INTRO Friendly shop with fair prices, but board quality can…read morebe hit or miss - especially some of the soft tops, which may be waterlogged and very difficult to surf. Definitely inspect your board before heading out and if you get a bad board, simply head in and swap it out. They will be very cool about it and likely give you more time in the water for the inconvenience. THE STAFF Very, very friendly and welcoming. No issues here. THE BOARDS Beware: some of the soft-top boards may be waterlogged. Pick them up - if they're unusually heavy, they're likely full of water and will surf terribly. I raised this with the leadership team, and Ben said they're going to do a better job inspecting the rental quiver to ensure boards are ready to ride. When in doubt, opt for a solid 8-9' hard top. BOOTIES You may think you want them to get out past the ~10 feet of rocky bottom. Not the end of the world - smooth rocks and ZERO sea urchins. They'll tell you they're everywhere, but you're only touching bottom for a couple seconds as you enter the crystal-clear water. Bring your own or rent for $5. If I had to do it again, I'd skip the booties. THE WAVES Scout the waves first. This is not Waikiki. This spot is hit or miss. THE CROWD Perpetual surf school sitting in the best spot in the lineup. No issues with them personally, but it does make the area feel crowded. OVERALL You're surfing in Hawaii - it's always a good outing. This is the best rental option for this beach. The staff is great and the prices are fair. Just double-check the surf and your rental board before paddling out, and don't hesitate to return to the shop during your rental to swap boards. They're happy to help, and if you lose time due to a bad board, ask for extra time - their team will likely make it right.

UPDATED - November, 2025 -…read more FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW!!! Jackson now is in his fourth year of lessons with Eli. He started at 5 years old and this year his sister Reagan started - she's six years old! Eli is the BEST surf instructor in the entire world. The kids love him and he genuinely loves the kids. He teaches them to love the water and have FUN - all while being safe. Supporting Eli is the owner and operator Ben who makes sure everything is covered at a high level. Great equipment, location, safety and the positive VIBES! If you're interested in surfing on the big island, water it's renting equipment, lessons, or the location, this is your spot! Check out the photos.

The last time I surfed was in 2004 in Maui, many years ago not quite young - but much younger than…read moreI am now; and before I had kids. But surfing in the beauty of Hawaii is an experience of a lifetime and one I wanted to share with my kids/family. My son was up for the adventure. We met our instructor, Daniel, at the surf van that is parked on the road, near the guardrail, just south of the little blue church. He informed us that it was high tide, and there wouldn't be many waves and offered to rebook us for another time. It was our last day of our trip, and we would not be able to make it for another day. After much thought, my husband convinced us just to go out and make the best of it. I'm so glad we did. We got out into the water, paddled out. During the our time in the water, I got roughed l up a bit by a set that rolled one on top of another, but Daniel was there keeping a watchful eye, was awesome to help paddle tow me over a bit further away from that area. Daniel was able to pick out what few waves came by and get us set up to catch them. He is so easy going and encouraging. He continued to give us tips for board positioning. We were able to catch a handful of waves between myself and my son. Standing up and riding a wave was pure magic - and the highlight of my trip. I wish I would have taken photos of it all, but I was too busy enjoying living the moment in real life. And my son and I were able to even catch the same wave together - that was the best! Thank you to Kona Town Surf Adventures and to Daniel for sharing the surf of Hawai'i. And when Daniel comes to Arizona to follow his dreams at UTI, we'd be happy to be his desert ohana.

Our four kids (two 11-year olds, a 13 year old and a 14 year old) had an absolute blast. Two of the…read morefour kids were looking forward to the surf lesson and two of the four were dreading it. Happy to report that four and the four had a GREAT time! Our instructors (Daniel and I missed the gal's name) were definitely a highlight. They let the kids go at their own speed but didn't treat them like babies. I've taken surf lessons in other cities and these were awesome because they cut right to the chase. Definitely more time spent in the water, which was appreciated. Their instructions they emailed ahead of time were spot on. Couldn't say more great things about our experience. All four kids ended up getting up on a board plenty of times, despite less than ideal Hawai'i conditions (gray, rainy, etc). They could have gone for another two hours!

Chris was an awesome instructor for my daughters first time surfing. He has 30+ years of experience…read morewhich came in handy when the conditions weren't great that day but he managed to make the most out of the session. He was very patient and friendly to her (7 year old) and my younger daughter (5 year old) - especially since he has a daughter of his own. Both loved their first time and now my older wants to go out again so mission accomplished

The location was perfect. Easy to find parking , great waves and very helpful instructor, who was…read morevery patient with my nine year old. They provided us with everything we needed (surfboards, shoes, leashes etc) and gave detailed helpful instructions. If you are looking for family surfing fun this is an awesome surf company to use.

Great private surf lesson! Everything was ready to go when I arrived. Was in the water in just a…read morefew minutes, after a quick shore lesson. Ethan was awesome! Very patient and explained everything very well. He taught a 53 year old first time surfer the ropes. With his guidance and professional instruction I was able to catch some waves and get to my feet after only a couple of attempts. Would 100% go back to Kona Mike's for another lesson. Of course I'd request Ethan!

An amazing experience for my daughter! She had so much fun and learned a lot. Hana was the best…read moreinstructor. He was encouraging and gave clear directions.

My 17 year old son and I took a semi private surfing lesson with Charles. He was a very patient,…read morelaid-back, experienced and knowledgeable teacher. Charles was able to get both of us standing on the surfboard, during the entire to our lesson. The lessons took place on Kahalu'u beach. I felt safe and comfortable, despite never swimming in the ocean and poor vision. I wore my swimming prescription goggles. The beach was not very deep, and I was able to see beautiful, yellow fish, swimming below my surfboard. We had a blast with Charles, and it was much more fun than I anticipated. My son, and I had a semi private lesson, which maximized time catching the waves, and efficiency. It took a few minutes for me to paddle back to the instructor, while my son caught a wave. I highly recommend booking surfing with this company. Our family of five also booked adventures with Ocean, Eco Tours, which is a related small family business. We did intro to scuba diving (no precertification needed), and snorkeling. If you want a small group adventure, with personalized attention, I recommend Ohana Surf and Ocean, Eco Tours.

Awesome time! Kaleo was super helpful, nice, got me to stand up and we saw a turtle!!! Definitely…read morerecommend!!!

Highly recommend checking out the mind body yoga surf school , the instructor is highly informative…read more! Had a great time out in the water !

I had 3 private yoga lessons with Lindsay, after only doing yoga a few times back in high school. I…read morewanted to get into yoga, but was uneasy about taking group classes. I am so happy I did the private lessons. I now feel confident going to group yoga classes, and know what the instructor is talking about. I see a lot of people looking around trying to figure out what they are suppose to be doing, but not me! I know the correct posture for each position, as well as what the main poses are called. I am also getting pretty good at doing the sun salutations. I am so happy Lindsay showed them to me over and over again in slow motion, because I actually know how to do it (most of the class struggles with them). I highly recommend taking some private lessons with her!

This was our second time at this school. This is the best surf school by far on the island. They…read moreare friendly and welcoming and make you feel like you are part of their family. Jake is the man. He is funny and encouraging and really really good with kids. They all give back to the community which I really like. This is the ONLY school to go to.

We had an awesome experience with Hawai'i Lifeguard Surf Instructors. Tiff gave us a great overview…read moreat the start of the lesson, and Jake and John were great to work with once we were in the water. Not only did they help us learn some basics of surfing but they were great guys to talk with in between waves. I can't recommend these guys enough

My kids had the semi-private lesson with Trae, they had a great experience and learned surfing…read morequickly. Trae was thorough with explanations and had different tips on how to get on the surfing board, he was very patient and flexible with our scheduling. Highly recommend!

Trae and Bear were incredible teachers and guides, everyone got up and kids went the full two…read morehours with lots of great rides and safely navigated a strong current. Freshly picked oranges after the session were delicious and hit the spot. They were also full of great recommendations for local favorites to do and eat. High recommend!!!

Jay was super cool. I rented a board from him and he gave me advice when I was in the water. He…read morerepresents the Hawaiian spirit of the islands. Will look him up again when I come back

We had a great time with Jae and his crew! I found Jae by looking up safe surf lessons for kids in…read moreKahalu'u, and this certainly did not disappoint. Starting with communication.. Jae made sure we were only booking on a good day for waves... very easy to talk to, he wants a good experience for all! With a 5, 6, and two 8 year old boys who are good swimmers but never surfed, it was great having the instructors each with the little boys on the boards.. I felt very safe with these professional surfers! The 8 year olds were doing great with one instructor. And all the boys caught so many waves! Now all they want to do is surf! The adults were able to tag along and float with everyone, and try to catch some waves too.. it was great for all of us! Highly recommend and we will be back!

Had a great time kayaking through Kealakekua bay with Evan and Steve and then snorkeling near…read moreCaptain Cook's monument. This was our second time and it was just as fun, if not more! The early morning kayaking through the bay is soothing for the soul. We also got lucky and saw some dolphins. The snorkeling is out of this world with such clear water and variety of colorful fish of all sizes. Evan and Steve were both very attentive to all the kayakers and super knowledgeable as we learned a bunch about Hawaiian history, Captain Cook's arrival (and demise), and the lasting legacy of that episode on Hawaii's history. After all the snorkeling, the sandwich lunch hit the spot. It also came with a souvenir water bottle! I had a last minute dietary request and they graciously accommodated. Even though this was our second time, we still had fun and actually learned new details about the history and conservation efforts happening in the area! If you want a fun, yet respectful and ethical experience, this is it!

Grant was an awesome guide. Led the process from getting outrigger canoe from the beach into the…read morewater, explaining the proper technique, providing information about the location and directing the paddle experience. Saw a large pod of dolphins that swam right by us - we stopped to keep our distance, but the dolphins didn't follow the rules so we got an amazing show from them. Added bonus was the paddling workout.