What to Wear in Maui in January

Pack for a deck. NOAA's normals for Kahului give January 82.2°F by day and 63.6°F at night, the coolest nights of the year, with 61mm of rain over about 8 days. The whales set the plan. NOAA's sanctuary says "the usual peak in humpback abundance occurs from January through March", Pacific Whale Foundation calls the ʻAuʻau Channel between Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi "one of the best whale-watching destinations in the world", and its Great Whale Count runs from 8am to noon on Saturday 30 January. A morning on the water means wind across an open deck, spray, and sun reflected off the channel, and Maui County allows only mineral sunscreen. So cover up: long sleeves, a windbreaker, a hat on a cord and shoes that grip a wet deck, plus a cardigan for dinner.

The capsule

1. 
   01

   Sand hooded windbreaker

   NWS Honolulu says trade winds blow on about half of winter days, and on a whale-watch deck you stand in that wind with nowhere to shelter. A hooded windbreaker cuts it without adding heat at 82°F and keeps spray off the knit underneath. Sand shows dried salt less than navy does.

2. 
   02

   Ecru long-sleeve breton, navy stripes

   Maui County's cover-up advice lists long-sleeved shirts first, and on the water the sun reaches you twice, from above and off the channel. A long-sleeve cotton breton covers your arms without a single coat of sunscreen, and the navy stripe hides spray marks that a plain white tee shows.

3. 
   03

   Light khaki straight trousers

   Full-length cotton covers the shins that burn first when you sit on a deck bench, and a straight leg does not flap in the wind the way a wide one does. Light khaki sits cleanly with the navy stripe and the sand jacket, and it goes to lunch in Kīhei without a change.

4. 
   04

   Tan leather boat shoes

   A whale-watch deck is wet from the first wave, and a boat shoe's rubber sole grips wet decking where a sandal slides. The lace keeps the shoe on when you step over a gunwale, leather dries in the sun on the ride back, and tan sits under khaki.

5. 
   05

   Sand bucket hat, wide brim, chin cord

   On a moving boat a brim without a cord goes over the side with the first gust. This one has a wide brim all the way round, which covers the neck and ears the county asks you to protect, and a cord that cinches under your chin. It packs flat.

6. 
   06

   Oat thin V-neck cardigan

   January nights at Kahului average 63.6°F, the coolest of the year, and NWS Honolulu says a cold front can drop them into the 50s. A thin oat cardigan goes over the pale blue dress at dinner and under the windbreaker on an early boat, and it takes no room in the bag.

7. 
   07

   Navy coated-canvas zip crossbody

   Spray reaches everything on an open deck. A coated-canvas crossbody with a zip keeps a phone, a card and the mineral sunscreen dry, and a long strap leaves both hands free for the rail and a pair of binoculars.

8. 
   08

   Pale blue short-sleeve shirt dress, drawstring waist

   Dinner at 63.6°F with the cardigan over it. A short-sleeve shirt dress buttons up for a restaurant and opens at the collar on the walk there, cotton breathes after a day in the sun, and pale blue picks up the navy of the breton without repeating it.

A suggested look — navy and ecru breton top, sand hooded windbreaker, light khaki straight trousers, tan boat shoes, sand bucket hat.

What to avoid

• Approaching whales — stay 100 yards away by boat, board, kayak or drone
• A hat without a cord on a boat — the first gust takes it
• Sandals on a wet deck — no grip
• Non-mineral sunscreen — its use is banned in Maui County
• A PGA Tour day at Kapalua — The Sentry is at Torrey Pines in 2027