While Maui’s beauty is certainly evident all year round, knowing when the best months are for exploring the opportunities that best cater to you and your travel party can make the experience all the better. Whether you’re looking forward to partaking in the ultimate fishing expedition or you’re eager to lace up your hiking boots and conquer Haleakala National Park, understanding how Maui’s seasons change throughout the year can help you adequately prepare for the attractions and activities you want to do. Here’s a quick guide on which seasons are the best for the various interests you wish to fulfill during your stay at a Maui vacation rental:
Surfing
From veterans of hanging ten to first-timers on the board, the best time to go surfing on Maui is during the winter months. The primary reason for this is intensity of the wind. Throughout the summer, the trademark winds off the coasts can reach peak levels, typically between 12-36 miles per hour, according to Sailtrilogy.com. As if balancing on a board while trying to catch a wave weren’t difficult enough, stronger winds can make surfing conditions more difficult, and you can always expect bigger waves with more intense wind gusts. Between December and March, the wind tends to significantly calm down. However, rainfall does tend to pick up during this season, particularly in the northern regions of the island. That being said, winter is ideal for Maui surfing, as wind speeds are down, the temperature isn’t as hot and the water is still quite warm.
Fishing
The beauty of fishing on Maui is that there’s practically no bad time of year to cast off and reel in a winner. However, depending on which season you’re planning on staying in your Maui vacation rental, the type of fish you’ll likely catch can be quite different throughout the year. If you’re trying to fish for tuna, Mauifishing.com states that between May and September are the best times of the year to catch everything from yellowfins to skipjack tuna. As for other types of popular game fish, bluefins and blue-line snappers are more active during the fall, whereas stripped billfish and amberjacks are routinely caught in the later winter months of February and March. Another key factor to consider before planning a fishing trip on Maui is boat rental availability. The summer is by far the most busy time for renting a boat, and things typically tend to cool off once September rolls around.
Each season means new fish are active in the Maui waters.Hiking
Nothing helps you experience the sheer brilliance of Maui’s natural scenery quite like spending the day hiking on any of the island’s famous trails. However, knowing which seasons present the most pleasant conditions for a day hiking through the tropical terrain can help make this activity all the more memorable. Out of all the seasons, there’s certainly nothing that beats hiking during the summertime. Contrary to what most people would think, the temperatures on Maui don’t vary too much throughout the year, as the average high throughout the summertime is around 85 degrees whereas in the winter, the average only drops down to 78 degrees, according to Frommer’s. With that being said, the main reason the summer months are ideal for hiking is to avoid any chance of rain, which usually picks up more in the fall and winter. Also, depending on where you’re hiking, higher elevation journeys can get a lot chillier in the winter, especially if you’re traveling up a few thousand feet.
Other activities
With so many other opportunities to experience on Maui, it can be difficult to center your whole vacation around a specific time of the year. But keeping in mind which seasons tend to be the better occasions for particular activities will help you plan out all the options you have available to you. If you’re someone who wishes to get to know more of the culture of Maui, between April through August, there are dozens of incredible festivals ranging from food competitions to hula parades. If you’re trying to avoid the large crowds, then skipping the summer may be the best option for you. As for a scenic trip down the Hana Highway, nothing beats rolling down the windows and feeling the fall breeze as you pass one scenic masterpiece after another.