My wife’s work is sending us to Maui in late April. 
I haven’t been to Hawaii since childhood (Oahu) and only surfed at Haliewa on my dad’s board. I’d like to make a board for the trip. I’d be interested in suggestions for an swiss army type shape appropriate for the conditions that time of year. I’m not sure yet where we’ll be staying so I don’t know where I’ll have an opportunity to surf. I’d also be interested in any suggestions on where to surf and where not to surf. I am relatively experienced and of intermediate ability, I suppose. Of course I am handicapped by my eastcoast US geography in terms of my comfort in larger waves. I don’t want to make anyone mad–I’d just like to surf some fun waves and avoid hostile crowds if possible. Fun to me means rideable where I’m from so I’m not too particular. My everyday board is a 6’ canard quad swallow tail if that helps any. Thanks.
I’d make a shape something like a McCoy. Volume under your body, but a pulled-in nose & a round tail. The waves will jack up a lot quicker than you’re used to, so a smaller tail will keep you from getting pitched. Wide point behind center will help you stay in the pocket - that time of year is not prime for barrell hunting. A small nose will help in the relatively strong winds you’re likely to find in spring. I’d shoot for around 6’4", but there are people who ride those boards very small like fish…
Sorta agree with Benny1, except McCoys have ridiculously wide tails, so not the best for fast moving hollow surf.
Your normal board is a good size and shape, but as said, add 3" to cope with strong offshore winds.
Best wave on Maui is undoubtedly H bay, but it’s packed with all levels of surfers, mostly really good. Big W swells, just before you get there has some reefs breaking really well.
April is transition season, so some S’s, Maalea to ThousandPeaks, to Lahaina, and some NNE swells, meaning Hookipa, Hana, and the airport area.
Lotsa driving, one road, mostly you won’t encounter anything bigger than just overhead Hookipa.
Big West Honolua, expect 80 guys out at 7AM till close to dark.
Trade winds starting around 10, surf early…
Thank you for the input. Yeah, I wasn’t planning on messing with Honolua–a little intimidating. Of course, my local ‘hot spot’ on a good day may have as many as 200 guys in a 300 yard stretch of beach–granted its shifty beach break. Perhaps I’ll just scale up my usual by a few inches.
Obviously, I’m Oahu-based…
April/May is the best time of the year for the south shore, and it won’t likely be overhead, so you should be able to handle whatever comes in, one way or another. There can be larger south swells during that period, but not a high probability of it being out of your ability range.
The best part about April/May is that the tradewinds may drop off and we usually get some Kona wind days - little or no wind till 10 in the morning, bright and sunny till early afternoon. After 10, convection sets in and it may be onshore all around the island.
Hookipa will likely be onshore and a bit stormy if there are trades (usually 10-20 mph). If the Kona winds come, everywhere will be glassy, go where it’s up. Which may be nowhere.
Board rentals are available, if you don’t like airline prices. Depends how long you stay, how much time you have. Maui is a pretty small island (though bigger than Oahu), and relatively crowded, too (despite having much less population than Oahu).
Anyone tell him what the surf report phone number is on Maui?
Honolua needs a big northwest - I don’t think you’re gonna get that while you’re here. More likely Lahaina area, possibly Kihei/Wailea, and of course Hookipa (almost) always has something, plus windsurfers.
I think your 6 footer might fit the bill for that time of the year. I don’t know how big you take that board in, but unless there are big souths or norths, I’d think the waves would probably in the head high range. If it gets too big for your 6 footer, then rent a board that will better suit the waves.
Just stick to the south shore and you should have a good time… locals can be ruff at Ho’okipa especially if you snake there waves… 1000 peaks is fun along with the bay… if its a south swell you can drive past makena to this little spot where hardly anyone goes… when makena gets up it holds some tight little barrels just real shallow so be careful
www.omaui.com for surf reports
http://www.hawaiiweathertoday.com/content.php?pid=15 is also a good site for daily surf reports. Be sure to read the narrative, also Glenn’s wave heights are “Hawaiian style”. Thousand Peaks is nice that time of year with numerous breaks to surf (hence the name).