Outstanding! Steve and the team were so perfect - teaching our three (16, 16 and 14 yo) the basics…read moreand all were riding waves confidently in first lesson. So much fun, we booked again same trip. Make sure you connect with Ric for quality pictures, costs extra and totally worth it.

We booked surf lessons via our hotel in advance of our trip. The surf school reached out to us a…read moreday before and told us our afternoon slot was cancelled, but we could be rescheduled to a morning slot, or get a refund. We picked the morning slot, then received instructions to go to mile marker 19 on Lahaina highway and look for a white Tacoma. We had decided to skip the rental car and use Lyft/Uber on this trip, so that was concerning. We were able to instruct the driver about the approximate location. There was a a row of pickup trucks with surfboards near mile marker 19, so we got out and asked around for Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy. Eventually we found the right Tacoma, but I didn't have much confidence we'd found the right spot for a while. My daughter had to have a solo lesson with Kayla due to her age, while my son and I had a semi private lesson with Chad. Our instructors were great, and we were able to stand up with a couple of tries, and a few turns later the instructor had me try a smaller board so I could turn more easily. About 1 1/2 hour into our two hour lessons both my son and felt salt water stinging our knees and lower thighs from chafing against the board, so we ended the lesson early. We were also pretty tired at that point. The surf school gave us long sleeved water shirts, but knee long shorts in the same fabric would have made big difference too. Our instructor told us the chafing is because they use teaching surf boards with a material that has more friction to make it easier to stand on the board, but it also causes more chafing than boards with wax. In the hurry to catch our car ride, we forgot to bring water, but my daughter's instructor very kindly gave us one of her personal water bottles. Thank you Kayla! All in all, we had a great introduction to surfing with a lot of successful attempts to catch waves. Two hours felt long for an intro session. I wish my instructor had told me to paddle a bit more easy out to save strength for catching waves but I also tend to go max all the time until I run out of gas. Above all, I highly recommend wearing at least knee long water shorts to prevent chafing knees and lower thighs. The instructors were amazing. If Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy also were to provide pants and water given the remote location, if say they would stand way up and above the competition.

My six-year-old son had a private surf lesson with Theo today, and the entire experience exceeded…read moreour expectations. From the initial communication and detailed information provided beforehand to the beautiful location and overall organization, everything was seamless and professional. Theo was an absolutely fantastic instructor. As a parent, I was nervous because my son had never surfed before, but Theo immediately put us at ease. He took the time to explain his approach, including why he wanted to start on smaller waves and ease my son into the experience rather than pushing too hard too fast. That thoughtful approach made all the difference. Theo was incredibly encouraging, motivating, and patient throughout the lesson. He paid close attention to my son's energy level and knew exactly when breaks were needed, which was especially important for a young child. He struck the perfect balance between building confidence and keeping the experience fun and positive. I was also extremely grateful for Theo's communication with us as parents. He kept us informed, answered our questions, and made us feel comfortable every step of the way. Overall, this was an outstanding experience, and I cannot recommend them enough!! If you're visiting and considering surf lessons, do it. In fact, I left wishing I had booked a lesson for myself as well! Thank you, Theo, for making my son's first surfing experience such a memorable and positive one.

Surf schools are as good as their instructors, they are the hands-on first-point of contact…read moreambassadors for the sport. LahAina Surf Shack has amazing instructors, and will get you into the right waves regardless of the conditions. Talvi and Gianna from LSS hosted me and my son at Guardrails last week. It was my son's first time surfing, and I asked him whether he wanted me to teach him myself or if he wanted to do a surf school. I have a whole life of experience in the ocean: swimming, surfing, diving. My son is not like that; I've never pressured him to swim or surf, and until the last year he hadn't been remotely interested. When he found out we were going to Maui he started asking relentlessly, albeit cautiously. He wanted to go with a surf school so he could learn from the pros. Okay let's go! I signed up several weeks in advance not knowing what the conditions would be like, and last Tuesday the waves were pretty small. I signed up for a time later in the day (midday, when it's usually windier). I explained to my son before we left our rental that morning that all of these different factors come into play in surfing: tide, wind, swell direction and interval, sea floor shape (bathymetry). When we got there, all of those things came into play, to create not ideal conditions. Several other surf schools had congregated around the general area of the break. Talvi and Gianna greeted us, and went over some practice catching a wave and standing up on the beach. In between moments Talvi, Gianna and I chatted about where we should head toward and we agreed that a little higher up the reef than others were sitting. Talvi helped my son get into the right spot over and over again, the few waves that came through he would line him up and get him onto the best waves, while the other camps were not in position to catch the few waves that were coming through. Gianna and I traded off the waves in between. Eventually the other camps went in and it was just the four of us. The tide swamped just about anything from breaking and we called it quits right on time. My son was fully exhausted, and Talvi had gotten him onto more than a handful of waves. My son was anxious and nervous to fall, so he didn't get up from his knees; but Talvi got him in the spot and he had the opportunity to stand up and helped guide him on the wave and kept him going the right direction and pulled him off the wave before he got washed up in the shore pound. To me, the most important part of the experience was to help curate a positive experience that doesn't push a new surfer into an experience that leaves them scared or afraid to do it again. That is what I wanted, and LahAina Surf Shop, Talvi and Gianna gave us that. It's the perfect spring board for him to go try more, just with me back home in California. That is a true gift! Thank you! It was genuinely wonderful to get to meet these two local surfers and amazing ambassadors of the sport. Would recommend to anyone.

Mahalo and thank you for an incredible time in the water. We had an amazing experience with Keep It…read moreSimple Maui! The online booking process through their website was quick and easy, making everything stress-free from the start. Our instructors, Lucho and John, were outstanding professional, patient, encouraging, and incredibly kind. They made my kids feel comfortable and confident in the water right away. There are multiple keep it simple instructors in the water and they all work together to keep everyone safe. What impressed us most was how successful they made the lesson. Our 19-year-old, 10-year-old, and 8-year-old were all standing up on their surfboards within the first 30 minutes and each caught multiple waves throughout the lesson! Thank you, Lucho and John, for creating such an unforgettable experience! Mahalo and thank you for an incredible time in the water. We had an amazing experience with Keep It Simple Maui! The online booking process through their website was quick and easy, making everything stress-free from the start. Our instructors, Lucho and John, were outstanding professional, patient, encouraging, and incredibly kind. They made my kids feel comfortable and confident in the water right away. There are multiple keep it simple instructors in the water and they all work together to keep everyone safe. What impressed us most was how successful they made the lesson. Our 19-year-old, 10-year-old, and 8-year-old were all standing up on their surfboards within the first 30 minutes and each caught multiple waves throughout the lesson! Thank you, Lucho and John, for creating such an unforgettable experience!

My teenage kid wanted to try surfing - he is not into sports and at that age where everything is…read more"meh" so it was a great surprise for us. We looked for a place in West Maui for support and found Keep it Simple in Napili. We booked semi-private lessons for 3 of us online through their website. We received a text the night before the lesson what to bring and a map pin on where to meet for the lesson - this was super helpful as we never surfed and had no idea of the surfing spots. We arrived 10 min early and our instructor, Mario, was already there, assuring us that we arrived at the right place. He first provided super detailed instructions on how to handle the board, get on, paddle, turn, stand and get off at the beach for about 15 minutes, and we later learned that every single piece of advice from Mario was absolutely needed to better navigate ourselves in the water. My son was able to stand on his first try and managed to surf for quite a bit on the next several waves - Mario made sure he watch and give him tips after every ride so that he would improve each time. My husband and I were also able to stand a couple of times, and they got to do a dad-son surf together, which was so amazing! I am so-so swimmer and a scaredy cat but Mario had the ultimate patience and knew how to calmly teach/encourage so that I can continue to try and enjoy the feeling of standing on water. Mack, the other instructor from Keep it Simple, was also in the water with a different family and he was also great giving us useful tips while we went back and forth. All of us had a wonderful time and we are ready to have another lesson with Keep It Simple next time when we are in Maui. I highly recommend Keep it Simple as they really know how to teach surfing!

We did a first time lesson with them the day we left and it was such a great experience and way to…read moreend the trip! They were patient, kind, and very skilled! I highly recommend and would book with them again!

Chad and Dante were amazing. Easy to work with and really made our experience memorable. Our kids…read moreare 10 and 11 who surfed today. Chad actually took them surfing in 2020 pre covid when they were 7 and 8. He is so amazing with kids. I highly recommend it

Group lesson by Javier. Great teacher with sense of humor…read more Do it even if you aren't a swimmer. It's safe. Ride the wave on knees or feet if you can. Great experience. Thank you.

I can't tell you how happy we felt after leaving our surf instructor. H was wonderful and very…read morefriendly. We will definitely be coming back and I hope we get him again. When they say you will definitely get up on the board, believe them. He was so patient and explained everything thoroughly. Great experience! Thank you!

TLDR; Nick, my instructor was great! Whole surfing experience I would do again. Do not recommend…read morethe photo package (poor communication, no photos and no refund). ---- I was solo and I had never surfed before! I booked a private lesson and I had a great time surfing with Nick, my instructor! Would absolutely recommend a private lesson for more attention and coaching. Surf conditions are a variable. We had some pretty big swells for beginner waves, according to Nick, but I think I did alright! A little longer and I think I could have gotten to standing. I would try this again for sure and refine my technique a little! The length of the lesson is great (1.5-2h). As much as I would have loved more time out there, you do get pretty gassed out by the end, so it's the right amount of time. Booking was easy online. I called to ask some questions and Kevin (Owner) was very informative. Meeting point was pretty easy to find. I received a picture of where to meet but given the recent washout rain, the landscape looks a little different. You can still match some of the trees though. It's across from where folks are parked all the time to go surfing. It's a pretty popular spot. I took a Lyft out to Mile Marker 19 which is pinned on the map, thankfully. The local drivers also just know where to go. There is not a nearby bus stop, but Lahaina Cannery Mall is probably the closest one and just over an hour's walk away. Nick easily found me waiting on the sand in the morning. He had everything I needed (12' board, shoes - both in great condition). They also provide rash guards but the suit I was wearing was already long sleeved. We started on land going through theory. When you book, there are videos in the confirmation email which are very helpful to review. Nick explained things very well, and helped make me aware of some beginner traps. Throughout the lesson he made sure I was safe as well as the surfers around me. There's a traffic flow to follow and knowing he was there supporting me with his experience allowed me to focus on learning to surf. I also appreciated his expert technique in paddling out and assisting me by towing a couple times, haha! I would have given 5 stars but there was issue with the photography package I purchased. Would not recommend, based on my experience. It's done through Aloha Maui Photography and you pay on site if you like the photos (you get a little preview on the tablet). The usual way seemed to be to Airdrop the photos, but I don't have an iPhone. Alyssa said she would email me a link later that day or the next day, but I didn't receive anything. After a few days, I went to the online webpage and submitted a form on the "Contact" page, asking to follow up. After a couple more days, I emailed directly. I got a response to my email after 2 days. It seemed that Alyssa thought that I was a different surfer (with a family and that my photos were already AirDropped to my mother) and that she no longer has the photos because they're cleared as she's constantly shooting. I explained that I was mixed up with who she thought I was since I was solo, and if the photos were indeed already cleared, if I could get a refund. It's now been two weeks, with another follow up, and still unresolved. I am disappointed because I was really hoping for some photos from my first surfing experience, which is why I splurged on the photo package. Just one more note - additional recommendation as a beginner, if you can do rash guard shorts, my inner thighs above the knee took a bit of a beating from straddling the board!

What a great experience with Local Pros Maui! Kevin was very easy to communicate with and super…read moreflexible as our plans needed to change. Our surf instructor Palani was amazing with our kids! They had a super fun time and I always felt safe. Palani was good at coaching my husband and I while spending most of the time with the kids. Recommend very highly! Also got some great photos from Alyssasky who photographed from the beach, for additional fees. She captured some awesome shots!

We had an absolutely incredible experience with Rivers To The Sea Maui Surf Lessons! My two…read moredaughters took a lesson with Sharky, and I can't say enough good things about him. From the moment we arrived, he was friendly, patient, and clearly passionate about what he does. Sharky made the girls feel comfortable and confident right away, taking the time to explain everything in a way that was easy for them to understand. His energy was positive and encouraging the entire time, and you could tell he genuinely cared about making sure they had fun and succeeded. Both of my daughters were up and riding waves much sooner than I expected, and the smiles on their faces said it all. It was one of the highlights of our trip to Maui. If you're looking for a surf school that is professional, safe, and truly memorable, I highly recommend Rivers To The Sea--and if you can request Sharky, do it! We'll definitely be back next time we're on the island.

Eric was a great instructor! He made my wife and I feel at ease and confident getting up on the…read moreboard for our first times! We would definitely take another lesson and recommend him & the company!

Wow! What an experience! This was by far the highlight of our trip to Maui! Our instructors Rebecca…read moreand Sherman did not only a great job taking us on an amazing surfing trip but also shared a lot of the local culture and history of the island. We didn't even feel like tourists! I've been surfing a few times before on the west coast and even tried a bit solo on Maui but you really need to know the best spots and have the right gear and they set us up for success. Highly recommended if you want an authentic experience.

Sherman Dean saved my life. No greater endorsement can be made of anyone whose job it is to keep…read moreyou safe in the ocean, much more so when they are off duty. I will certainly be coming back for lessons from this brave and selfless soul.

Bully's surf school is the best in Maui! I have booked with Bully 3 times and will continue to do…read moreso whenever I visit. My dad and I met Bully in 2012 and he was our first instructor. He was so knowledgeable and helped my dad and I have fun on the water. He taught me how to paddle out smarter and the mentality to charge waves. My wife and I booked with Bully in 2025 and had an amazing time with his two professional staff instructors, 1:1. We just wrapped up our third lesson with Bully today--my wife and I rode so many waves it was a blast, and Bully made sure my mother-in-law crushed it during her first time surfing as well. Unlike chaotic group lessons, Bully brings a 1:1 approach where I feel safe and empowered out on the water. If you're traveling to Lahaina or Kaanapali booking a lesson with Bully Surf School is a must!

Surfing with Bully's surf school today was a truly magical experience. Bully's was highly…read morerecommended as the best surf school in Maui by a family friend who lives on the island. I would not hesitate to say Bully's is the best surf school in the world, not just Maui. Bully is an incredible teacher who shares his passion for surfing and respect for the ocean. Bully and his team of coaches made us all feel confident and safe in the water. Our entire family caught waves, including not just the kids, but the out of shape older ones too! Bully and his entire team of coaches (shout-out to Theo, James, and Ashley) were positive throughout the entire lesson. The energy was infectious. It was easy to try when we knew every attempt would be met with joy. It was incredibly helpful that even with a group lesson, we each had our own surf coach; we could each learn at our own paces and our coaches were able to give us personalized instruction. The equipment was top-of-the-line and really helped novice surfers like ourselves. The boards were light and forgiving and much better than typical foam boards. We can't wait to come back to Maui to take more lessons with Bully and his team. We made memories today that will last a lifetime and learned lessons that will remain in our hearts and guide us through life's challenges. Just breathe.... The world needs more people like Bully; an expert in his field who teaches with humility, kindness, positivity, and generosity. Lahaina Strong, Bully's Surf School!

The snorkel store is a professional and authentic store, and I am thankful for how concise and…read moregreat they are. They are extremely thorough in explaining how snorkeling works, and are very explicit to the bone. Additionally, their customer service is impeccable (shoutout to Steve) with even providing the daily scoop of whee to spot sea turtles. (We got to see 5!) All in all, they have cost efficient gear and great customer service, and I sincerely hope to come again and best wishes. -Nancy

Thank you Lisa! Stopped in today because the grandkids wanted to snorkel for the first time. We…read morecould not have had a better person help us prepare Zoe (8) and Cillian (6) for their first snorkel adventure. She made them feel excited and confident to put on their snorkel gear and get into the ocean. She set them up with a mask, fins, and a floater and shared with us the best place to see fish, and they did! I had already checked out The Snorkel Store website which is very informative and amazing. Signing up for the newsletter got us a discount, yay! Besides the snorkel gear we rented three Tommy Bahama beach chairs which are great because you can wear them down to the beach as a backpack. One less thing to carry. Before we left Lisa said, "Let me get you a bag of sand toys for you to enjoy after you're done snorkeling." This was so fantastic because grandchild #3 was in the car with Papa and the sand toys were an absolute hit. We will definitely make sure they're washed and returned with the all the other equipment tomorrow before 5:00pm. If you need any type of beach gear, this is the place to go! We will definitely be back again when we're on the island.