I highly recommend this surf school. It was a little tough to find at first, but Cody walked me through all the directions and was very patient - even though we got lost and were late. The instructor (Liane?) was helpful and friendly and made my son feel very comfortable. Her patient encouragement helped him stand up within 20 minutes of getting in the water! He can't wait to do it again. If you're on O'ahu and on the fence about which school to go with, choose Surf HNL. You won't be disappointed. read more

Surf HNL - First-ever surf lesson - Paddleboarding Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

We had a great experience at Surf HNL Kapolei. It was very easy to schedule and worth the price. Cody was very kind and professional, and he made sure my keiki felt comfortable and safe. We got so many cute pictures and videos and she was over the moon! Surfing has been her dream and we're so glad we started her out with this experience. Mahalo nui, Cody! read more

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I highly recommend this surfing school. The coaches were very experienced , patient and did well managing our 5 and 7 year old who loved the class. We will definitely do this again on our next holiday in December. read more

Lianne and Georgia were simply amazing! They treated our teens like rockstars, and ensured that these two midwesterners had a great first-time surfing experience! They even had a great morning walk and coffee recommendation for the adults during the lesson. I had no concerns leaving my kids in their very capable hands for the lesson. The videos and photos are some of the best momentous of our trip. Priceless! Communication before, during, and after was top notch and this experience was a highlight of the week for our family! Don't waste time doing more research - book with SurfHNL at Ala Moana. You will definitely love it. Mahalo from MI! read more

Surf HNL - Paddleboarding Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

Called yesterday and rented a paddle board for today. Super easy and contactless. Great price, good board and great service. Would definitely recommend to others. If you're at Ko olina, worth the extra mile drive or have them delivered to you. read more

Wonderful experience for my two kids (9) and (13). For my youngest, this was his first lesson. The instructors are amazing. They give very clear instructions on what to do and how. Both boys were up and surfing throughout the session. And they make the lesson very fun. So much fun, the boys asked for another session, which we booked for the next day. read more

Earlier this week, I was looking for a surf lesson close to Ko Olina (never tried surfing before) and was told by most that I would have to drive to the North Shore or Waikiki. I stumbled upon SurfHNL and their Kapolei location and am SO happy I did! After a less than 20 minute drive (super convenient!) from Aulani to Kapolei, I found the SurfHNL tent on the beach. Upon arrival, The entire staff was great - super friendly and welcoming. Immediately addressed you by name and the groups were small enough that we all got individualized attention and instruction. I took a 1hr exclusive lesson and after 10 or so minutes of land instruction, we moved right out into the water. Sam was my instructor and she was fantastic - made sure I was comfortable, got me up on my very first wave and celebrated every single wave I caught! So happy I found this place and highly recommend to anyone looking for a place to surf near the Ko Olina resorts. read more

I took a fun SUP class from this school a decade ago, so now visiting Waikiki again I looked them up for a beginner surfing lesson at Ala Moana. So glad I did. Liane did not disappoint! Her tips were spot on and I was able to stand up right away and start being able to turn shortly after that. A great morning! read more

LeAnn our instructor was super nice, knowledgeable about surfing and water safety, patient, outgoing and a pleasure to work with. She spent an extra few minutes past our 1 hour booking to ensure we had the whole hour in the water on the board. I highly recommend this company and instructor. Riley the photographer was awesome too. She had a huge camera that zoomed in on us as we surfed way off shore. Memories forever, Mahalo ladies!! read more

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Price for surf lesson is very high. I get it's Hawaii and tourist season but still. Location is perfect

Our first time in Hawaii, I had to get my kids surfing lessons. Was referred to them by a very nice local employee at Hawaiin Fire. My kids (14 and 16) have never surfed. I paid for a group lessons (my two kids with one instructor) but to my surprise, when we arrived, they had two instructors waiting. So each of my kids got one on one attention. It was an awesome experience for my kids. Highly recommended!! read more

Surf HNL - On the beach instructions - Paddleboarding Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

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Wife and two kids spent a couple of hours on Standup Paddle Boards and had a great time with Nate! Ala Moana beach is a great place to learn because of the sandbar protecting about 75 yards of water from the waves coming in off the Pacific. Only thing you need to deal with is the wind which can make paddling a good workout :-) Seems like the wind picks up as the day wears on, but that's Hawaii for you. Highly recommend this company! There are tons of options out there and you won't regret using these guys. read more

My kids had a great time.. I felt confident they were in good hands and safe.. They took away some good skills and made new friend. read more

This is a great place to learn if you are beginning to surf! Austin and Thalia are great instructors--I can't thank them enough for teaching me. They were super calm, which put me at ease, and were really positive and upbeat, which made me want to keep paddling out there to catch another wave. read more

I didn't need lessons, only just a surfboard for a week, and SurfHNL made the rental process SUPER easy. The price for 7 days was well worth it. All I had to do was go to their location at Coral Crater Adventure Park, choose the board I wanted, give them a call with my payment info, and they give you a code to unlock the board. Also comes with soft racks for your car and a leash. Boards to select from included single fin longboards, more performance based longboards with thrusters (3 fins), as well as stand up paddle boards. Conveniently located by White Plains Beach. Will definitely rent from again! read more

Surf HNL - Board selection on the day I went. No need for anything shorter if you're surfing close by in the winter (ie south shore). - Paddleboarding Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

Fabulous instructors, great beach. My kids were up and surfing by end of 1st hour lesson.

This was my second time doing surf lessons with surf HNL after many years and they are still great! I don't surf much but it's fun to come out and have them refresh my skills and then help me catch waves! My two boys (12 and 9) had a great time as well. The older one has learned some more and they were able to give him more pointers, and the younger one had a blast riding tandem with an instructor. read more

My son is 8 and really wanted to surf while we were here in Hawaii. We are from California and he's tried a bit but the places we've been are a lot less intimidating than Hawaiian surf. I had really no idea which surf school to go with and pure luck we ended up with these guys. I absolutely could not recommend this company more. They had extra staff on hand, the instructor paired with my son, Shane, was simply the nicest guy and I immediately trusted him to care for my son. I watched the other staff also and they were just as amazing!! My son is absolutely in love with his experience. He has a t-shirt from the school and literally won't take it off- he is so proud!!! My daughter lives here and every time we come back- this will be my first call!! I can't say enough about how happy I am with this experience!! If you want to learn to surf or your child goes - don't hesitate- these guys are the best I could have hoped for!!! We also rented stand up paddle boards during this trip and had a great time! Lastly- the owner took over 300 pics of my sons lessons ( which was beyond my expectations) ... I tried to take some but my iPhone paled in comparison. I felt like I was hanging out with friends....thank you guys so much!!! Really this made our trip!!!So so so happy!!!! One more thing- I saw a few reviews when this company was owned by someone else- not sure about prior owners but these guys are amazing- Yelp needs to figure out how to separate prior owners from new owners because if I could give these guys 10 stars I would!!! read more

Surf HNL - Best instructors!!! - Paddleboarding Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

For a long-time land-locked wannabe surfer this was an awesome experience! Austin, Kira, and Sophia were an excellent crew and taught me all I needed to know to get up surfing in my first lesson. Second lesson (yep, so much fun I came back two days later!) I caught many waves (even as a "mature" surfer). My success was mostly because of their skill, experience and ability to provide just the right instruction. More than that, they were fun-loving, surf-loving locals who made me feel part of the family. I would highly recommend Surf HNL for anyone who wants to try, or improve on, their surfing. Just be sure you or your driver follow the instructions to the beach exactly - it's a little tricky to find - but that makes it great because it's an uncrowded authentic Hawaii surf experience. I stayed at Ko Olina and this was by far the most convenient location and crew to work with from there. read more

My son did a 2 hour surf lesson the other day and he really enjoyed it. Within 30 minutes he was able to stand on his own. Instructors seemed personable/fun for the kids. read more

My niece and I had our first surfing lessons with Shane today...it was so much fun! Shane and SurfHNL team were awesome! Super easy place to find. We signed up for exclusive 60min surf lesson...10mins on land and then we jumped into the water. Smallish waves today but still enough to catch a few. Def not pros after 50 mins but enough to want to get back out on the water. Shane was a great coach and made the experience amazing. If you are looking for surf lessons, def go see Shane and the ohana at SurfHNL. read more

It was a last minute signup & Jon got me in.kanaka was my instructor & helped me out a lot and was awesome answering all my questions since I want to get into surfing again.cool vibes and chill attitudes makes the time fly and having fun learning to surf again.thanks will be back. read more

At 37 I never thought I'd ride a wave - but I totally did - thanks to Nate and Kyle at SurfHNL! On a 5 day trip to Waikiki, my 1 hour surfing lesson was the highlight of the entire trip. The instructors were patient, funny and did every little thing right to make me (and my 13 year old niece) feel confident in the water. I had such a blast I'm planning my next trip to go back! To top it off, Jon, the manager, is quality at customer service. He and I emailed back and forth about questions and he was quick to respond and super friendly. What a great business! Thank you so so much! read more

Surf HNL - Paddleboarding Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

Me and my son did the private paddleboard lesson with Priya and Talia!! They were great we had such a fun time with them. And I love how that we had two people out there one was with my son and the other one was with me at all times!! Thank you guys for making this experience so much fun!! Loni and Robbie read more

Because of the weather and having to change lesson dates a couple times, my 8-year old son and I got upgraded to private lessons. We surfed with Miku and two other instructors (sorry I forget the guys' names). Miku was tandem with my son and was incredible with him! She is an adorable girl and a crazy great surfer! My son can't wait to surf more when we are home on the mainland! This was probably one of the most daring and exciting experiences of our vacation and we have tons of photos and some great videos that we were able to purchase to hold on to those memories! If we ever come back to this island, I won't even think twice about booking another appointment for myself and maybe even for my husband! Thanks to Miku's influence, I'm sure my kid will be surfing great by that time! read more

I've been going to Surf HNL for years. Without exception these guys know what they are doing and are absolutely fantastic with kids. Quite honestly, they're also great with big "kids" like me and have shared helpful pointers that have improved my own surfing. They are incredibly accommodating and are flexible as situations constantly change with family life. My oldest son was initially apprehensive about paddling out but the Surf HNL team was so patient and helpful that he quickly overcame his fears. He initially rode tandem with an instructor and eventually learned to surf on his own board. Jon has worked with my son and daughter for years and it's been fun to build the teacher/student relationship over time. This past trip my son also worked with Chase at the Eisenhower beach location and had a blast. I can't recommend these guys enough as they are terrific instructors and just good down-to-earth people. They teach at two locations: a break called Concessions at Magic Island near Ala Moana shopping center and Eisenhower beach which is close to Ko'olina. Both locations are fun. Ask for Raynette to book a lesson or even a weeklong set of lessons like what we normally do. You and your family will be thrilled! read more

I had a great time with Girls Who Surf. Their booking process was very easy and responsive, the pricing was decent since they pick you up from the hotel to a more remote location, instructors were super nice and helpful and they supply you with everything you need. The group is very small. One thing I did not expect was the 15 minute lesson introduction on the sand and then straight onward to the ocean! That got me a little nervous. However, after brutal paddling, the instructors will help you set up for the wave and give you a push, so all you need to do is slowly stand. The rush was exhilarating! Quick tip: they provide a long sleeve rash guard and water shoes, I still recommend wearing shorts for girls because the back of my thighs burned like crazy! read more

Would give 15 stars! Took the kids for surf lessons on a Tuesday morning at 7:30: 3 families of 2 kids each. They had *a blast*. The instructors were knowledgeable and super nice. Safety was clearly their first priority. The youngest got tandem boards, so their first experience of surfing included lots of staying on the board. A photographer got great shots with a gigantic telephoto lens. We bought the best pictures afterward (we got to look through them) and brought them home on a USB stick. They had a whole array of beach chairs and a choice of sun (obviously) or plentiful shade from their large tent. While we sat, sipped champagne and watched the kids kill it on the waves, their adorable dog Tia hunted for crabs along the beach. A good time was had by all. We're even coming back tomorrow--this time for everyone! read more

I did a private lesson with Surf HNL two days ago at the tail end of the "biggest south swell in 25 years." Well, luckily I had a five-star instructor (he also owns the business) and he was there helping me every step of the way. He navigated me out of the difficult inside waves, so that paddling out would be easier. He guided me on each wave and how to catch it, and how to adjust things to make it easier the following time around. After and hour, I caught 3 waves, and was very pleased with overcoming my fear of Hawaiian surfing. My experience has only been with San Diego and a few other places where it's pretty mellow. This was a great place to learn for adults, kids, and even the disabled/challenged. They took a young man (in a life vest) on a surfboard and helped him catch several waves (by letting him ride in front seated, while the instructor was standing up in back). I love this company for how they help people of all ages and abilities. read more

Took a class with Nate today at the Ala Moana location and had a blast! I felt super comfortable and safe with his guidance. Given zero prior experience, I was able to catch multiple waves during the class. Thank you Nate! read more

We had an awesome time surfing today! It was our very first family surfing day. We stay at Aulani and it is super close and the beach is clean and beautiful. I recommend this place if you are staying at near by resorts since Waikiki area can be very crowded with heavy traffic. I just love the staff most of all. They are super friendly, professional and fun! I have three little kids and it was their first time surfing. It was not easy paddling against the wave but our instructors helped us alot to make sure we enjoy the wave and to stay safe. Safety was my number one concern since I had three kids with me. I did one hour lesson and recommed early am lesson if you are a beginner like myself. I was able to stand on the board pretty quickly with their clear instructions and assistance. It was just fun! I am definitely returning to this place very soon. Thanks guys! Ps. Photo package is not a bad option. It came out so much better than my Iphone 8+. Now I have beautiful pictures of surfing like a pro. read more

I came in October for a weekend of back-to-back lessons with Girls Who Surf and had a blast. This time I brought some surfing buddies and had an afternoon we could spend surfing at the beach close to their shop. The facilities they have are very tidy and well-kept despite the warehouse feel outside. They pretty much had everything we needed, from boards to rash guards and water shoes. Since we didn't have a car capable of carrying the bigger boards we rented, we walked the boards down to the beach about 3-4 blocks away. It's not an easy walk with big boards, but it's close enough to where it can be a decent option for people without a truck or van to carry the boards in. We got to Ala Moana beach in about 15 minutes of walking. If you go this route be sure to know which direction to turn, we got a little disoriented finding our way. We were also surprised how clean and uncrowded the nearby beach was. We stayed in Waikiki and noticed that the waters were absolutely packed with surfers, but Ala Moana it was relatively uncrowded and I believe that generally makes it safer for non surfing veterans. In summary, the rentals were quick and easy. The staff was very helpful in making sure we had everything we needed and the prices were very competitive. We had a great time trying to surf that day but realized that we probably need a few more lessons before going out without an instructor. read more

I was home for the holidays and wanted to go out surfing but sadly I didn't pack my board :( found these guys on Google and when I emailed them they immediately replied with the pricing and location to get the board. When I couldn't find them they talked me through it over the phone and I was finally able to get out and surf! Mahalo Surf HNL! read more

Surf HNL - Paddleboarding Near Me - Kapolei, Hawaii

We were spending a week at Ko Olina and were searching for physical activities that our 15 year old could participate with minimal activity on the part of her out of shape parents. This turn out to be the perfect activity. We decided on Surf HNL based upon their Yelp reviews and their proximity to Ko Olina (15 minute drive). The beach location near Kapolei is a bit isolated and known only to locals. On weekdays there are no crowds and you have the beach to yourself. In fact the park appears to be open to the public only on weekends. After booking, communication is excellent. You receive a confirming email with all the necessary information and a text message reminder. Once you arrive, they are set up on the beach for your arrival, they provide protective gear, sun shirts, surf shoes and leggings. They have several beach chairs available for parents and a canopy. You should bring water. After a short out of the water lesson-you're off to the surf. Unlike Waikiki, the waves break close to shore so it was easy to see the action from the beach. I can't say more about the staff. They truly represent the "Aloha Spirit". Everyone is extremely accommodating and professional. Although we booked a group lesson all of the participants had an instructor. Notwithstanding the open ocean and waves, you feel perfectly confident that your child is safe in their care. The instructors appear to be vigilant in both insuring your child has a good experience and watching that they stay safe. For us the piece of mind is worth every penny. BTW, my daughter had such a good time that we booked another lesson for the next day. This will be part of our regular activities on future trips back to the islands. read more

We had the best time today! Jon and Priya gave my semi uncoordinated family of six a stand up paddling lesson today and it was amazing! They were sweet, kind, patient and friendly. We all had a great time, regardless of how successful we were. Totally recommend. Even if you aren't a natural, a great time was had by all of us. Thanks so much!! read more

Good surf school with lots of staff to support newbies. They are near the Ko'olina area so was a great option if you are staying there. This avoids the crowds and poor student teacher ratio at Waikiki. The conditions at Eisenhower beach were not as great as hoped that day with a lot of wind but my daughters were able to get up on their board with guidance from the instructors. It's a great beach typically. They also helped them paddle which can exhaust new surfers. Over all great experience. read more

I booked my reservations through Raynette over the phone. She did a great job informing me of the different surf packages they had available, including picture and video packages. We ended up doing a group surf instruction for my kids, with Travis being their instructor. My kids had a blast!!!!! read more

I signed my 3 kids (11, 9, and 6) and I for lessons after seeing great reviews on yelp and these guys did not disappoint. They led us through a great dry land run through and I felt comfortable right away that the instructors would take care of my kiddos. The Eisenhower beach location was quite deserted which was perfect for lessons as we didn't have to worry about running into any other surfers or swimmers. Laka, Travis, and John were fantastic! They were fun, careful and great at teaching. All 4 of us rode several waves to shore with their instruction and they got some great pics and videos. My son even had a go pro attached to the front of his surfboard for some really cool videos. Can't say enough good things. We will definitely be back for lessons next time we're on the island! read more

While the other places I called didn't answer their phone and or didn't seem to care much to speak with (one laughed and was disrespectful), SurfHNL was responsive and customer friendly. They showed up on time with the SUP equipment and we were in the water minutes later. That's a big deal! Ala Moana Beach Park is rocky. I recommend bringing water shoes if you are sensitive. But once out in the water, lots of fun. read more

Jon and his team were incredible. We brought a group of 13. 1 little kiddo, 1 bigger kiddo, 6 teens and 5 adults! We all got up, caught a ton of waves and had a blast! We were safe, properly geared and felt super welcome! Mahalo Jon and Surf HNL! read more

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