Hawaii Surf Lessons
About Surfing in Hawaii
Hawaii is where surfing began, and every main island has beginner-friendly breaks with instructors in the water beside you. We sell 71 surf lessons, camps and surf experiences on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island, with group lessons from $85 and private coaching from $140.
Most first lessons last 90 minutes to two hours on a soft-top board in gentle, waist-deep surf, and most students stand up in the first session. The board is included, and most schools also provide a rash guard. If it is your first time, read what to expect at your first surf lesson, and if you are deciding between formats, private vs group surf lessons sets out the difference in price and progress.
Surf lessons on Oahu
Oahu has the most choice, with 33 surf experiences, most in Waikiki and on the North Shore. Waikiki has long, gentle rollers that suit complete beginners: Hans Hedemann Surf School runs two-hour lessons from $100. On the North Shore, Surf N Sea in Haleiwa teaches two-hour lessons from $90. Oahu also has things you will not find elsewhere: outrigger canoe surfing in Waikiki from $48, the Wai Kai wave pool from $75, and surfing with trained rescue dogs from $150. Our guide to Waikiki vs the North Shore helps you pick a side.
Surf lessons on Maui
Maui has 28 options, most at Kalama Park in Kihei and around Lahaina and Ukumehame on the west side. Group lessons with the Kihei and Lahaina surf schools start at $85, and Surf Maui 101 takes beginners from age five for $99. Maui is also where to take the smallest children: the Baby Surf Experience puts ages one to six on a board with an instructor, $225. See learning to surf on Maui.
Surf lessons on Kauai
Kauai has seven, mostly at Poipu on the sunny south shore and Kalapaki Bay near Lihue. Poipu group lessons start at $85, the lowest price on any island, and Kauai Beach Boys at Kalapaki is $99. For coaching rather than a first lesson, the elite lesson at Hanalei Bay is $240. Read learning to surf on Kauai.
Surf lessons on the Big Island
The Big Island has the fewest beginner breaks, so its lessons are concentrated around Kona. Group lessons at Kahalu’u Beach Park cap at four students, from $124, and Hawaii Lifeguard Surf Instructors teach private lessons from $125. Our Big Island surfing guide covers the breaks.
How to choose a surf lesson
- Lowest price: group lessons from $85 at Poipu on Kauai and in Kihei and Lahaina on Maui.
- Fastest progress: a private lesson, from $140 on Oahu, $150 on Maui and Kauai.
- Young children: the Baby Surf Experience on Maui from age one, or the keiki tandem lesson on Oahu’s North Shore, $200. Our guide to minimum ages for surf lessons lists every option.
- More than one session: the three-day surf camp at Kalama Park, $480, or the North Shore surf camp on Oahu. See surf camps and coaching.
- Something different: outrigger canoe surfing, bodyboarding and dog surfing in Waikiki, or the Wai Kai wave pool. Our guide to Waikiki surf experiences compares them.
When to surf in Hawaii
Lessons run all year. In winter the big swells hit north-facing coasts, so lessons move to sheltered spots on the south and west sides; in summer the south shores pick up and the North Shore goes calm. Our surf season guide has the detail. Already surfing? Rent a board instead: see our surfboard rental guide. Prices on this page are the lowest rate we sell and are confirmed at booking.
All Surfing Tours
Oahu Ride the waves in a traditional Hawaiian outrigger canoe with Waikiki Beach Services in Waikiki, Oahu. CANOE SURFING is the original Hawaiian rollercoaster ride!
Oahu Wai Kai's 65-foot wave session on Oahu: for proficient surfers and those advancing from the 30-foot wave, with a wider face for more speed and harder turns. Ages 10 and up, 90 lb minimum.
Maui Kihei is where Maui learns to surf. The beach parks along South Kihei Road - Kalama above all - break small and slow over a sandy bottom, and they reform as they roll in, which gives a beginner several chances at standing up on the same wave rather than one.Every lesson format is listed below, from an $85 group session to $265 one-to-one, plus a three-day camp at $480 that works out at $160 a morning. Children are taken from age four, boards and rash guards are provided, and mornings are calmest before the trade winds arrive.
Kauai A 90-minute beginner lesson in Po'ipu Beach's gentle south-shore waves: land-based technique first, then an hour of guided wave-catching on foam longboards, with groups capped at four students. Four daily time slots.
Maui Maui has no single beginner beach the way Waikiki does, so where you learn matters more here than on any other island. West Maui is the answer for most first-timers: the Lahaina Breakwall and Launiupoko Beach Park sit on the leeward side, sheltered from the big north swells that shut down Maui's north shore every winter.Five lessons are listed below, all two hours, from an $85 group session to one-to-one coaching at the Breakwall for $250. Children are taken from age five, boards and rash guards are provided, and no lesson expects you to have surfed before.
Oahu Learn to surf in Oahu, Oahu with Hawaii Surfing Academy. One Instructor teaching a group of students to learn surfing on the south shore of Oahu Times and Duration - Daily 8am-5pm - Time slots available e...
Oahu A two-hour surf lesson out of Surf N Sea in Haleiwa, taught at every skill level, with beginner and private formats and everything supplied.
Kauai A 90-minute beginner group surf lesson at Poipu on Kauai’s south shore, capped at four students per instructor, with board and rash guard included. $90.
Kauai A Kauai group surf lesson with hotel pickup included, taught by professional surfer Charlie Smith in classes of four to six. Boards, boots and shirts provided. $90.
Oahu A two-hour private group surf lesson on the North Shore built for larger parties, with North Shore Ohana keeping the experience personal however many of you book.
Maui A two-hour beginner surf class on Maui in a sheltered bay, with boards, rash guard and reef booties supplied. The cheapest group lesson in our Maui range at $95.
Kauai Hawaiian Style Surfing run two 90-minute surf lessons on Kauai’s south shore, priced from $95 to $150 per person: a group lesson with up to four students per instructor and four daily start times, and a semi-private lesson capped at two students per instructor. Both are taught in the Poipu and Koloa area, with boards and equipment provided.
Maui A two-hour introductory surf lesson on Maui, taught in groups from age nine or one-to-one from age five, with private options for up to six.
Kauai A 90-minute surf lesson at Kalapaki Beach in Lihue, taught at the same spot since 1983. Group lessons from $99, or private and semi-private options for small parties.
Maui A two-hour group surf lesson at Kalama Park in Kihei with Waves Hawaii Surf School, ocean safety briefing, land lesson and all equipment for $99 per person.
Oahu Learn to surf in Oahu, Oahu with SUPDog Hawaii LLC. Professional instructors teach wave reading, paddling, and how to stand up. Designed for all skill levels with all equipment included.
Oahu Learn to surf in Oahu, Oahu with Hawaii Surf Guru. Professional instructors teach wave reading, paddling, and how to stand up. Designed for beginner with all equipment included.
Oahu Learn to surf in Oahu, Oahu with Po'okela Surf School. Professional instructors teach wave reading, paddling, and how to stand up. Designed for all skill levels with all equipment included.
Oahu A two-hour surf lesson at Waikiki with Hans Hedemann Surf School, taught to beginners and improving surfers alike, with board, rash guard and coaching included.
Maui Whalers Village sits on the sand at Kaanapali, on Maui's leeward west coast. That side of the island is sheltered from the big north swells that shut down the north shore every winter, which is why lessons here run all year rather than seasonally.Lessons at Whalers Village run 90 minutes rather than the two hours you get in Kihei or Lahaina, and the group sessions are capped at four surfers. Boards and rash guards are provided, and beach gear can be hired by the item if you want to stay on the sand afterwards.
Oahu A one-hour semi-private surf lesson with Ty Gurney Surf School, customised to your level and goals, with a low ratio so you catch more waves and progress faster.
Maui A two-hour group surf lesson with Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy, capped at five students per instructor, with board, UV rash guard and reef shoes supplied.
Oahu A two-hour private group surf lesson at Chun's Reef for three to five surfers, with an instructor dedicated to your party and the session shaped around your group.
Oahu A two-hour private group surf lesson at Chun's Reef for six to eight surfers, with instructors exclusive to your party and all equipment provided.
Oahu A 90-minute open group surf lesson at Chun's Reef for three or more students, covering surf etiquette, wave selection and respect for the ocean alongside the basics.
Oahu Learn to surf in Waikiki, Oahu with Ohana Surf Project. After your very first wave, you’ll share it too.
Maui Ukumehame is where West Maui learns to surf without the crowd. The break off Ukumehame Beach Park, near the 12-mile marker on Honoapi'ilani Highway, is a long-established learners' spot that stays markedly quieter than the south-shore beaches in Kihei.Three lessons run here, from a $120 open group to a $250 private, all two hours and all taught from age five. Boards and rash guards are provided, and it is a short drive from Ka'anapali and the West Maui resorts.
Maui A 90-minute private surf lesson for a family or group of three to five at Ukumehame Beach, with four students to a coach and all equipment supplied.
Oahu A two-hour semi-private surf lesson on the North Shore with Sea & Board Sports Hawaii, run at beginner level with safety and confidence in the water as the focus.
Maui A two-hour small-group surf lesson at Kalama Beach Park in Kihei, taught from age five, with the instructor in the water alongside you throughout.
Big Island A 90-minute group surf lesson at Kahalu’u Beach Park in Kona, capped at four students per instructor. Boards, rash guards, water shoes and reef-safe sunscreen included. $124.
Oahu Learn to surf in Oahu, Oahu with Po'okela Surf School. Professional instructors teach wave reading, paddling, and how to stand up. Designed for all skill levels with all equipment included.
Big Island Hawaii Lifeguard Surf Instructors teach two-hour surf courses at Kahalu'u Bay in Kailua-Kona, with working Hawaiian lifeguards rather than seasonal staff. Three formats run from $125 per person in a private group of three or four, to $295 for a two-person duo, to $195 one-to-one.Every course opens with a classroom briefing on Ali'i Drive before moving to the bay. Boards, leashes, surf shirts and water shoes are provided, surfers are taken from age five, and self-transport between the classroom and the beach park is required.
Maui Every lesson is private to you or your ohana, capped at three students per instructor, with two full hours in the water and coaches who push you into waves.
Oahu A 90-minute one-to-one surf lesson on Oahu with Island Fiel Surf, with the meeting point confirmed once the day's conditions are read.
Maui A 90-minute surf lesson built for two people learning together at Ukumehame Beach on Maui's quiet southwest shore, with two students to one coach.
Oahu Learn to surf in Waikiki, Oahu with Ohana Surf Project. More than a bodyboarding lesson...
Oahu Surf perfect waves at Wai Kai on Oahu. The Wai Kai Wave is the easiest way for beginners to learn to surf!
Oahu Learn to surf on the North Shore with SUPDog Hawaii and their trained rescue dogs: 90 minutes in the calmer water at Pua'ena Point, board and rash guard included. No dog of your own needed.
Kauai A 90-minute one-on-one lesson with a certified local instructor at whichever beach (Hanalei Bay, Poipu, or Kalapaki) offers the cleanest conditions that day. Thirty minutes of land technique, sixty in the water.
Maui Two hours of surf coaching from Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy, taken one-to-one or as an exclusive private group of two to four, with all equipment supplied.
Oahu Try stand-up paddleboarding with Waikiki Beach Services in Waikiki, Oahu. LEARNING TO SURF from a Waikīkī Beachboy is a must-do while visiting Waikīkī.
Maui A two-hour surf lesson in Kihei taken privately or with two to six people from your own party, suitable from age four, with every piece of equipment provided.
Oahu A two-hour surf lesson at Chun's Reef for two surfers to one instructor - the most popular format with couples, friends travelling together and kids learning side by side.
Oahu Surf perfect waves at Wai Kai on Oahu. Make a Splash and Save Cash with Wai Kai’s NEW Activity Bundles!
Maui A two-hour closed-group surf lesson at Kalama Park in Kihei with Waves Hawaii Surf School. Nobody outside your party is added to the session.
Big Island A private group surf lesson in Kona with Kona Mike’s, from $169 per adult with two adults required, or $210 for a private lesson for children aged 10 and under.
Oahu Learn to surf in Oahu, Oahu with Po'okela Surf School. Professional instructors teach wave reading, paddling, and how to stand up. Designed for all skill levels with all equipment included.
Maui A 90-minute private surf lesson at Ukumehame on West Maui with Maui Surf and SUP, taught by CPR-certified instructors, with photos of your session included.
Oahu Learn to surf in North Shore, Oahu with North Shore Surf Girls. This awesome experience gets you up close and personal with big Hawaiian turtles.
Maui Go Tum Surfing run two-hour surf lessons on Maui in exactly two formats: a one-to-one private lesson at $200, taught from age three, and a group lesson charged as a single $500 flat rate for the whole party rather than per person.Both are taught at beginner or intermediate level and follow the same shape, a short land session on the fundamentals followed by in-water coaching. The meeting point is confirmed by the operator at booking.
Oahu A 90-minute tandem surf lesson at Chun's Reef where the instructor rides with your child, helping them paddle in and out of the waves and stand up safely.
Oahu Learn to surf in Waikiki with SUPDog Hawaii and their trained rescue dogs: a 90-minute session from the Duke Kahanamoku statue, board and instruction included. No dog of your own needed.
Maui Ninety minutes of coaching from instructors who surf Maui daily: private, duo or group formats, all skill levels, with a second pro added for larger groups.
Maui Ninety minutes of one-to-one surf coaching at Ukumehame Beach on Maui's quiet southwest shore, taught from age five to seventy-five.
Oahu A two-hour one-to-one surf lesson at Chun's Reef with North Shore Ohana School of Surfing, suited to first-timers and returning surfers who want undivided attention.
Maui Two hours of one-to-one surf coaching at Kalama Park in Kihei with Waves Hawaii Surf School, the island's smallest surf school, and all equipment provided.
Maui A one-hour tandem surf session at Kalama Park for children aged one to six, with a CPR-certified toddler surf guide, a wetsuit and a life vest supplied.
Maui A two-hour beginner windsurfing class on Maui using wide, stable longboards and light sails, taught in the calmer morning winds from age six.
Oahu Learn to surf in North Shore, Oahu with Go Nuts Hawaii. Our surf lessons are 100% satisfaction guaranteed, or your money back!
Kauai A 60-minute private or semi-private coaching session at Hanalei Bay for intermediate-to-advanced surfers, real-time in-water feedback on pop-up mechanics, wave selection, and turns from Aloha Surfing School's elite instructors.
Maui A two-hour private surf lesson at Ukumehame Beach Park on West Maui, a quieter alternative to the Kihei breaks, with an instructor dedicated to you.
Maui A two-hour one-to-one surf lesson at Lahaina Breakwall on Front Street, a consistent West Maui break that suits both first-timers and surfers refining technique.
Oahu Learn to surf in Oahu, Oahu with Po'okela Surf School. Professional instructors teach wave reading, paddling, and how to stand up. Designed for beginner with all equipment included.
Oahu Learn to surf in Oahu, Oahu with Po'okela Surf School. Professional instructors teach wave reading, paddling, and how to stand up. Designed for intermediate to advanced with all equipment included.
Maui A two-hour private surf lesson at Kalama Beach Park in Kihei with an instructor dedicated entirely to you, taught from age five.
Oahu A three-hour guided North Shore surf tour that begins with surf checks at several breaks, then surfs whichever suits the day's swell, currents and your ability.
Maui An exclusive private surfing excursion that goes wherever the day's waves are best, in four-hour or full-day formats, with boards, UV rash guards, reef shoes, beach chairs and snacks.
Maui A three-day surf camp at Kalama Park in Kihei with Waves Hawaii Surf School, built for people who want to progress rather than take a single lesson.
Maui A four-hour private surf safari that goes wherever the day's conditions are best, island-wide, with a former pro-circuit instructor and a Hawaiian-style lunch afterwards.
Oahu Try stand-up paddleboarding with Go Nuts Hawaii in North Shore, Oahu. Go Nuts Hawaii Surf Camp is located at the famous V-land beach.
Surfing FAQ
Group surf lessons we sell cost $85 to $190 per person, private lessons $140 to $250, and full-day or multi-day surf safaris and camps from $475. The lowest prices are at Poipu on Kauai and in Kihei and Lahaina on Maui, from $85.
Oahu, for choice: Waikiki has long, gentle waves, and the island has 33 surf experiences between Waikiki, the North Shore and the Wai Kai wave pool. Maui is best for young children, with lessons from age one, and Kauai has the lowest group price at Poipu.
Most beginners stand up in their first lesson. A 90-minute to two-hour session on a soft-top board in small waves is enough to catch white water and ride to the beach; turning and catching open waves usually takes several sessions.
It depends on the school. The Baby Surf Experience on Maui takes children from age one on a tandem board, and the keiki tandem lesson on Oahu’s North Shore is for young children too. Most group lessons start at five to eight, and some beginner classes at 11.
You should be comfortable in the ocean and able to swim, even though lessons are in shallow water and you wear a leash. Tell the school if you are a weak swimmer; a private lesson gives you an instructor beside you the whole time.
If you want to progress fast or are nervous in the water, yes. Group lessons put four to ten students with one instructor; a private lesson gives you all the feedback and the best waves, for roughly $50 to $150 more.
Lessons run all year. Winter brings big swell to north-facing shores, so lessons move to the south and west sides, while summer is calm on the North Shore and best on south shores such as Waikiki and Poipu.
Swimwear, reef-safe sunscreen, a towel and water. A board is included in every lesson we sell, most schools provide a rash guard, and some include photos.