Hawaii Lifeguard Surf Instructors — Surf Lessons at Kahalu’u Bay, Kona

QUICK ANSWER
Hawaii Lifeguard Surf Instructors 1:1 Solo Surf Course: Ages 5+ · 2-hour full course · one instructor, one surfer.
Price: $195.00 per person · confirm current rates at booking
Duration: 2 hours in the water, allow about 2.5 hours end to end
Island: Big Island (Kailua-Kona)
Best for: Children aged 5 to 9, non-swimmers and anyone wanting undivided coaching
Booking: instant confirmation.

WHAT THE COURSE INVOLVES
This is the operator’s one-to-one format, and the coach is a working Hawaiian lifeguard rather than a seasonal instructor. The course opens with a 15-minute classroom session at the Ali’i Drive HQ covering ocean awareness and board fundamentals, then moves to Kahalu’u Bay for up to two hours of surf time.

Kahalu’u is the Kona side’s most reliable beginner bay: a sheltered, reef-protected pocket that holds a rideable wave when much of the coast is flat. Because the instructor is with one surfer only, the session adapts entirely to how quickly you progress.

It is also the mandatory format for children aged 5 to 9, and the operator recommends it for anyone with limited swim skills.

HOW IT RUNS
Check in at the classroom on Ali’i Drive, where parking is free and there is an adjacent public lot with restrooms. After the briefing you drive yourself to Kahalu’u Beach Park and meet the instructor at the bay. Student transport is not provided. Returning students may skip the classroom and check in directly at the bay for extra water time.

PRICING
$195.00 per person for the full two-hour course. A second child surfer can be added on the operator’s two-solo-surfer option. Verified against FareHarbor, September 2026. Confirm current rates at booking.

WHAT IS INCLUDED
– Private Hawaiian lifeguard surf coach
– 15-minute classroom coaching session at the Ali’i Drive HQ
– Up to two hours of surf time at Kahalu’u Bay
– Surfboard and leash
– Surf shirt and water shoes
– Optional life jacket for children under 60 lbs

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
– Allow roughly 2.5 hours from check-in to paddle-in
– Suitable from age 5; mandatory format for ages 5 to 9
– Self-transport is required between the classroom and Kahalu’u Beach Park
– Towels, sunscreen and transport are not included
– Lessons are taught in English
– No fees if changed 2 or more days ahead; full charge within 2 days

WHO IT IS FOR
Young children, nervous beginners, non-swimmers, and experienced surfers who want technique work rather than a first-wave push. If you are two adults travelling together, the surf duo works out considerably cheaper per head.

BROWSE MORE
Browse more Big Island watersports, or see everything we run on Hawaii Island. New to surfing? Read what actually happens in a first surf lesson.

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Hawaii Lifeguard Surf Instructors 2:1 Surf Duo: Ages 10+ · 2-hour full course · one private coach for two surfers.
Price: $295.00 for two people · roughly $147.50 each · confirm current rates at booking
Duration: 2 hours in the water, allow about 2.5 hours end to end
Island: Big Island (Kailua-Kona)
Best for: Couples, siblings, friends and parent-and-teen pairs
Booking: instant confirmation.

WHAT THE COURSE INVOLVES
Read the price carefully: $295 is the total for two surfers, not a per-person rate. That works out to about $147.50 each, which makes it the cheapest way for a pair to get a genuinely private lifeguard coach on this coast.

The format matches the solo course. A 15-minute classroom session at the Ali’i Drive HQ covers ocean awareness and board handling, then you head to Kahalu’u Bay for up to two hours of surf time with the coach in the water alongside you both.

Two people are required to book, and the minimum age is 10. Families with younger children should look at the 1:1 solo course, which takes surfers from age five and can have a solo child added to a duo booking.

HOW IT RUNS
Check in at the classroom on Ali’i Drive, with free on-site parking and an adjacent public lot with restrooms. You then drive yourselves to Kahalu’u Beach Park and meet the instructor at the bay. Returning surfers can skip the classroom for extra time on the water.

PRICING
$295.00 for the pair, roughly $147.50 per surfer. A private child lesson can be added at $165, which the operator discounts by $30 when booked onto a duo. Verified against FareHarbor, September 2026. Confirm current rates at booking.

WHAT IS INCLUDED
– Private Hawaiian lifeguard surf coach for the pair
– 15-minute classroom coaching session
– Up to two hours of surf time at Kahalu’u Bay
– Surfboard and leash for each surfer
– Rash guard and water shoes

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
– $295 is the price for two people, not per person
– Two surfers are required to book
– Minimum age is 10
– Self-transport between the classroom and the beach park is required
– Towels, sunscreen and transport are not included
– No fees if changed 2+ days in advance; full charge within 2 days

WHO IT IS FOR
Pairs who want private coaching without paying two private rates. At about $147.50 each it undercuts the solo course by nearly $50 a head while keeping the coach exclusive to the two of you.

BROWSE MORE
Browse more Big Island watersports, or see everything we run on Hawaii Island. New to surfing? Read what actually happens in a first surf lesson.

QUICK ANSWER
Hawaii Lifeguard Surf Instructors VIP Group: Ages 12+ · 2 hours · your own party of three or four surfers.
Price: $125.00 per person · minimum 3, maximum 4 · confirm current rates at booking
Duration: 2 hours in the water, allow about 2.5 hours end to end
Island: Big Island (Kailua-Kona)
Best for: Friends and families who want to share the session but keep it private
Booking: instant confirmation.

WHAT THE SESSION INVOLVES
This is a closed group: your own party of three or four, with lifeguard coaches assigned to you rather than to a mixed class. At $125 per person it is the cheapest per-head route into a private session with this operator, and it undercuts the 1:1 course by $70 a surfer.

The session opens with a 20-minute classroom briefing at the Ali’i Drive HQ, slightly longer than the solo and duo formats because there are more people to run through ocean awareness and board handling. From there it is up to two hours of surf time at Kahalu’u Bay, the Kona side’s most reliable beginner break.

HOW IT RUNS
Check in at the classroom, then drive yourselves to Kahalu’u Beach Park and meet the coaches at the bay. Parking at the classroom is free, with an adjacent public lot and restrooms. Returning surfers can skip the classroom for extra water time.

PRICING
$125.00 per person, with a minimum of three and a maximum of four surfers. Verified against FareHarbor, September 2026. Confirm current rates at booking.

WHAT IS INCLUDED
– Lifeguard surf coaching for your group only
– 20-minute classroom coaching session
– Up to two hours of surf time at Kahalu’u Bay
– Surfboard and leash for each surfer
– Rash guard and water shoes

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
– Minimum 3 and maximum 4 surfers required to book
– Minimum age is 12
– Weaker swimmers should book the 1:1 solo course instead
– Self-transport between the classroom and the beach park is required
– Towels, sunscreen and transport are not included
– No fees if changed 2+ days in advance; full charge within 2 days

WHO IT IS FOR
Groups of three or four confident swimmers aged 12 and up who want to learn together. The operator is explicit that anyone with weaker swim skills should take the solo course rather than this one.

BROWSE MORE
Browse more Big Island watersports, or see everything we run on Hawaii Island. New to surfing? Read what actually happens in a first surf lesson, or compare private and group lessons.