We loved staying at Debbie's place and making Kihei our home base while in Maui!
The place: homey condo that's somehow both away from tourism craziness and close enough to most things you want to do, amenities were so helpful especially on our ocean days (e.g. washer/dryer), extra comfy bed, there seemed to be beach & snorkel gear in the closet which we didn't get a chance to take advantage of but could be a huge added bonus for you
The location: THE beach to learn how to surf is literally 2 minutes away on foot, excellent food in the area, Kihei is where you want to base yourselves if you're not searching for the upscale resort type, not far from the North Shore where there's more excellent food and the airport, and Road to Hana was very doable