a boogie board, I’d rather send you to the Kamaʻole beaches on a small day than to one of Maui’s famous shorebreaks. All three have lifeguards, which is a big plus.
Good to know: Ask the lifeguard which section looks best that day. If they tell you the shorebreak is too much, listen to them.
Baldwin Beach — a real North Shore bodyboard favorite
Hāna Hwy, Pāʻia
From Wailuku: about 20–25 min
From Grand Champions / Wailea: about 40–50 min
Baldwin is known for bodysurfing and bodyboarding and has a lifeguard. It can be really fun when the surf is manageable, but winter shorebreak can get powerful fast.
Good to know: This is a ‘look first and ask the lifeguard’ beach. The protected coves at the ends can be much calmer than the open beach.
D.T. Fleming — West Maui bodyboarding
Lower Honoapiʻilani Rd / Kapalua
From Wailuku: about 60–75 min
From Grand Champions / Wailea: about 80–95 min
This is one of the better-known West Maui bodysurfing/bodyboarding beaches and it has lifeguards. It’s a good option for someone with some experience when conditions are reasonable.
Good to know: High surf brings strong rip currents and much more powerful waves. Ask the lifeguard before you jump in.
Pāʻia Bay — practiced bodyboarders
Pāʻia Bay Beach Park, Pāʻia
From Wailuku: about 20–25 min
From Grand Champions / Wailea: about 35–45 min
Local bodyboarders and bodysurfers use Pāʻia Bay, but I would not put a first-timer here. Fins are a good idea for someone who knows how to use them, and you need to be comfortable with currents and a punchier beach break.
Hāmoa Beach — beautiful, but conditions matter
Haneoʻo Rd, Hāna, HI 96713
From Wailuku: about 2¾–3 hr without sightseeing stops
From Grand Champions / Wailea: about 3 hr+ without sightseeing stops
Hāmoa is gorgeous and has a real shorebreak that locals and experienced visitors use for bodyboarding and bodysurfing. It can also have strong currents, and there is no lifeguard.
Good to know: I’d only get in here if you already bodyboard and the water looks reasonable. This is not one I’d pick for little kids just because the beach itself looks perfect.
Big Beach / Mākena — EXPERIENCED bodyboarders only
Mākena State Park, 4670 Makena Alanui, Kīhei, HI 96753
From Wailuku: about 45–50 min
From Grand Champions / Wailea: about 10–15 min
Big Beach is famous for its shorebreak and you’ll absolutely see skilled bodyboarders having a blast there. It is also one of the beaches I’m most careful about recommending for getting in the water. The steep beach makes waves break hard in very shallow water and neck/back injuries are a real issue.
So: gorgeous beach, yes. Beginner boogie boarding, NO. 😂 If you are experienced, talk to the lifeguard first and respect the flags.
Maui lineups are not amusement-park rides. Don’t paddle straight through the middle of people surfing, don’t drop in on someone already riding, wait your turn, give people room and be friendly. If a local surfer is clearly deeper and has the wave, it’s their wave. A smile and a little aloha go a lot farther than trying to prove something.
And if you’re brand new, take a lesson. You’ll have more fun, catch more waves and learn where to sit without accidentally making everyone in the lineup hate you. 😂
My quick picks
First time ever: The Cove with a lesson.
Beginner who wants a prettier, less-crowded longboard day: Grandma’s + Thousand Peaks early in the morning.
Longboarder: Thousand Peaks or Launiupoko.
Intermediate surfer: Pāʻia Bay or Tavares on the RIGHT small/clean day.
Experienced North Shore surfer: Hoʻokipa.
Advanced winter surfer: Honolua — only if you truly belong in that lineup.
Family with boogie boards: Kamaʻole beaches on a small day.
Experienced bodyboarder: Baldwin or D.T. Fleming depending on the swell. Big Beach only if you know exactly what you’re getting into.
— Cindy
Where to stay for this
My homes closest to the places in this guide. Book direct and avoid third-party service fees.
