MAUI NORTH SHORE

The North Shore of Maui is one of the best big wave spots in the world. The towns Paia, Haiku, Kuau or Spreckelsville, have good access to the this big wave surfing mecca with surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and towsurfing all there in there backyards.

Jaws is off Peahi Bluff . The paddle is about 20minutes if you are nuts. Jaws doesn't start breaking until its 4meters. It was first tackled by the sailboarders in the early years, but just before the start of the of the new millenium in the winter of 98 came the emergence of the Laird Hamilton attack armed with mates and jetskis.

HOW TO GET TO JAWS- PEAHI

The township of Haiku lies at the edge of the rainforest. Its old pineapple canneries have been converted into housing, shops, restaurants and studios. Haiku is full of character and has a charm about it that attracts a lot of visitors not just for the big waves breaking at Peahi. To get there follow the Hana Hwy from Kahului Airport eastwards along the North Shore for about 20 minutes. Stop in Paia and ask whilst buying a snack from this once old plantation town.

FAVORABLE CONDITIONS

Jaws or Peahi breaks over perfectly shaped triangle reef. The winter swells that pound the Hawaiian shores come all the way from the Aleutian island chain in the far north of the Bering sea. Unimpeded by landfall they arrive at Hawaii full of raw power.
Peahi doesn't break all that often and may only get big a couple of times a year and huge once in a few years, but when its on its awe inspiring, and with an ever increasing number of hellmen charging and pwc's finding grief on the rocks below Peahi Bluff , the gasps of photographers and spectators on water, on land and in the air are just as deafening as the roar of the huge waves of Jaws.

BEST TIME TO GO

Jaws is surfed in the northern hemispheres' winter. Big swells can arrive on the Hawaiin island chain from October through to April. The climate here is agreeable due to the coolness of the consistent trade winds that blow bringing with them those misty rainbow mornings across a scenery of green landscapes of pineaple and sugar cane farms at the base of Haleakala.

SURFING JAWS.

Day one, 8 a.m.
Near Aleutian Islands
1,900 miles northwest of Maui
Winter storm stalls; winds build, driving swells.

Day two, 8 p.m.
Buoy 51001
390 miles northwest of Maui
Storm-generated swells reach buoy; data posted
on Internet.

Day three, 8 a.m.
Jaws reef
One-half mile offshore
Entering shallow water swells transform to breakers.

As swells roll by, buoy 51001 measures wave height and period- the length of time between crests. The longer the period, the faster the wave. Using the buoy data, scientists and surfers can calculate how quickly the waves might reach Jaws, and how big they'll be when they do.