Details/ Background: Took one private surf lesson (1-2 hours) while in Hawaii. I'm a novice who's had 2 or 3 semi-private lessons about once per year for the past two NJ summers. My last surf lesson- over a year ago- was unfortunately stressful and resulted only in killer full-body workout, 100% falling in the water. I've been wanting to try surfing in a warmer climate and different instruction to rekindle my excitement and hopefully catch some waves!! Very happy with my experience with Hans & my instructor, Jimmy. What I appreciated about Hans: 1. Scheduling: was able to book the day before. If hoping for semi-private or group, plan in advance. 2. Facilities: clean, attractive, decent merch, easy parking across the street by Honolulu Zoo. After the session, there was clear protocol for discarding / sanitizing used rash guard + shoes. 3. Introduction: quick but thorough PowerPoint presentation with examples of what to do / not do while in the water, followed by on-land demos. What I appreciated about my instructor: Jimmy was easy going, confident, and catered to my experience and stamina (I am relatively very healthy but don't workout or swim regularly). His vibe made it easy to relax and apply simple techniques to the time in the water. Jimmy shared stories from his person experience and prior students that were insightful and relatable. Jimmy is a natural encourager and demonstrates a genuine confidence in his students in their ability to surf. Jimmy also demonstrated an intimate familiarity with the beach and water. He was able to pinpoint the distance out into the water that would yield the best result for the appropriate amount of effort based on my goals. My surf goals for this session were pretty mild-- #1: get out there #2: have a good time, feel comfortable and ENJOY #3: catch 1 or 2 waves (even kneeling would have been great). With Jimmy, I easily surpassed my goals-- got out there had a GREAT time caught several waves (standing) and finished about half to the very end of the wave, coming back down on the board for smooth completion. I would definitely recommend Jimmy for instruction at Hans Hedemann Surf School. I only wish Hawaii wasn't so far from home or I'd already book my next session! read more

See all

I was nervous to try surfing but as soon as I showed up all of my nerves were gone. Charley was a great guide and I knew I was in good hands. I did a private lesson as I thought I would need the extra attention. Charley got me up on the very first wave! It was pretty cool We were staying at Turtle Bay Resort and this is the surf school at the resort. It is open to the public as well. Check them out! read more

Hans Hedeman Surf School - Surfing Near Me - Kahuku, Hawaii

See all

We had a great time! Our kids took private lessons- age 9, 12 and 14. They felt safe and attended to the whole time. Got up multiple times and just had a blast. Hans was even part of the group and my kids were stoked to surf with him! This morning they totally rubbed it in our faces that Han Hederman taught them how to surf. read more

Danny, Hugo and Kainoa were awesome instructors and had me catching waves within 15 minutes of being on the water. I'm so glad our group did the lessons!! So worth it!! I would definitely come back for another round as a graduate ‍ of Hans Hedeman Surf School. read more

See all

This place is attached to Turtle Bay Resort next to the lobby. Parking is free on the right hand side as you enter the resort. I was a mildly annoyed that the business hours were not posted on their website, on the yelp page, or through their answering machine. I was limited in time but wanted to try and get a surf session in before heading home. I showed up on Saturday morning and the hotel concierge told me they would open at 8am. I waited from 7:30am on and was one of the first people there (soon after, about a crowd of 5 began to wait). 8:05am rolls around and nobody is still there, so I call their other location and a lady answers and says she knows nothing about what time this location would open. She took my number and said she'll call the manager and call me back. She never did. 8:20am rolls around and nobody. I had to leave as I ran out of time. 20 minutes might not be a big deal, but it would've been nice to catch some waves before saying A hui hou to the beautiful island. I guess I learned the true meaning of Hawaiian time. read more

Rude. Condescending. Don't recommend renting anything here. Boards are beat up and crazy expensive ($25/hr is insane when they're $30/day nearby). I'm sure their lessons are great because that's what they are there to sell you. If you're not taking one of their lessons, all bets are off, in the water as well. Let's back up a bit. About 4 years ago I stayed at turtle bay and needed a board. So I went downstairs to rent one from those guys. It was convenient, a little pricey but not crazy expensive, and they had a nice selection of decent boards. All in a a decent experience. We found ourselves back at turtle bay. Surf was too small for the board I brought so I thought I'd rent one from these guys again. Let's just say there are better, cheaper options within a 10 minute drive. First, they were condescending about board rentals and didn't want to rent me a board unless I had at least 3 years of experience and had surfed recently. I said no problem. I get it. They don't want people going out and getting hurt. Fair enough. Next, they didn't want to rent boards while they had lessons going on so it wouldn't get crowded on the break. Huh? You don't want hotel guests who already know how to surf to paddle out? What kind of business plan is that? Not to mention, the boards they did have were really beat up. Lastly, their surf guides think that a surf lesson is like a ski lesson, where you get priority in the lift line, sometimes have your own area, etc. Not so with surfing. No such thing as a private wave. Wave etiquette is what keeps people safe out there. Someone on the wave already? Don't take off, or push your student into the the set wave they're going to pearl on anyway. That's called "dropping in". Wait for the next one. There are plenty of smaller waves out there to learn on. Prioritizing rides over safety is a great way to get paying customers a cool picture, but not a good foundation for learning how to surf safely. So if you want to pop up on a wave and say you surfed one time, I'm sure they're great. But if you actually want to learn surf etiquette and how to be safe in the water, or rent a decent board for a fair price, there are other options. I'm not one to just complain without being constructive. So here are some suggestions. 1. Its Hawaii. Be nice. Aloha y'all. This ain't pipeline. 2. If someone wants to rent a board and not take a lesson, be nice. Your sign says you rent boards. 3. Let people know when you have lessons in the water and suggest either other places to paddle out or just say it's going to be crowded, rather than essentially being territorial. 4. Teach your students some surf etiquette. Lead by example. Like, "see how that guy caught that wave like 50 yards out and is going to ride past us? We'll get the next one." read more

My kids (6 and 8) were nervous and stubborn about trying surfing for the first time. Jamie and Strider did an amazing job making them feel at ease and of course as soon as they got on the board they LOVED it. Bryson and Jonah even got mom and dad to catch some waves too! Thanks to the amazing staff here - we will be back again (it's already booked!) read more

Hans Hedeman Surf School - Surfing Near Me - Kahuku, Hawaii

VERY POOR customer service!!! We stayed at the turtle Bay last week and my 7yr old wanted to stand up paddle board so bad. I will say that a few of the instructors were very cool and helpful when my daughter asked them about renting a board. Since they were close to closing that day we set up our plans for the next day. We got down there a little after 10am and explained to the young lady at the front desk about our plans. She answered our questions and set us all up, although I would say she never seemed excited to help like the guys the day before. She told us that we were "good to go" but that the next van taking passengers wasn't leaving for another hour and half at 1145am. My daughter was fired up so we sat by the pool and waited. Around 1135 we headed back only to have the lady now explain to us that we couldn't go because they had a full van of a group who was paying for lessons. It should be noted that we were only renting a board and not paying for lessons. So even though we signed up first, waited for almost 2 hours, we got bumped for a larger group paying more. I totally get the business here but the fact that she couldn't explain it to my crushed 7 yr old a little better, let alone provide us with a free voucher, or heaven forbid, actually honor their word to us??!! This place blows. I asked her really?? You couldn't send someone down to the pool to let us know so we didn't waste 2 hours on our last day of vacation? Her reply... sorry. This place is truly lame. I know there is likely some good kids working here but to pull this crap on hotel guests?? If you hate good customer service then this is your spot. for everyone else..do what we did and head to Hale'iwa just a 15 min drive away and you will pay less $$, Surf better conditions and actually feel like a valued customer. read more

We had such a great time today with Raye and Hugo from Hans Hedeman Surf School. They took me (46) my daughter and son (12 and 8) and my niece (17) for 2 hours and gave us great lessons. They were super positive and super helpful, getting us all to catch waves, have fun, and really just enjoy ourselves. We have done lessons once before, and this was totally different and better. The personal attention, postiveness, and awesome teachers totally made the difference. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who hasn't surfed before and wants to try it out. Tell them Merv sent you :) read more

Booked a private lesson for my bday was promise a photos and shirt. Fooled me, no photos and shirt. Was told "@ least photographic memories" Wtf? Instructors played like nothing happened. Bad customer service. Gave this place a deathstar. Beware! read more

Went surfing with Hans Hedemann yesterday on a 2 hour group lesson. There were 3 of us and 2 instructors which kept us all busy the entire lesson, there was no downtime or sitting around waiting. The water was rough and they helped us as much as they could however I suggest that you are a strong swimmer, and in good to very good physical condition. The entire staff was very friendly and helpful. They had a large selection of rash guards and reef shoes to keep you protected while out on the water. I would go back again for another lesson. read more

I can't say enough about the team at this shop. We've surfed with them many times over the past ten years - in large groups and in private lessons, at Turtle Bay and Waikiki - and I can't imagine surfing with anyone else. With my 10-year old son, Scott was a machine, getting him up on wave after wave and making sure he left feeling confident and accomplished. Derek and Jaime (a world champion) were so positive and constructive with my older son that he completely turned a corner and had a huge second day. Charley is a teacher by nature. He was gracious enough to remember my family from last year, and brought so much experience to my lessons that I was able to tandem surf AND catch my own wave by the end of the week. (It's harder than you think!) Skylar took killer photos, so the kids stay inspired for our next trip. These guys all work really hard to give everyone a great experience, so be generous where you can. Don't miss the chance to surf with HH! read more

This review is for the Keiki Adventure at the Turtle Bay Resort in the Fabled North Shore. Checking in was a breeze. First off is the rash guard and water shoe fitting from their large selection. Then Rocky the guide was off with the kids. Three hours later, the kids all showed up in the back of a pickup with huge smiles on their faces. They were exhausted, and had a great time. How did I know? They absolutely did not miss us at all! They threw in a photo CD at no cost. Way kool! read more

See all

I had the pleasure of taking some classes from Hanz and his staff during Wanderlust. The whole experience from start to finish was awesome! Fun, knowledgeable staff. I highly recommend them for any of your water pleasures read more

Hans Hedeman Surf School - Waterman experience - Surfing Near Me - Kahuku, Hawaii

We signed up our 10 year old son for a surf lesson expecting him to be part of a group. They recommended a one-on-one lesson instead since he's a youngster, which was a relief to me. Everyone there was friendly and gave great information about what to expect from the lesson. Raye was his teacher and she is great. Patient, encouraging, fun, happy, everything a first time surfer could want in an instructor. The beach they teach at has calm waves and is a great spot for folks just starting out (for surfing and SUP). My son was able to stand up on his first try and ride a wave into the beach. With Raye's instruction, my son's excitement for and confidence in surfing has grown, and we are excited to keep it going! Thanks for the lesson and experience. read more

Adam and Kapua were awesome. They were very funny and taught our group a lot. Caught serveral waves with their help (pushing) but was able to catch a few waves by myself towards the end of the lesson. Totally safe. Totally worth it!!! read more

Jamie Sterling was an amazing instructor! My son caught wave after wave thanks to Jamie, too many to count in a 2+ hour private lesson. He was the best! Surfs competitively and was great with my kid. I would not recommend the group lessons as kids float around waiting their turn for forever. The school should offer semi-private, for 2 only. read more

Our daughters took lessons twice while at the North Shore. Both times at Hans as we were staying at Turtle Bay. Great instructors all around both times for our girls. I didn't experience a bad instructor in the whole crew. We sat along the shore at the bar and got to watch them as they surfed. Great family viewing. Good opportunity to see how good all the instructors were. We were there in July, so the waves were not as high as in the winter surfing season we were told. The instructors seem to have a sense of what a good wave will be and they are generally right. As an arm chair surfer sitting on the sides we couldn't tell. The first time they surfed we did the group lesson. 4 people to 1 instructor. Great for their first time ever on a surf board to learn the basics and get comfortable with the board, but since it was 4 to 1 they didn't get as many runs. The next lesson we did the semi private 2 to 1 lesson. This allowed for more runs and the same great instruction. As one daughter was surfing a wave, the other daughter got in position. Worked great for us and the girls loved it. As beginning surfers the girls were not able to get themselves going on heir own waves. That is the true benefit of a lesson and an instructor to give you a boost on the wave and pick the right ones. Overall I would highly recommend this place. read more

My boyfriend and I were staying at Turtle Bay for a couple of days and decided to take surf lessons. We had a semi private lesson with Bruno, and it was awesome! The break was right by the pool, so close! Some other reviewer said that a semi private wasn't worth it, but I disagree. There was a group lesson going on at the same time, and some people surfing by themselves, but it wasn't a problem at all, everyone was very nice and we caught a ton of waves. The BF would catch a wave and then I'd go. By the time I paddled back to the take off spot, it was my turn again. We surfed non stop for 2 hours, we were definitely tired and ready for a cocktail by the time we finished. At the end of it we got a thumb drive full of great pics, and t-shirts. There were a lot of pics with us standing and riding the waves and my BF says the t-shirt is his new favourite. We had so much fun that we went back the next day asking about other activities. We ended up going out on a 4 man canoe. Lance was our steersman and Jaime sat in the front. They were both awesome! We went out on Kawela Bay and it was so beautiful. We paddled around a little bit, but mostly we wanted to surf some waves and so we did! Lance's expert steering maneuvered us into several waves and Jaime set a great pace so that we could catch them. Thanks Bruno, Lance and Jaime! We will definitely come back! read more

Hans Hedeman Surf School - paddling around Kawela Bay - Surfing Near Me - Kahuku, Hawaii

We had such a fantastic time with our surf lessons! All of the instructors are incredibly nice and patient and really great teachers! You'll be sufficiently tired after the 2 hour lesson, but really satisfied to have learned something new! They even send a photographer out and have someone with a GoPro surfing next to you, so you can have some memories of your time (really nice for us, since we didn't have anyone to stand on shore and take pictures)! The photo/video CD is $35, but that's worth it for the evidence that you were able to get up on a surf board! I would recommend maybe going with the private or semi-private lesson if you want to catch a few more waves. It's not that much more expensive, and you don't need to wait for your turn as often. That said, we did the group lesson and it was still completely worth it. Hans Hedeman's staff totally exceeded my expectations. I was expecting the typical sort of unenthusiastic tourist attraction staff, but these people are the real deal and are super fun to spend a couple hours with. Don't let a trip to Turtle Bay go by without giving them a visit! read more

Took in a drink by the coast and watched the instructor work with a group. I was impressed and decided to sign up. It happened to work out that I ended up with a one on one with Hugo, one of the instructors. I had never been surfing before and I'm 48. I'm in pretty good shape which was a plus because the waves were pretty decent size. At least I thought so. After a quick ground lesson we headed out. In the two hours I caught about 15 rides. I got up on most and got better as the session went on. These instructors are awesome. They are very supportive and have an amazing ability to get you up and surfing quickly. I would definitely recommend you go for it. Matter of fact, now that I'm home I'm thinking of trying here in California. read more

Charlie was great. Good lesson. Everything was taken care of. He kept us safe and did his best to help us catch waves. Highly recommend.

This place was awesome!! Make sure to ask for Danny! The price seems steep but the reality is you get what you pay for. My 11 year old son got a 2 he private lesson with Danny. Make sure you ask for him if he is available. He was fun and kept up the good energy for the whole 2 hour lesson. They surfed up until the last minute. My son was smiling the whole time. They surfed in a cove that is privately rented by Turtle Bay. Not a bunch of schools trying to share the water. read more

I took the group lesson with my niece and sister in law last week. Spencer Deavila was our instructor. We all had a blast! Spencer showed us how to stand, how to paddle and what to look out for in the water. It was more difficult than I expected, but Spencer encouraged us all and we all got it. The scenery couldn't have been any better either. You get to go to a secluded, less windy area about five minutes away. Spencer kept watch over all of us in the water to make sure we wre holding the paddle correctly and brought us around the bay to view some sea turtles. It was amazing. I wished it hadn't been my last day in Turtle Bay. I would love to have this experience everyday! Thanks again Spencer! read more

We were in a group of 4 people and ended up renting a total of 4 boards. Bobby, Skye, and Moon were very helpful and friendly but one male worker on the older side was completely rude. We are experienced surfers but made us feel like we didn't know what we were doing based on his attitude, demeanor, and body language. He charged us for a pre-existing dent, a fault on their part because there was not a proper inspection of one of the boards before we went into the water. The dent was very minimal, was pre-existing, but yet I still got charged $25 for repairs despite trying to explain to the man the situation. Overall, customer service was below average. I would not recommend renting from here. read more

Loved my experience with this shop! The location couldn't have been better since it is located in the lobby of the Turtle Bay Resort. From deciding what kind of lessons I wanted to meeting my instructor for the first time was smooth and super friendly. Matt was a great instructor. I decided to take a private lesson which was worth every penny. Matt and I spent a little time next to the beach practicing then went into the water. The water entry is next to the hotel so no long walks or van rides. The private with Matt went above and beyond my expectations. I was standing by the 3rd wave and Matt made sure I met all my goals. The 2 hours went by fast but I learned a ton about surfing. I cannot wait to return to North Shore and will surf with this shop again. I will also bring my 7 year old to learn. The other instructors who were teaching children were professional and gave the attention children need. I would definitely recommend Matt! He was interested in me learning how to surf and what to look for in every wave. Not once did I feel he was there to burn through the 2 hours or babysit me. Thanks to the private lesson and my instructor I got 10-20 more waves then the other students. Everyone at the shop was friendly and I never felt nervous once I arrived. One piece of advice to new surfers, sun screen the back of your knees really well! read more

So happy I decided to try Stand up Paddle boarding while visiting Northshore! Hans Surf Adventures is located right in the lobby of Turtle Bay hotel, super convenient. They offer private lessons, semi private and one on one lessons in surfing and stand up paddle boarding. They awesome instructors who will teach you no matter what level you may be. Of course I am a first timer, so the two of us were lucky enough to save some money and take advantage of the semi private lesson which is 3 or more people ($75 pp for 2 hours) and you will still get 1 on 1 attention so don't let the semi private deter you. Our instructor was really patient and got us to stand up and paddle board. Don't forget to tip them since these guys do work hard and don't make alot of money. read more

Great coaches, all 3 of them. Very professional and patient. I had the luck to closely see a huge turtle too!

Awesome experience! Great waves, great staff, great time. I had Nick, but I'm sure they're all quality instructors. Great feedback on what i did right and wrong, and made sure i had a great time. I signed up for a group lesson ( which is 3-4 students per instructor, but no one else showed so i got a private lesson for the price of a group lesson! Great people great time really a must try if you're in the area. read more

Rented a board twice with this shop. Knowledgable, helpful, super kind, personable... Even went out surfing with them. Will be using them our entire vacation. The whole team is great read more

Spent a weekend staycation at Turtle Bay Resort and tried out the 2 hr paddleboard lesson. Shane was an awesome instructor and my husband and I had a blast! It was so much fun that after getting such a good foundation by working with Shane, we went out and bought SUPS to use back in Kailua! Thanks to Shane and the whole Hans Surf School Team! Shout out to Ikaika at the Turtle Bay Guidepost for recommending and reserving our lesson! Ikaika was great too! read more

Guides, Nick and Bobby were very personable and friendly, and good interaction with our 3-year-old son. Caught some small waves and guides pointed out many site details. Overall a very fun experience. We went for 45 minutes but would recommend an hour if your health warrants. read more

My husband and I stayed at Turtle Bay for our honeymoon and were "gifted" room credit from one of our friends. We decided to spend it on a group SUP (Stand Up Paddle board) Turtle excursion. Noah was our instructor. He did a great job teaching us tips and tricks to stay on the board (which was tough with the swell) and pointing us in the direction of areas where sea turtles normally hang out. The first hour we didn't see any, but in the last 30 minutes we saw a few. Overall, four stars for Noah and the company and an additional star for helping us find turtles (which isn't guaranteed). On a side note, the cost was a bit pricey from our perspective. Had we not been gifted room credit, it's unlikely we would have booked. read more

This was a thing I had wanted to do for about 25 years but never did. The Team at HH made my "Big Step" seem easy! The instructor was super patient, encouraging and let me lead the pace of the session. When I tired in the middle he pushed me to a bigger wave and I found my mojo, from novice to regular standing in no time. If you have ever thought about surfing, go to these guys, you'll never regret it! My arms will feel it in the morning, but as someone with no sense of balance and rubbish fitness, even I was able to do it! read more

Don't spend extra money for a private or semi private..cause you end up being with a group anyway..so ends up being too many people trying to catch same wave and feel too bunched up..I paid 140 each for my son and myself..$359 total then tip 20 to instructor..got USB and shirts but USB full of other people so once again not really worth the semi private plus 45 extra for USB and shirt..so if you do it, go group lesson..people and instructors are nice. Be sure to sunscreen the back of your legs! read more

Cool experience the staff was awesome. Word of caution this is a full on workout with lots and lots of paddling required to get out to waves, read more

I can't imagine a better surfing lesson. Concise but broad based. Every one of the instructors was extremely friendly. All the students were able to surf in my group. Just an awesome highlight of a Hawaiian vacation read more

Two days worth of bad customer service from the same girl. Went there the first day to find out the stores hours and was told they closed at 5 pm. Went back at 310 pm to rent a few surfboards for the family only to find out... They stop renting boards at 3 pm! That would have been nice to know the first time we went to ask for store information. We were very disappointed and the girl was rather rude and expressed that we wasted her time (with a sarcastic remark). The next day went back to rent boards at 1115... Only to find out that they don't rent out boards while there are surf lessons going on. (Assuming to keep the break free from the crowds) Again, I would have appreciated this information THE FIRST DAY I went to ask for information. I guess having a monopoly on the surf board rentals has it's advantages... But really, the shop could have had 5 board rentals for a few hours if they were more capable of informing potential customers about store information. read more

Surfing is a biggie on my bucket list and thanks to Scotty and Raye, I was able to finally check that one off! I wiped out the first attempt but with their encouragement, I was able to get up both times after that! Both a pleasure to be with and wonderful with newbies. When we returned, we were helped by Timmy and Danny. Everyone at Hans Hedeman are super enthusiastic about surfing and quickly put you at ease. Highly recommend this group! Wish I had more time to go out again with them! By the way, we had high surf warnings but they take you to a very safe place so I was never concerned. read more

They worked in a last minute Easter Sunday surf at Kawela Bay for our daughter and two of her friends who we're traveling with us all under the age of 13. Our girls had never surfed before and they had the time of their lives! Great, up beat and positive instruction by Mikey, Ray, Scotty and Skylar took some great photos which were included in the package. Plenty of time in the water and each of the girls caught multiple waves. I highly recommend this surf school...you will not be disappointed. Experience of a lifetime! read more