Hilo Branch First and foremost : Greeted with a smile and…read moreAloha. Very professional sales Manager. I'll be back and back. Telling my friends

The girl at the shop was rude and couldn't be bothered to answer questions. It's ok to be polite to…read morepotential customers. We stood at the counter for several minutes other no acknowledgment that we were in the store.

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!

I almost never write reviews, but this experience absolutely deserved one…read more I accidentally booked my 8-year-old daughter's private surf lesson for the wrong Friday. I called the day before the lesson I thought we had booked, expecting there was no chance they could fit us in. Ben, the co-owner, couldn't have been kinder. He immediately said, "No problem," rearranged things, and even taught her lesson himself. From the moment we arrived, I knew we were in great hands. The safety instruction was clear, thorough, hands-on, and incredibly well done. It was obvious that every instructor has years of experience and genuinely cares about keeping students safe while making sure they have an amazing time. The entire atmosphere was calm, welcoming, and laid back. As a parent, I felt completely comfortable watching my daughter head out into the water. Harlowe is naturally a little shy, and Ben met her exactly where she was. He built her confidence from the start, made her feel comfortable every step of the way, and somehow had her smiling, laughing, and catching wave after wave. She had an absolute blast. I've taken surf lessonsp over the years, and this was, without question, the best experience we've ever had. If you're looking for surf lessons on the Big Island, this is the place. Professional, patient, safety-first, and genuinely fun. Thank you, Ben, for making one of Harlowe's favorite memories of our trip. We can't wait to come back!

Awesome experience. Steve was a great instructor! Kids had a blast and caught a lot of waves…read more Highly recommend.

I was a true beginner surfer.. Eric was kind and really encouraged me to go for it. Explained…read moreeverything clearly, gave me the push I needed.. highly recommend!!

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.

Love the people who work here. Super helpful when I was looking for something specific and just the…read moremost kind. Great options in all price ranges.

I've had a few trips where I hired surf coaches. And Austin is the best surf coach I've ever had…read more With Austin this is the first time I truly learned something insightful and memorable. Austin is very friendly, communicative and detail oriented. Before the lesson he made sure that he could prepare for equipments based on my body type and measurements. He likes to keep his class (if group class) very small so everyone gets to have more time to learn directly from him. What's more, Austin likes to keep his class fun and relaxing. He knows when he should be pushing the students hard to practice more, and when to rest a little with stories and jokes so keeps the students motivated. Also most importantly, Austin likes to bring depth to his class. He's very knowledgeable of sharing different ways of standing up, paddling. And he likes to share his insights on the pros and cons and when to use which. I found it extremely helpful. I found with this trip I can come home not only knowing how to stand up, but how to truly surf. In all, Austin is the best surf coach I've ever had and I strongly recommend you book lessons with him.

We spent an awesome morning on the water with Evan. He was friendly, fun, knowledgeable and even…read morewent the extra mile (fathom?) while free diving 40 feet to find an octopus so that we could have an encounter with one. We saw lots of turtles getting their spa day while tropical fish cleaned them. Within an hour or two, we received an email with two dozen high quality photos and videos that Evan took with his GoPro. A pretty big value add to the tour! I was a little apprehensive about exiting the kayak but he made it a safe, easy and fun experience. If you're thinking of joining a huge group tour organized by one of the resorts, book a trip with Evan and his guides instead. You won't regret it!

Excellent experience. Evan and Don where great. They both were very knowledgeable of the ocean and…read moretook us to a great place to snorkel on the kayaks.

I am 70 years old. Always wanted to try surfing and what better place to learn than here in Kona,…read morewhile on vacation. Had a blast with Jae. He made the whole experience fun. Learned so much about the sport and even stood up once or twice. He is a true professional coach and made sure I was safe at all time. He did all the hard work and set me up for each wave so I didn't have to think about anything other than "catching the wave." Spending time with Jae out on the waves was one of the most fun and memorable times of our very memorable vacation. Thanks, Jae!

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!

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.

Two years ago, my son (9 years old) took a private surf lesson with Kona Surf Company. The teacher…read morewas amazing. He was patient and very knowledgeable. We loved the surf class so much we brought friends with us this time. We signed three 11 year old kids up for a semi-private class. We were texted the night before the class and asked if we could move our 9:00 am class to 11:30 am. I said sure, no problem. The next day, we had one kid drop out. We had a new instructor. He was nice but didn't prep the kids for surfing (irresponsible). After an hour and a half, the instructor brought the kids back and said the office should have contacted me about the new class time. Classes are no longer two hours, the new times will be reflected on the website. I called the office for a week, no one answered and the voicemail was full. No one responded to my email and I texted the number that texted me for the time change with no luck. The website says a TWO HOUR surf lesson, it has not changed. I feel cheated and no one has contacted me.

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!!!

Thoroughly enjoyed our short stay at this farm retreat: especially going to sleep surrounded by the…read moremesmerizing calls of coqui frogs, the interesting farm animals (muscovy ducks, saffron finch, the rowdy guineafowls, a lot of peacocks, a few piglets) at the farm. Our cabin had private shower, fan, condition was okay but lacked coffee supplies. There were frequent sounds of cars moving to/from cabins but overall it was a good stay. We did not use the shared kitchen but everyone seemed to be really nice and friendly.

We stumbled upon Hawaiian Sanctuary Retreat Center while looking for a last-minute place to stay…read morenear Hilo after deciding to extend our honeymoon from Kona to explore the other side of the island, and we're so glad we did! What started as a spontaneous stay turned into one of the most healing and transformative experiences of our lives. From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere was peaceful, welcoming, and full of genuine care. We ended up spending nearly all of our time at the sanctuary instead of exploring because their healing services were exactly what we needed. Dr. Rich was phenomenal! Combining medical expertise with a holistic approach to help us address some long-standing health issues. Tammy's bodywork and her deep understanding of frequency and energy work were absolutely essential to our experience. Anita's hydro cleansing session was nothing short of incredible, my wife actually regained her sense of smell for the first time since losing it after Covid and a stroke in 2021! And then there was Kelly, her food and fresh juices were out of this world! Every meal was nourishing and full of life. The entire staff radiated warmth, kindness, and a genuine passion for helping people heal. We didn't want to leave and are already planning our return trip. Thank you, Hawaiian Sanctuary, for making us feel like family and for the life changing care and love you poured into every moment. You've truly left a lasting mark on our hearts.