Met Kelley swimming in the water! Best decision of the day. I see all the other reviews that he doesn't spend a lot of time on land teaching you how to stand up. I didn't pay to stand on land I paid to be in the water. Kelley pushes you for a few waves so you can get a feel for. Then encourages you to try and catch your own waves. I loved it! Super cool and chill local dude who knows how to surf. read more

Kelley got my 11 year old son up surfing the waves within minutes of his lesson. I couldn't believe how well he did and Kelley has the most patience and positive attitude!! read more

Kelley's Surf School - Surf Schools Near Me

My 3 teens spent a morning surfing in Poipu with Kelley and his son. It was an awesome experience for them! Kelley had all three catching waves almost immediately! He is a local and was recommended by locals. Loved supporting small bud read more

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Kelley gave surf lessons to our 2 kids, ages 9 and 11, on our recent visit and it was awesome. They started out on the beach practicing to stand and once they got the basics it was out to the break near the tombolo on Poipu beach. Kids were surfing in no time and spent the rest of the morning building a love for surfing. Kelley is terrific with kids and had a great reputation around the island. As a bonus, he gave us a referral to an epic boat ride to the Nā Pali coast, but that's for another review. Highly recommended. read more

Kelley's Surf School - Surf Schools Near Me

I booked a lesson over the phone with Kelley for my wife and me after striking out with other surf schools that had online reservation systems. I'm glad that happened though, since our lesson with Kelley was fantastic. A Kauai native, he seemed to know everyone on the beach, and gave a us a great time out on the water helping us catch wave after wave. He's a really conversational guy, and so kept us entertained between breaks. He was also really encouraging the whole time, even when at our least graceful. Definitely would come back for another lesson with him. read more

Kelley is awesome and chill, so is the price... I made good progress under his coaching read more

Kelly is the best instructor! I woke up feeling a little nervous about getting in the water, but once I met Kelly, I immediately felt safe and most of my nerves turned to excitement. He is patient and instructive and had me laughing the whole time. He even got me standing on my very first wave :) Couldn't recommend a lesson with Kelly enough, definitely my favorite day in Kauai. read more

Best surf school on Kauai. The owner, Kelly Hunt is awesome and a super knowledgeable and kind surf instructor.

Best surf School on the island. Kelley has all the local knowledge. would highly recommend. all ages.

Awesome time is how to begin our experience with Kelley as a surf instructor and great person overall. He took my girls under his wing when he saw them paddle out then turn around out of intimidation since they weren't with a instructor yet (they have some previous experience but were new to the Kauai surf). He immediately gave them the tips they needed to feel confident in the water. After this he became their instructor for the rest of our time on the south shore. Kelley got them out to the real surf, taught them what they needed to do to enhance their ability. The girls rode so many waves and were stoked!!! While on the water, Kelley connected with them. He made them feel like friends instantly. The girls said that not only did they have a blast surfing but loved getting back in the surf to laugh their heads off in conversations together. After just one day, we were hooked. His lessons are an experience. Unlike a regular school where the ratio and the distance to shore is short, Kelley gets you on the surf for great rides time after time. It was so great that our 9 year had a lesson after seeing his sisters out there and had the time of his life. On this note, Kelley knew he wasn't as experienced and took him to a different area that would work best for him. Kelley knows the surf and makes sure you are in the right spot based on your ability and what he feels works for you. On top of all this, there is nothing better than meeting someone like Kelley, a native to the island who shares his knowledge and friends on the island to ensure when you do something you are in the right hands. If you want the best surfing experience in Poipu, you must give Kelly a call or show up at the public entrance to the beach next to the Marriott Vacation Resort. It will be the best decision you can make for yourself or family members that want to surf on the south shore. read more

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Had two separate morning lessons with Kelley and it was awesome. He put me on some great waves and coached me up. I definitely improved and more importantly had a great time. I wish I had more time for another session. I would highly recommend. Thanks Kelley! read more

Kelley's Surf School - Kelley's Surf School - Surf Schools Near Me

I hadn't surfed - or attempted to surf - in 25-30 years, and I was eager to try it again. I called Kelley about a week prior to our visit. The call went to voicemail and I didn't leave a message. Later that evening I got a call from an 808 area code and it was Kelley himself calling me back. Apparently the number to his business is his mobile number. I was unable to talk at the time, but remembered that bit of customer service and was sure to call him back to book when I was able. I booked lessons for all members of my family of 4, including a 10 year old girl and a 13 year old boy. He gave me clear instructions on where to meet (a particular lifeguard stand) at Poipu Beach Park, and we arrived at the designated spot 20 minutes early. The life guard on duty confirmed we were at the right place, and said that "Kelley was the best." I was reassured. Not surprisingly, Kelley was on Island time and arrived about 5 minutes late. He asked us to follow him to his truck in the next parking lot over to sign paperwork and get boards. He dug through his truck to find a pen, and handed it to me with a stack of forms on a clipboard. I signed for my family, grabbed a board and headed back to the beach. Our lesson was scheduled for 90 minutes and it was good that we didn't have anything planned for afterwards. Kelley seemed to know everyone at the beach and stopped to have several conversations along the way. My guess is that it was close to an 45 minutes after our 10:00 a.m. lesson start time that we actually got started with instruction on the beach. I was really disappointed that he didn't have an appropriately sized board for my daughter. She's an excellent swimmer and all around athlete, but she really struggled to maneuver the oversized board when trying to paddle out into the surf. It was a windy day, and the beach is bracketed by rocky outcroppings that look like they will do some real damage if you wind up on them, but it was hard for her (and my nephew) to get where he wanted them to. Eventually (about 10-15 minutes after getting on the water, he escorted the distressed kids back to the shore and returned to work with the adults. Basically, he got us to the right spot, read the waves, told us to paddle and gave us a push to get us going. He'd instructed us on how to stand up, but I struggled nonetheless. It was more my issue than his though, as another girl in our group was able to get up repeatedly. I was a little disappointed that I'd dropped $300 on lessons for four and ended up with only me going. My wife had decided to paddle in to supervise the kids on the beach (a wise and necessary decision) and was unable to complete her lesson. At the end of the lesson, he offered to take my daughter back out and focus on her exclusively since he could tell she had some athleticism, but by that time she was a little traumatized and didn't want to be back out in that water. I did not ask for, nor was I offered, a partial refund, but thought it would have been appropriate under the circumstances... at least for one of the kids since he simply didn't have the right sized board. I wish I could write a stronger, more positive review and am not 100% confident in my 3 star rating, but I don't really feel that we got our money's worth. read more

I just had my first paddle board lesson with Nelson @ Kelly's, and I couldn't be happier! I rented a board for $20, and Nelson gave me a quick "land lesson" and then helped me launch and paddled around with me, giving me tips and great encouragement....all this for 20bucks!!! Not to brag, but I was awesome...OK, maybe it had something to do with his detailed instruction. My "princess" treatment is the norm for these guys. My husband had his virgin paddle board outing yesterday, and after his "land lesson", Isaiah went out with him for an hour...yep, it was $20! We're already planning our outing for tomorrow. read more

Kelley's Surf School - Isaiah and Nelson at your service! - Surf Schools Near Me

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I had intended to attend a different surf school in Poipu, but I luckily ended up running into Kelley. He took me out to basically our own "private" wave and helped me catch a bunch of really fun waves. I am not a good surfer, but he sure made my day. I can't say enough good things about Kelley. He gave me tons of really good tips. And I thoroughly enjoyed talking to him while we were waiting to catch waves. The next time I am in Kauai, I will be looking for Kelley again. read more

Great place to rent boards and economical. Didn't have time to do a surf lesson. Definitely will on the next trip to the area. Seems like a great location to advance my skills and surf in a great location on the big island read more

This is the first time I've left a Yelp review, but I wanted to spare others the mistake of taking a surf lesson from Kelley. If you don't want to read the whole review, the bottom line is that Kelley totally phoned it in, spent almost the entire duration of my "lesson" hanging out with his friends and family, and I'm lucky I didn't get injured. More below. We had a 10am lesson. He showed up late and asked for payment up front ($100 for a private lesson). Not a great start but I rolled with it. He gave me a longboard and told me to set up on the beach and he'd be out in a few minutes. I noticed that he stopped to chat with his buddies for a while. The lax attitude was annoying, partly because my wife was also waiting to watch the lesson on the beach, but I rolled with it again. Then, without any explanation, he disappeared. My wife suggested I just cancel the lesson. But this was my one day on our vacation to take a surf lesson, plus I already paid him, so I waited it out. Kelley showed up after 15 minutes with no explanation. I didn't even ask, because I just wanted to start the lesson since it's now after 10:30. I told Kelley I'd never surfed before, except one time I'd try to surf in Santa Cruz in waves that were too big for a beginner and I dislocated my shoulder. He said no problem, let's head out to the waves, and he points to the area of the beach where experienced surfers are catching bigger waves. Huh?!? I asked if we could at least *start* at the spot where the beginners are learning, since I'd feel a lot more comfortable there. He told me to get Santa Cruz out of my head and paddle out, and he'd catch up with me. I told him I don't even know how to stand on the board. So he showed me twice. Then he said OK head out there, I'll catch up to you. Now I'm not only annoyed, but also a little nervous, but I went with it. I start paddling out, and I notice that Kelley is still hanging out on the beach. I make it past the break (I have no idea how to even do this, btw, I'm just paddling and getting clobbered by waves), and I'm waiting for Kelley. Eventually I see that he's gone to a different section of the water, and he's brought his young kids with him on our lesson (one is actually on his board). WTF? He's hanging out with his kids and his friends at another section of the water and waves me over to him. Once I paddle there, he says, I'm going to push you, just stand up. And that was it. That was my "surf lesson". I try this a few times and, as expected, keep wiping out because these waves are too big and I have no idea what I'm doing. I suggest, yet again, that we head to the smaller waves, but Kelley insists I stay here and have a "real experience." After about 30 minutes of nonstop wipeouts, I tell him I'm done, and we head back to the shore. Kelley says nothing, I give him back the board, and call it a day. A huge bummer overall. Look, if you you don't want to waste your time with a tourist and would rather hang out with your friends, I totally get it. But then don't put yourself out there as a surf instructor and take money for a lesson. And the worst part isn't that he took my money, it's that he took the time I had to learn how to surf on Kauai. Caveat emptor, folks. read more

Awesome! My kids had so much fun learning to surf with Kelley. Such a fun, cool guy!

This was by far the highlight of my trip. I appreciate the quick instructions on the beach but then not wasting time and getting right into the water. Kelley knows his stuff, gives helpful pointers, and just overall a great teacher. I went back the next day for another lesson because I couldn't stop thinking about how much fun I had. Thanks Kelley! read more

Kelley's Surf School - Maximum stokedness - Surf Schools Near Me

Kelley was great! This was our first time surfing and my 10 yo, 12 yo, and myself were all up on our first attempts. Kelley was especially great with the kids and patient with their dad (me). Thanks Kelley for providing an excellent ending to our stay. read more

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My daughter had such a great experience! Great teacher, great location, really brought out the joy of the sport. Thanks, Kelley! We'll be back! read more

Support Kelley's surf school! He's awesome and goes out of his way to give u the best surf experience. Huge shout out for the intermediate lessons he gave my teenage son. Don't go to any other business. Kelley is your guy! He made our vacation even better. read more

Kelley was awesome! Me and my family all went surfing with him. He gave us a quick lesson on the beach and took us right out to the waves. He and his son Kai told us when to paddle and gave us a push to help us catch wave after wave. They were super fun, nice, and helped keep us safe in the big waves. We loved it so much we came back a second day! read more

Kelley's surf school was the highlight of our Kauai trip! He taught our 5 year old and 8 year old how to surf. They caught the first waves he pushed them into, and dozens more after that! Kelley's son Shiloh was in the water with us and catching wave after wave too. It felt like we were hanging with family friends all morning. Kelley is a very warm and loving guy- amazing with the kids. The waves at Poipu were just the right size. We were confident our little ones were in good hands. Thanks Kelley! read more

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Awesome!!! First time surfing and what a rush! Kelley, Nadia, and Nelson ROCK! @Nelson Thanks for being my water taxi! @Nadia Thanks so much for your calm and easy going attitude @Kelley! Great job putting up with a white girl from the Mainland! BTW...awesome instructors...easy on the eyes!!! Worth the price of admission... ; ) read more

We love Kelley! He was super flexible and a great teacher. We called him around 9:30 pm one night, trying to schedule a lesson for the following morning at 9 am and he was super chill and willing to set up a lesson for the following morning and pick us up at our hotel. Then we got to the beach (our whole family came along to hang on the beach but only my sister took a lesson from Kelley) and he brought us a tent to shade us from the sun and snorkel gear-- for free! He also wasn't too intimidating or chatty and made us--especially my shy little sister-- feel very comfortable. Most importantly, he is a wonderful teacher, and would give my sister instruction both before and after she caught each wave. He let the students be independent though, so if they needed a break they could take one but if they wanted to get wave after wave he was right there to help. Obviously had lots of experience and knowledge that he did a great job of passing on to the students. read more

Kelly is so full of Aloha! Just Surfing with him today I could tell what a kind sharing person he is giving pointers (and waves) to complete strangers trying to make the day better for them out of the kindness of his heart. His obvious love of surfing shines right through. You can't find a better person to teach you to surf. He will have you up and cruising your first lesson. Reminds me of the beachboy's of old. A true ambassador of the beautiful island of Kauai. read more

Kelley has taught my kids to surf the last 3 years. They improve each time. I finally joined them and had a blast. Kelley knows his stuff, reads the waves. Highly recommend. Full of Aloha and makes the time on the waves full of fun. read more

Great, professional instruction. Kelly was very detailed as he explained the break, the hazards, and what to do if caught in a wipe out. All this added up to a safe day on the water. He was very attentive and I learned a lot about catching waves bigger than I am normally used to riding. I caught some waves, bonsai a few, and had a great time. He's a good teacher and the next time I return to Kaua'i I'll take a lesson from him. I totally recommend Kelly. read more

Had a blast with Maddie and Scotty. Kelley was great before and after the lesson. Our 6 & 11 y/o were up in no time, even switching stances near the end. read more

Can't say enough great things about Kelley. My gf really wanted to learn how to surf. I called in advance of our trip and Kelley was very responsive, even calling me back on EST. On the day of the lesson at first I was super nervous. We went straight out into pretty big waves (imo). Both my gf and I had huge wipeouts, which to be fair is part of surfing. On the second huge wipeout we got pounded by a massive set and we just felt unsafe and wanted to quit. Kelley was very understanding and patient and suggested and we move to an area with much smaller waves. That made such a huge difference. While I still struggled with my balance, the gf did incredibly well. Kelley was a great instructor, telling us when to paddle, when to stand up, etc., but most importantly making us feel safe. We eventually got physically tired, but it seemed like Kelley would have kept going all day if we had wanted. His super cute kids were there too, helping dad and putting us to shame with their surfing skills. Loved it. I highly recommend Kelley to anyone thinking about learning how to surf. read more

We had an awesome experience today. We brought a group of 8 and had 3 instructors just for our group. They were kind and patient and helped have a fun time. We were absolute novices at surfing. Bring cash. The credit card machine is a little slow. read more

Kelley gives personal attention, one on one, with extra time to make sure you leave happy. He is VERY different than the standard surf school, where the instructor stands in the water and pushes the student into a wave. He gets you out in the real surf, teaches the fundamentals. Plus, he's a really nice guy. Don't settle for a group lesson with the grom mills. Kelley is the best. read more

We asked our concierge at the Grand Hyatt to find us someone who could take us (3 adults and 2 kids -- 8 and 11) snorkeling, boogie boarding, paddle boarding and possibly teach our grandson to surf. Kelley was recommended as the right guy, and what a bullseye recommendation! He was just excellent with the kids and an expert in everything we needed at the beach. He took our grandson out on his surfboard and had him riding with him immediately. All told, he was with us for four hours of pure fun, with an emphasis on safety, technique and enjoyment. Plus, he supplied all the equipment. I would recommend him highly to anyone. A great find! read more

I've taken a few surf lessons in the past and Kelley is by far the best instructor. My sister and I took a lesson together--he was kind, helpful and fun; was able to teach us both at the same time even if we were focusing on different aspects of surfing. Such a great lesson--thank you Kelley! read more

Awesome time surfing with Kelley. My 16, 8 year old sons and myself when out at Poipu beach. He spend plenty of time with us and we look forward to doing it again the next time I am on Kauai. Thanks Kelley, we had a blast. read more

I recently had my first and second surf lessons as birthday gifts and the second lesson was with Kelley's surf school -- namely with Scotty -- and it was the hands-down best thing I did in Kauai (and we did a ton of amazing things)! He was TERRIFIC! I could NOT recommend anyone more highly. I entered the water a little worried that I wasn't going to really "get it" but hopeful that I would learn something. I left the water practically dancing down the beach. Scotty was is calm, knows his stuff, patient, super supportive, and really REALLY encouraging...which turns out to be the best thing in an instructor. He was even more determined than me that I enjoy the whole experience of surfing. I am so glad that I went with Kelley's, and I will totally surf with them from now on - every time. It was a highlight -- of my trip & of my early days as a surfer. Thanks Scotty! read more

Nelson was very accommodating. Nice group working at Kelly's. caution - a bit hard to find.

Been coming to Kauai for 15 years. As surf schools go Kelly gives you the true beach boy experience. A world class surfer who knows how to make a visitor feel the Hawaii experience during his class. I would recommend Kelly over any of the large surf schools. You will come away with Aloha and a smile on your face. read more

Kelly gave 8 of us a surf lesson and got everyone up on the board. Age range of our group was 9 yrs to 45 yrs. kelly and his crew were fun, helpful and attentive. It was one of the highlights of our trip. read more

We surfed with Kelley and Scottie (2nd time with Scottie) twice over our recent stay in Poipu. They are amazing. Got all three of us up. Our son had the time of his life -- so did we. They are extremely good teachers, bringing years of expertise to their lessons. Best of all, they are chill, kind, and really really supportive. Hands down the highlight of our trip. We will ALWAYS try to surf with them. You'll be so happy you went out with them. read more