I know that there's heaps of threads here on this topic but a lot of them are a bit dated now, so I thought I'd ask for some upto date info.
I'm planning a trip with a mate or 3 from the UK to Maui around June / July.
Any tips on;
Accommodation? budget $100 and under per head (2 or 4 people)
Car / van rental?
Gear rental?
General Maui do's & don'ts?
It's the first time we've been so I'm keen to hit the ground running.....
Appreciate any help I can get! 
Dave
Don't sail before 12
Dont piss off the mokes at Ho'okipa bra
Dont go searching through the canefields...
do eat at the Paia fish market (the little burger joint on the corner, not to be confused with the fish cafe, the ritzy one closer to Hookipa)
thats all I got...
Speak to matt pritchard - top bloke who will go out of his way to make your stay great - also does great lessons
he can set you up with everything from gear and accomadation
There is plenty of cheapish accomadation but honeestly you would be MUCH better paying a bit more and getting a place on the beach
ie Spreck beach estate or one of the other rental propertys along the kanaha foreshore.
so nice being able to come out of the water and not have to derig an pack the car - just hang the gear up and head for the beer:)
not having to worry about leaving things behind or getting stuff stolen from your car
dont eat the feral chickens and watch out for turtles !
Hiring a car in Maui, plenty of options there with all of the big names represented, but we get old bangers for about 200 a week, they have aircon and are pretty good with customer service (al west car rental) Kimos rentals have been great the last few years
We usually stay on the north shore, around Haiku and Paia, Makewao, very Adelaide hills in its appeal, cruisey surf culture, rains a lot, but great for surf, beaches, forest walks, waterfalls, You have to drive to Hana (circumnavigate if possible, great experience)
Maui must do’s Hana for lunch (drive etc)www.surfinggoatdairy.com – www.mamasfishhouse.com/ - amazing fish meals, ideally book for sunset
Go to the Rodeo at Makawao – a very American experience
Surf lessons with Dave and Susie www.actionsportsmaui.com/surfing.htm
Joy flight up the crater and the West Maui mountain range, Waihee mountain range etcTwin Falls walk, or further down the Hana road the Bamboo Forest walk, this one is amazing and a true adventure, you will need to be relatively fit for this one, but its so worth the climb, swim etc….Ke’Anae village on the way to Hana, great spot for banana bread and traditional Maui village on lava outcrop, amazing place!
Get good travel insurance!
For two weeks in Maui you wont need too many clothes, so travel light, There are some lovely small accommodations on the north shore, try these for some ideas,pritchardwindsurfing.com/maui-deals/ - Sugar cove / Sprecks is a great place to stay, but is at the end of the runway / airport and the flights are 24/7Paia – cool seaside village, great shops and eats,www.paiamaui.com/ (you must go to the Paia Fish Market and the Flat Bread Pizza place (best Mojitos on the island here)nukamaui.com/ the best Japanese I have ever had!You must also try out the Coleens restaurant if in Maui, best food on the island (that’s a big call too as its all pretty good)
Get to Lahaina, on the west side, great to sit and watch the world go by, have a beer with Mick Fleetwood at his roof top bar, Spend a morning here, actually spend the day, its such a cool place, aslo a good place to get a deal on a day cruise with whales, dolphins, submarine, fishin charter etc…
Thanks guys, pretty cool that you'd take the time to reply.
We're trying to make the trip as cheap as possible and every piece of advice we get has a pearl of wisdom in there somewhere.
Roar, I did some research on the accommodation around the Sprecks beachfront / Camp One area and unless there's at least 6 of you it is sooo expensive. Or did I miss something?
Budget is upto $100 a night pp.
Who do you guys go to for travel insurance? As I'm new to Australia I struggling to find the best provider.
Other than Matt Pritchard, who else is good for gear? He's $749US for 12 days incl. insurance seems steep??? Don't get me wrong I'd love to get gear, lessons etc from him but just cant stretch to that.
Final question, car rental insurance....do you guys get the lot and cover everything or role the dice? The insurance costs are more that the bloody cars??
There are over a dozen gear rental places near the airport area most within walking distance of each other. You can always visit a few when you get there and negotiate a deal.
Get yourself a credit card that covers CDW on the car, this will save on the excessive insurance cost.
All the shops there do hire, but 749 for 12 days comes out at $62/day which is about the same price as the shops - i rented from 2nd wind as I like Maui Sails gear.http://secondwindmaui.com/index.php/our-services/rentals.html
Don't need to pre-reserve gear rentals from the shops - they have a lot of stuff. Just roll in/out and they keep a tab. You can rent a couple of days then return then rent again. They just tally it up at the end.
How many times have you been to Maui James? Is it high on your priority list to return?
Thanks for the responses guys!!
Someone mentioned yesterday that Haiku is a good cheap spot for accom. How far is that from Kanaha?
Other than Mr Pritchard is there any other instructor who's good? Looking at improving gybes, fast tacks and maybe having a go at a forward
From memory Haiku is about 20-25mins. Paia can be a traffic jam at times.
haiku has its own climate being at a higher elevation. Its cooler at night and you can get some mist and rain at night or early morning
