My husband and I got hooked on SUP in Oahu but we had no idea what we were doing – the surf shops basically gave us boards and paddles and pointed towards the water.

In Maui, the paddle boarding folks who run the Paia Inn recommended taking a lesson with Maria, and it was terrific! The beach spot (south of Lahaina) was perfect. The gear (Mistral and Jimmy Lewis boards) was great. And Maria’s instructions – stance, paddle technique, etc. – made a world of difference.

After an hour, we were paddling into waves on our own while Maria took some great shots with her waterproof camera. Tons of fun. Maria was super charming and full of knowledge, energy and great advice. We’ll definitely do it again next trip.