I came to Hawaiʻi wanting to become a better surfer, but I didn't realize how much I was missing…read moreuntil I worked with Chris at South Shore Surf. In one lesson, something just clicked. I went into the water nervous and second-guessing myself and came out surfing with a confidence I hadn't had before. Chris has a way of seeing exactly what you're doing, what's holding you back, and giving you the adjustment you need without overcomplicating it. I learned more in that one session than I had in so many lessons before it. He doesn't just push you into waves. He teaches you how to surf them--how to read what's happening, trust yourself, and eventually not need him there at all. I came out of the water a different surfer than I went in. That's a rare kind of teacher.

I highly recommend South Shore Surf. I took two lessons a couple years ago with 2 different…read moreinstructors. I have to say that Chris is, by far, the best instructor I ever had. He had a great way of calmly explaining techniques to us, based on where he saw we were struggling. My boyfriend was able to stand up and ride so many waves, and it was his first time ever surfing. It's obvious that Chris has a true passion for teaching, and he'll make sure you have a good experience. Jen also took awesome photos and videos while we were out on the water. My boyfriend and I will definitely be visiting South Shore Surf again when we come back to Oahu.

Kierran was AWESOME!! We had a great lesson with him. We caught a ton of waves and saw sea turtles…read moretoo! Kierran was super informative and very helpful!! The photos we received were amazing too. The photographer took so many photos of us!! All of the staff were very nice!!

The waves were very far in-between today however they offered to let us reschedule but we went…read moreahead and went for it. And it was 100% worth it. Skyler was amazing with us. He made sure we were ready to go and it was worth every penny. Keith took fantastic photos of us. And this was an experience I would happily do again.

Aunty V was great, very patient and understanding with someone like me, a non-swimmer surfing for…read morethe first time. After the patient comes fun, but observant Aunty V. Trusting her helps you trust yourself while surfing. I highly recommend 10/10.

Yogi was super helpful and our instructor was awesome My…read morekids loved it Will be going again

A+ experience. I have zero surf experience before this. He was very focused on learning on the go…read more We covered safety and the begining and hit the water. I was with 2 friends and he made sure we each got time to learn. All of us got to our feet and roade at least one wave. I will happy go see him again next time I visit the island. Thanks for everything.

The two stars are only because Carsun was really nice, easy going, and helped me paddling when I…read moreneeded it. I'm disappointed overall because he was over 30 minutes late from our scheduled appt, he didn't tell me I would be with another student (I thought I was paying for private), and the overall session was only 40ish minutes. It said up to 90 minutes on Groupon, so I was assuming at least an hour of water time. He seems like a good guy and runs a nice family business, but unfortunately he struck me on my biggest pet peeve: ending significantly earlier than the paid time (...and being really late). I'd recommend his services only if he fixes those two areas.

Our family had such an amazing experience! We booked a family surf lesson with our three kids (ages…read more4, 7, and 9), and they paired us with four instructors. I honestly can't say enough good things about the entire team. My two youngest stayed on their instructors' boards the entire lesson, which was perfect for their ages. Their instructors were incredibly patient, kind, encouraging, and so amazing with young children. My oldest had his own instructor who really took the time to teach him and build his confidence. My husband and I were with Sparky, who was absolutely fantastic. By the end of the lesson, every single one of us had stood up and ridden a wave more than once! The instructors made everyone feel safe, supported, and successful, no matter their age or experience. It also gave us peace of mind knowing everyone is lifeguard certified. We had so much fun that before we even got back to the car, my kids were already asking to book another lesson before we leave! If you're thinking about surfing, especially as a family with young kids, I can't recommend Sparky and his team enough.

I (9 year old) took an amazing surf lesson!…read more Sparky is the perfect guy for me, he was so patient! And he was always lifting my spirit with amazing positivity whenever I wiped out on a wave. I loved him so much I took another surf lesson the next day! Since I am a kid it is not too easy but with Sparky on my side the word hard never came my way! Surfing with Sparky is amazing and if you are looking for a successful surf lesson you should definitely go to Sparky's! Love Olivia to Sparky!!!!!

Wonderful surf school. The staff are extremely helpful and friendly. They made sure we knew what we…read morewere doing, and why. Made sure everyone in our group was doing well. We loved it so much we had to come back again! Our great instructors were Happi, Brandon, and Tyler. Great people! Thanks for the amazing time Management give these guys a raise!

We love JOB school of surf, the instructors are strong surfers, gives great instruction and gets my…read moredaughter into great waves. We've gone to both Coronado and Waikiki. The solo surf lesson makes a difference when you're looking for a quality experience. Highly recommend for young kids.

Paulo was a great coach and all 3 of us caught multiple waves. Aura farming: surf lesson at Waikiki…read moreBeach, right at the Duke statue. Great time and value!

If zero stars could be the score it would, but, alas, we're stuck with 1 star. I suppose I should…read morehave done my homework beforehand ... and certainly having Elon Musk as your background picture on Yelp would have been a big red flag .... Avoid: Kahu Surf School. My son was so excited for his first surf lesson and we had signed up with this School based on reviews on Google. I don't even know where to begin - they were late, the photographer no-showed, they didn't have a plan for who would give the lesson, and then they expected my kid - (and this was billed for 6-11 year olds) to immediately grasp it - and this is all before getting in the water (we also had to meet them at an office two blocks off the beach). The instructor told my son to "stop f'ing around" in front of us when he giggled nervously when he didn't get some something perfect immediately. We should have pulled him right there (parenting fail). Verbal abuse is never okay. The surf lesson was an absolute nightmare. The instructor swore at my child repeatedly (including f-bombs) leaving my son in tears, he was impatient with my son as he struggled to learn a new skill, and he seemed to have a little experience or willingness to work with a new-to-surfing kid. Kids need to be told things and receive constant reminders to help them learn. Instead, the instructor was verbally abusive of a child. This was supposed to be the highlight of the trip and instead my son ended up on the beach in tears. The surf instructor took off and paddled away from him as my son was attempting to learn how to navigate on a board and then screamed at him that he was f'ing terrible when my son fell. The whole thing was only 25 minutes instead of an hour. I've reached out to the surf school for a refund (they did give back the photo fee, but have refused everything else and are now LYING that my son is special needs and that I misled them . Our son does not have special needs and is not special needs in any way ... their story has changed ged repeatedly- all to justify financial irresponsibility and verbal abuse of a minor. They tried to say it was my son's fault for not learning his first time out or listening (to verbal abuse). These are kids- they deserve better- and patience is part of it..It was the most unprofessional experience we've ever had and I'm so, so sad for my kid. I would NEVER recommend them and encourage everyone to seek more appropriate options for children's beginner lessons. In fact, the instructor started out saying he would be on the beach watching my son, and he'd come in if he needed help. It was unreal and I think he saw our expressions as he did go in the water with him. Note the photo, that they offer refunds for reviews ... so, buyer beware. I don't suppose I'll get a refund for this? I have also had really strange communications via email with the person I can only assume is the owner and the author of the below response. Each email has changed the story and now he's settled on calling an academically gifted child/swim team swimmer special needs (I think there is maybe a reading comprehension issue? It's alarming and very strange. These are not people I'd want around my kid. It's a violation of yelp and Google to offer incentives for reviews.

First time signing up for surf lessons and, based on reviews, decided to give Faith a try…read more I think the rates are reasonable for personal, semi-group, and group instruction. 80 minutes for newbies was a perfect amount of time to go over safety, technique, and signals on land then experiment in the ocean for the remainder of the time. Rocco was clear when giving instructions and tips for improving our stance on the board while on land. He was patient and re-stated parts I did not understand. Looking back, I wish I had asked for advice on what to do when surfing directly into/next to someone. Shout to the other person? Jump off the board? Rocco mentioned 'traffic' and who has the right of way but not crash scenarios. I mention this because on three of my practice runs, I was wiped out by other younger individuals No blame or judgment from a first-timer here, but I was excited to get a longer run standing yet almost half of my opportunities were stopped short not due to my lack of skill. You will need to purchase a rash guard either at Faith or purchase one locally (check out Ross, Walmart, Target, etc.). Also would recommend leg protection if you burn easily (like I did). I applied sunscreen on the backs of my legs, as instructed in the confirmation information, but I got a gnarly sunburn on my and legs. I signed up for 11:00 slot and was delayed almost 30 minutes due to overlapping canoe and surf lessons schedules. The staff was apologetic and kind and offered beach chairs while we waited. We were not in a rush, so waiting was no issue. Once we began, we received the full 80 minute lesson and had a blast! Even with the delay, I would highly recommend Faith! The staff is excellent and personalizes feedback on land and in real time in the water. Mahalo ‍

Stopped by at 9:30am this morning with no reservation & the guys were able to accomodate us…read moreimmediately! Clark, Toni & Ron were so friendly & full of aloha!! Will definitely stop by regularly on my HNL layovers!