Over the past four years, my family and I have returned to Kimo at Hawaii Surf Guru, and each lesson has been so much more than just learning to surf. Kimo isn't simply teaching techniques he's sharing profound wisdom that stays with you long after you leave the water. From our very first session, Kimo has had this incredible way of relating the ocean's waves to life's challenges. He teaches you not just how to read the waves and ride them, but how to face obstacles with patience, resilience, and grace. When things get tough out there, he reminds you to stay calm, go with the flow, and trust that the right wave will come if you keep pushing forward. Those lessons have helped me conquer fears, build confidence, and approach problems in everyday life with a new perspective. Kimo's aloha spirit is genuine and infectious. He's patient, encouraging, and truly cares about each person he teaches. We've watched our skills grow tremendously over the years, but more importantly, we've grown as people because of his guidance. Hawaii Surf Guru feels like ohana now and coming back feels like coming home. Mahalo to the awesome little surfer girl for our memorable videoes. Mahalo nui loa, Kimo you're a gift to everyone lucky enough to learn from you. We'll be back soon! read more

Hawaii Surf Guru - Surfing Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Free parking lot for 6 hours and if you follow the lagoon, it'll lead straight to the Grand Waikikian Hotel. By 8/9 pm, the entire lagoon clears out and it's empty. Private beach to yourself with beautiful weather. read more

Hawaii Surf Guru - Open parking lot - Surfing Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

My husband & sons, along with various family members, had the opportunity to book a private group lesson last week. They had such an amazing experience! Of all the things we did on our vacation, they said they had the best time surfing. There were a number of incredible, encouraging & extremely patient instructors, & the most adorable little surfer girl who took some very memorable photos & videos! read more

Hawaii Surf Guru - Surfing Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My son and I had a fantastic time with Kimo's crew, Seth and his daughters. It was a last minute sign up for our final day in Oahu and was definitely a highlight of our trip! We highly recommend it! read more

KIMO and his team are good people. They are simply the best at what they do. You will catch the best wave possible, period. They take care of everything. An actual Native Hawaiian owned business. Expert instructors. Moreover, Hawaii Surf Guru is a REGISTERED, permit-carrying LOCAL BUSINESS in good standing. Can't say the same for all the other random providers out there who end up stealing business from good local companies like this one! If you're shopping around, vote with your wallet and choose Hawaii Surf Guru. The locals will appreciate it. read more

Wow. Kimo and his team gave us the most amazing and memorable surfing experience during our visit to Oahu. We were all beginners but were able to get up and ride many waves thanks to their expertise and support. I definitely recommend Hawaii Surf Guru!!! read more

Our instructor Kona took us out to the water and helped each of us stand on the board as we surfed along the beach. The team was very helpful and kind, and we had a lot of fun learning to surf for the first time. Great vibes!! read more

I had a fantastic time! My instructor was so kind and supportive- really made my experience unforgettable and I was able to catch a few waves! I would highly recommend taking a surfing lesson here! read more

We had a great experience with Hawaii Surf Guru! They got both of us standing up and riding waves in one lesson. They provide all the gear - not just the boards, but surf shoes and wet suit tops as well. If you want a great surfing experience, book a lesson with Hawaii Surf Guru and work on your cardio, because paddling out is no joke. :-) read more

Had a lesson with Mike. Mike is awesome. He did a great job. I wasn't sure at 53 I would be able to do it. Went great and had a blast Thanks Mike ! read more

A truly unique and memorable experience! From the rainbows overhead to the sea turtles in the waves, I could not be happier. Until next time Coaches Kimo and Mike, mahalo! read more

Hawaii Surf Guru - Myself with Mr. and Mrs. Kimo and coach Mike! - Surfing Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My 11-year-old was looking into honing his surf skills while out on Oahu. We found Coach (owner) Kimo through all the great reviews. Raised on surfing the local spots here, he's got a great laid back and reassuring attitude while making it fun for kids. For kids under 13, required 1:1 for safety and individual attention, but if you already have a group of 3, you can do a group kids lesson. We opted for a 4-pack which discounts each lesson by $50, since my son was serious about surfing. By the end, he feels pretty confident out surfing and can pop-up on the waves himself. Kimo brings reef shoes, wet suit top and cushioned vest so their chest doesn't get bruised. Highly recommend! read more

It was a great day my kids and I all got multiple long rides. The Ohana Aloha vibes are for real!! Highly recommend Kimo and his whole crew! read more

Hawaii Surf Guru - 60 year Bday with Son and Daughter - Surfing Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Highly recommend Hawaii Surf Guru for private surf lessons! Uncle Kimo has nice new gear, provides booties, wet suit top, life vest, boards, and storage for personal gear during lessons. Kimo, Mike and Kayden were fabulous with our 7 year old girl and 9 year old boy! Our youngest was fearful to go on her own board and did fabulous learning to surf by riding tandem with an instructor. After a successful first lesson both kids were eager to go again. Their 2nd lesson was even better and both kids loved learning to surf with Kimo and his team at Hawaii Surf Guru! Highly recommend investing in private lessons with Hawaii Surf Guru! Mahalo ‍‍ read more

See all

another great morning in the water! This was our 5th time out with Kimo and company. We no longer need instruction but getting tips from The local surf guru is priceless. We will definitely be back for session #6 next year. read more

I couldn't have asked for a better first surfing experience. The crew was skilled and professional, and I enjoyed learning how to surf! I appreciated Kimo and his staff of experienced coaches, and will most likely come back for more lessons in the future. read more

Such an amazing experience with Kimo and Mike. Such personal guys that truly want to see you succeed surfing while having a great time along the way. Incredibly knowledgeable. Every surfer in the water knew Kimo and Mike. They have surfed for 40-50 yrs. Trust me, this is the surf lessons you want. All 3 of us loved it. read more

This is the first time my young daughters will be surfing. After chatting with him on the phone, I'm convinced that they will guided properly and have a good experience. It is important to make sure that they enjoy the experience the first time because surfing can be tiring. Kimo has a couple of instructors guiding them along the way. They even helped them paddle back into the ocean because it was so windy that day. My kids caught about 6-8 waves and they stood up about 4-5 times all the way. I would highly recommend Kimo's services, especially when you have young kids who are introduced into the sport. read more

Where to start, it was such a privilege! Kimo and his team show the Hawaiian spirit and genuine kindness. They are genuinely interested in teaching. The lessons are focused on a kid's ability, and goal is to make it enjoyable and fun! My kids ended up taking 3 lessons. Private lessons are great and very appropriately priced. Coach Jason is beyond brilliant. Kimo is always present for all lessons, he doesn't stand on sidelines. True surfer spirit! The best part of our trip! read more

Hawaii Surf Guru - Surfing Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I've been a boy, grad, man, business owner, husband, and ex husband even a boat captain... but now I am a surfer. The latter, at 49 years old, is way overdue.... Private lesson is a must. read more

Hawaii Surf Guru - Surfing Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Kimo is a very special person. Not only are he and his staff great instructors, but he teaches life lessons as well. Our grandchildren, ages 10 and 13, had tremendous fun and success with learning to surf. They also learned confidence, a great life skill! we cannot recommend this program enough! read more

The best surf school in Waikiki. Kimo and his team are amazing. More then just a surf lesson. Caught a ton of waves. Had the best morning. Very very grateful. :) read more

Kimo and Mike were terrific with my Nephews, who are 10 and 12. They were patient and. Connected with the boys, and both boys were able to stand and ride by end of lessons. I highly recommend Hawaii Surf Guru for everyone that wants to learn how to Surf. Both boys can't wait to next year when they come visit me to go and take more lessons from them. read more

My sisters and I (all over 60) took a paddleboard lesson during the early morning of June 29th. Shay was our instructor and we had the best time. She was great in working with each of us to understand our physical restrictions and helped get us all standing up and paddling the boards. No one even fell in the water What a great time! I would absolutely recommend Hawaii Surf Guru to anyone. Kimo was great as well. read more

My husband and 5 year old son had an awesome time with Kimo and Ethan! They were punctual, professional, kind, and fun. They came with everything we needed to get out on the water. Honestly, I was skeptical whether my husband and son would be standing up and catching waves after only a single lesson, but they were out there killing it!! We will definitely be back for more lessons next time we're in Honolulu. read more

Hawaii Surf Guru - Surfing Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Kimo and his team are simply the best! The surf lesson was a highlight of our time in Honolulu. In two waves, our teenage niece and 11 year old son were up, surfing and having a great time. I was even able to catch a wave during the lesson! Kimo was organized with all of the gear necessary for a great lesson and had the right number of instructors to ensure the kids were safe in the water. I highly recommend to add on the GoPro video option because you will definitely want to enjoy the videos later. Thank you! read more

This dude knows his stuff. He took our last minute reservation, met promptly at the beach with all gear, and was super kind and patient with his surf lesson. You can tell he's legit and he truly cares about surfing and teaching. Definitely book him if you want a good surfing experience. He's two thumbs way up! Mahalo! read more

See all

This was a great experience for a first-time surf lesson. Kimo and crew were fun and friendly, which made the experience that much better. Would definitely recommend!! read more

Kimo and his crew were great. Kaden was our instructor and Sarah was our videographer. Kaden was very patient and really was passionate about teaching. He was instructing us how to breath properly (open mouth in and out); very different from workout breathing. My son and I were able to catch some waves and stand up. Sarah was also coaching and cheering us on while she took videos. The videos came out really well. We will def book with them the next time. read more

If I lived in Oahu, I would be booking regular lessons with Kimo. He is a magical human being. I booked a 90-minute private lesson for $120 that ended up being closer to 2 hours. Truth be told, I was a little apprehensive that I'd be a lost cause with surfing. As I mentioned in a previous post, my back had been hurting quite a bit and just getting myself to stand required way more effort than it should have. ...But I also didn't want to leave Hawai'i without at least trying it, so I decided to just go with it. Thankfully, my body cooperated (for the most part). Kimo is super down to earth and such an amazing teacher! He's been surfing for 50+ years and is super super chill. He gave me reef shoes, a surf shirt, and a board, and started off the lesson on the shore to discuss safety, explain the basics of surfing, and to have me practice getting up on the board before we paddled out onto the water. Once we were out there, he would read the waves and tell me when to paddle. I was actually up and standing by the 3rd(!) wave! :D!!! I really liked Kimo's surf philosophy--when you're out there on the water, nothing else matters. Just enjoy yourself and let your inner child out. He noticed very early on that I have a major tendency to overthink things--something he found common in all his "doctor-type" students (har har), so he said this would be especially good for me, because it'd train me to stop thinking and just go for it. We got to talking about life while we were out on there and I found out that he does lots of outreach and volunteer work, including helping out with a surf camp for autistic children! He was super patient and encouraging and really good at noticing little details so he could help me fine-tune what I was doing. I apparently had a natural tendency to surf down the line, so he just went with it, and by the end of the lesson, we'd moved off to much deeper waters/bigger waves! :] If not for the fact that I'd booked my lesson on my second-last day in Hawai'i and already had a stand-up paddleboarding lesson scheduled for the next day, I totally would have scheduled another lesson the next day. I had so much fun! *-* read more

Hawaii Surf Guru - Surfing Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Just finished my 5th surfing lesson with Kimo and company. Had a great time and noted progression not only in standing up and catching waves but also paddling (thanks for the intro to paddling, Colin). My 10 year old son also surfed one day as well. I'm 47 and was pretty out of shape, having had 2 shoulder surgeries more than 20 years ago and not really keeping up with shoulder rehab, and so the first 3 days was really hard paddling and sore. But by the 4th day, the soreness had faded and could tell a noticeable difference in paddling (still needed help making it to the outer waves). There was progression from small whitewash to actual decent waves but was never intimidated by falling or reefs as all the instructors (Kimo, Colin, James, Kainoah, Ethan) kept me safe and directed me either left or right,away from shallow reefs. My son ended up tandem surfing and he had a blast (standing in the front while Ethan caught waves and helped him with pop up so that he didn't have to worry about falling). They used stand up paddle boards to start with and more more stable, allowing you to stand nearly immediately. I've taken surf lessons before but felt more confident this time around. A few things I really found that Kimo provides that I haven't gotten before 1) rash guards are thicker and more protective. For smaller kids a protective vest that helps with flotation but also protect from reefs was also given to my son. Also reef shoes (still got an uni jab, imagine how worse it would've been without the shoes) 2) standup paddles for stability ( also longboards if there is progression). Much easier to stand up quicker 3) the vast majority of surfers that are local know him personally and they know that he's bringing an inexperienced newbie there and they seem to be more understanding of this 4) Ala Moana bowl parking is free and there was ample parking during the times I was there. He was easy to spot and his car is always the first car nearest to the beach entrance. He provides tubs where you can put cellphones and wallets etc and puts it in his car. As people are always hanging out there and they all know his car, it is a very secure spot. 5). Was not on Waikiki beach but Ala Moana, so not as crowded and don't have to jockey for space. Still, located just next to lagoon near Hilton Hawaiian village so can walk from your hotel as well. I'm sure if you've been to Waikiki you've seen how crowded the beaches are and full of surfers and don't have to worry about the intimidation of trying to surf where it's busy Thanks for the Kimo-therapy! read more

Excellent 90 minute lesson - Kimo and his team were great. 100% we would book with them again. Bad weather on the the first day we booked, so rather than take our money for a bad experience, Kimo asked to reschedule to the next day. Integrity and aloha. read more

If anyone is looking for surf lessons, Hawaii Surf Guru is for you. Kimo and team are so kind and wonderful. My son Blake had a great experience. Thank you for an excellent three days! read more

See all

Kimo is the man! He'll give you a life lesson while he teaches you how to surf. His technique explanations are super helpful, and he teaches in a relaxed, low pressure way. I would love to take another lesson from him when I'm back in Honolulu! read more

We had a great experience with Kimo.. Great communication..! Kaden was an excellent instructor. Shay was also great--photographing & instructing My kids enjoyed the lessons & experience.. My daughter now wants to surf more... Recommended! read more

Kimo and his surfing instructors are great! I am a beginner beginner to surfing and just had my first private lesson with Ethan. He was knowledgeable, patience and helpful and gave me a great first experience with surfing. I did stand up and even if it was only a short while, I got the feeling of the wave. Could hear Kimo yelling stand up early, but mainly telling me to release that inner child and have fun. I will be back for follow up lessons soon (in 2 days) and will see how that goes. HSG is great to learn and appreciate the surfing experience. I highly recommend Kimo and his team! read more

First time surfing, the instructors made us feel very comfortable and safe. Both my husband and I were able to catch the waves during our lesson. We would 100% do it again and recommend and we recommend it to anyone! read more

I bought a lesson for my husband (his first time learning to surf) and he RAVED about it all day!! This is what he had to say: Awesome experience! Had a lot of fun with Kimo. This was my first time surfing. He was a great teacher, very personable, and because of it, I was able to pick up surfing much quicker than I imagined. I was able catch a long wave on my 3rd attempt and many more waves after that! Took the 7am class and was able to watch the sun rise while surfing! It was absolutely amazing and I can't wait to go surfing again. Definitely worth every penny and can't stop thinking about how fun it was. If you're even remotely considering taking a lesson, do it. Bottom line: Book an appointment with Kimo. You won't regret it. My husband would recommend Kimo to any one of any age with any skill set. read more

There's a good reason for the almost 100 different five star reviews. Great team of instructors, great spot to learn away from tourist throng, I will definitely return. A local friend recommended Kimo and his team for lessons and I was lucky to get a spot before finishing vacation. There were 4 people in our session and each of us got a 1-on-1 instructor while Kimo presided over the group, paddling between people and adding key advice as he observed us. The lesson was at Ala Moana which I loved because I'd been fearing the crazy crowds at Waikiki. With coaching and Mike helping to pick great beginner waves for me, I got up more than 5 times. The lesson was a good length and I was appropriately sore the next day. I wish I'd booked a 3-day lesson! read more

SURFS UP DUDE! Awesome experience with Kimo and his team! We had a wedding party and as the helping coordinator with activities, a group of 6 of us wanted to try surfing while staying in Honolulu for the week. Getting the group together the day before, I contacted Kimo and asked if we could do a group session. He was super quick and responsive, and said that our instructor (Danny) would meet us at the hotel the next morning. We had some flaking and back and forth between guests and moods the next day (bridezilla came out) but in the end, Kimo was patient and we had our group scheduled as planned! Danny was awesome and the assistant (I forget name) were wonderful and was totally fun while we learned the basics. Once in the water, all of us (who had never surfed before) were able to get on and ride the waves before the end of the hour! We scheduled for 1.5 hours for our group of 6, paying $600 total. Not bad for $100 a person! Make sure to tip as well, these guys deserve it. Definitely recommend for small or big groups, these guys are personable, awesome and get you to surf on the waves!!! MAHALO!!!! read more

Hawaii Surf Guru - Thanks Danny! - Surfing Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all