We had the BEST experience with Maui Waveriders Kihei, and George completely made it unforgettable…read more From the start, George went above and beyond to make our lesson feel personal and tailored to us. It honestly felt like a private lesson. He took the time to understand our different skill levels and customized everything so we both felt comfortable, challenged, and successful. What stood out just as much as his skill as an instructor was how genuinely kind and respectful he was. As an LGBTQIA couple, we felt completely welcomed and at ease, which meant a lot and made the experience even more special. George is not only an incredible instructor, but someone who truly cares about making sure you have a great time and get full value out of your experience. We both walked away feeling confident, accomplished, and so happy we chose this company. If you're booking, ask for George. You won't regret it.

This review is for the "Maui Waveriders Lahaina" location. We had an 11AM lesson on 04/24/2026 near…read moreUkumehame Beach Park. Pros: 1. Instructor was at the location on time. 2. He brought rash guards. Cons: 1. Rocky beach with shallow wave break, your group will have to be careful to "fall shallow" off your board or you may get cut by the rocks/coral below. 2. Instructor was short on some needed gear (no water shoes for me in standard US Size 10). 3. Instructor was not the best at coaching/communicating, had a bad attitude at times (probably the biggest issue we had with this lesson). The Whole Picture: After signing up we received an automated email with the time and location of the surf lesson. Was surprised that it was actually 20 minutes south of Lahaina at a ROCKY ENTRY north of Ukumehame Beach Park. On 04/24/2026, the day of our 10AM surf lesson, we pulled off the highway next to the instructor's truck which had a cone on the hood of it. We did quick introductions and the instructor gave us rash guards and boards. He then asked us our shoe sizes as this location required water shoes given it was so rocky. Unfortunately, he only brought one pair of size 10 water shoes, and with two people in our group who wear size 10, I had to wear size 11 which was too big and made it hard to balance (not ideal when trying to surf). He then provided some basic surfing instructions on the beach and then had us follow him into the water. His vibe up until this point was just okay, not super positive, sort of just like he was just going through the motions, but at least he was calm - this changed once we started trying to catch our first waves. He didn't tell us to start to ride in any particular order, or for only one person to go at a time, so once we paddled out we all started trying to catch a wave the first time he said "here's a wave to go for" (we were about 20 feet apart from each other). We thought we did well when two of the three of us caught our first wave attempt and each had a nice safe ride, but the happy moment quickly ended when we paddled back out to have him yell at the two us "what are you guys doing?!? You can't take off so close to each other or close to me like that!!" He went on to say that we could potentially hit each other if we are too close, while this is potentially a fair critique to make as an instructor, its also something that he should have communicated to us before we even paddled out. The bad/tense situation could have been avoided if he had just instructed us properly in advance saying "now once we get out there I want you guys to only try a wave one at a time, or to be at least 50 feet apart", but he didn't. Also when we paddled back out he could have just coached us in a positive way saying "hey guys good job on your first wave, but next time go one at a time because you could potentially run into each other", but again he chose to yell and be snarky, not a great approach for an instructor. Basically in addition to more water shoes, our instructor needed a positive coaching reminder (remember your aloha brother)!

Booked on line for 2 day rental On arrival the staff said I…read moredon't want just take your $ The surf is to high to snorkel today we can modify the rental to 1 day and to come back tomorrow for the equipment Honest advice and great customer service Thanks

Second time renting from the Kihei location and had a great experience with Art (Arthur) helping us…read moreout. We picked up 4 adult snorkel sets and a floaty for my toddler. Art made sure to ask about our comfort levels with swimming and recommended my dad get a floatation device to aid with snorkeling as he doesn't consider himself a strong swimmer. He also made suggestions for snorkeling locations where we could see turtles and answered all of our other questions. The only thing we would do differently next time is to book online to get 50% off. We recommend Auntie Snorkel to any friends visiting Maui.

My husband and I spontaneously booked this during our time in Maui as part of our honeymoon and it…read moredid not disappoint. Instruction was great, vibes were immaculate, and we had a really great time and caught a lot of waves for our first time ever on a surfboard. Our instructor Bryan was not only a good hang, but thorough and attentive in teaching us and did a great job making sure us newbies stayed safe. So glad we booked this! I see some negative comments about the photos on here and I just want to say I had a great experience with that. We did buy the album because the photos were pretty sick and it's our honeymoon. But if I didn't want to buy them it wouldn't have been a big deal as they didn't pressure us at all. In fact we approached the guy with the photos out of our own interest. No one was tryna get us to do anything. Anyways the whole experience was worth every penny!

Such a fun first surfing and family bonding experience! Our coaches David and Jonny made the…read moreexperience positive and memorable. The group was small and the personalized instruction gave it an almost private lesson feel. I'd definitely recommend Surf Club Maui to anyone that is interested in giving surfing a try!

From the moment Alex answered the phone I knew I was in great hands. He made this experience not…read moreonly super easy, but delightful as well. I loved that the prices were available on yelp, that convenience of him dropping the board off to my location and picking it up. I had the board for almost a full week and used it every single morning. Alex made sure to explain the details and seriousness of the Hawaiian ocean currents and set me on my way. He made a point to reach out to me prior to pick up to make sure we had a time and place set up. The only way this could have been easier is if he paddled the board around for me. 10 out of 10 would recommend and I will definitely be using Maui SUP rentals again when I return to Maui. Thanks, Alex!

Had a great time paddle boarding in the most beautiful setting you can imagine. Our guide Sky was…read morevery helpful and patient teaching us. We got to see 4 green sea turtles and many beautiful sites. Pictures and GoPro videos included. We also learned a lot about the history and geography of the islands from our knowledgeable guide Sky. 5 stars

I had a magical experience seeing whales with HPS. Katie, our guide, was a great steward of…read moreHawaiian culture and the wildlife and she very knowledgeable about the whales answering our questions all throughout the tour. The tour is safe! But the water got choppy on our paddle back and I ended up getting seasick and got behind the group paddling back to our launch spot- Katie went above and beyond to help me get back safely and make sure the rest of the group was taken care of while she assisted me. Despite my own struggle, being so close for so long to the whales was so worth it! Thank you!

Went on a Whale watching kayaking tour last Saturday and had a BLAST! Our tour guide, Kris, was…read moreawesome!! She did a thorough introduction before we went out on the water, helped us get on/off our kayaks with ease, and made sure we were all safe while respecting the Hawaiian waters and their majestic creatures. We saw so many whales breach in every direction, heard their songs clearly above water and under water with the paddle trick. Kris also took a few photos of us while we were out there! It can be a little difficult to hear out there on the water, so be sure to speak up and ask your tour guide to repeat if needed. Would have loved to hear more about facts about the whales and Maui in general, and it'd be cool if the tour guides used Hawaiian words like "Huli" which means "flip over". Luckily we didn't huli! Tip: Be sure to hydrate, eat a snack, wear reef safe sunscreen, long sleeves if it looks cold, stretch your hammies, and use the restroom beforehand as they don't offer these during the tour. I wish I brought my hydroflask, but I survived! Also, help out your locals and leave a tip if they meet your expectations! No need to bring cash unless you have a place for it, they'll email you with the photos and their Venmo to optionally tip.

Great customer service. Very friendly. Had a broken piece of equipment and the got it replaced the…read morenext morning. Very responsive

We booked an 11am excursion - weather was perfect with a slight breeze which made the paddling a…read morebit interesting. Our awesome guide Ryan was perfect for my anxiety ridden Husband. It was just us and another couple. Ryan's instructions and laid back attitude calmed everyone - the other person was first timer and she did well with her husband. We were lucky to be able to spot some turtles and two endangered monk seals frolicking in the water. Learned a bit about the surrounding islands and the shark pit! My husband at the bend of the day felt accomplished and actually enjoyed himself. Ryan is from San Diego and both couples from CA as well. We were from Northern and the other from Southern. CA represent! Highly recommend Ryan. The beach is also perfect for snorkeling and just chilling out. Went in for a dip and swim. Great day! mahalo! Very reasonably priced as well.

We booked through Viator and for two people ( my husband and I) was $216.00…read more Pros: very responsive information sent by text including pictures of where to meet. We found the spot easily and the van. Once we checked in, we filled out the waiver, fitted with a sun shirt and water shoes. We were also given a mesh bag to put our belongings in and this was put in their van. We were in a group of 6 people total and our guide was Mikey. Mikey went over the basics and had us practice on dry land and then we were off. It was only waist deep and most of the ocean floor was sand, with a few rocks, so the water shoes came in handy. Mikey found a wonderful area for us to ride waves on Kalama Beach and was very encouraging and positive. He'd tell you exactly what to do and when to do it to successfully surf. I am the least athletic person and I stood up on my first wave. Best of all, we saw a lot of turtles! I could have stayed all day and just enjoyed the turtles. Surfing is exhausting and I had a hysterectomy 6 months ago. When I wanted to just cheer people on, there was no pressure to get back out there. It was at my own pace. I really appreciated that. There is also a photographer to purchase pictures and we bought those as well for $120.00. $90.00 for 1 person and $120.00 for two. It will be 48 hours or so until those come in digitally. Gratuity isn't included, so we brought cash. If you need to, there is also a digital way to tip your instructor. If you use this company, ask for Mikey. He's a great teacher and very enthusiastic with his small group. Con: on the Viator website it lists "light refreshments", which wasn't offered. If I had to do it again, I'd skip Viator and book directly with the company. If you book directly with the company it's $88.00 per person.

Really positive experience. Went surfing with a family group of five, for most of whom it was the…read moresecond time attempting surfing. We arrived a little late (went to the wrong location further south), but we were accommodated regardless. Manu (Manuel) who hails from Argentina was our instructor. He was super friendly and encouraging, remembered all our names after asking only once, and was just genuinely a really nice person. He offered each person individual feedback, and we all managed to eventually glide our way along without falling at least once! Even the fellow taking the photos was friendly and encouraging, it really made the morning. For $20 per person, the photos are made available digitally; the quality of the pics is totally worth it, lots of great action shots. Would go again, was just starting to get a feel for it! Great way to spend two hours, at $90 per person. All equipment is included, including long sleeve rash guard shirts and full water booties. The latter are essential because the practice area is very shallow and rocky. My cousin and I also happened to get jellyfish stings, so just be aware to watch the surface of the water for them, especially around full moon time (we went day of the full moon). Don't worry, it was about as bad as stinging nettle and only lasted a few hours. It's also pretty atypical, my first time getting stung despite coming to Maui for years. Just do it! You'll have fun no matter what. All ages and sizes were out learning to surf that day. I enjoyed watching others gain skill and confidence, and hearing people cheer their friends on. Best day we've had so far this trip.

Super cool guys!!! Very friendly and amazing service...very informative seeing as I'm a beginner.read more

Last minute paddle boarding rental but couldn't have asked for a better experience. Very…read moreaccommodating and super friendly. Got a ton of local info and some Hawaiian history as well. Highly recommended!

Another great trip with Griff. He never disappoints and neither do the whales. Multiple breaches,…read moregreat company and another amazing kayak day in the books. Thanks!!

We live in Kauai and have gone on countless whale watching and snorkeling experiences here in Maui…read moreduring whale season. This experience with Griff, our guide, was by far, the very best we have ever experienced. Not just because we saw 4/5 whales, or that the weather was perfect, or that during our snorkel, we saw two turtles, countless fish (including a mahi mahi chasing flying fish) and a beautiful reef. All those are incredibly awesome! But I must admit, having Griff as our tour guide was really what put this trip over the top! He was outstanding in every way. He kept us engaged and provided his knowledge on whales, turtles, fish, all the islands, and the importance of being respectful to the Hawaiian land and culture. He was so genuine! His passion and love of his work was infectious!He definitely lives A l o h a!! Mahalo Griff!!

This was such an incredible experience! It was my first time on a paddleboard, and I was honestly…read morenervous even to try--but Peg was amazing. She coached me through every step and had me standing before I knew it! The setting was beautiful, and after paddle boarding we went snorkeling and saw so many fish--and even had a turtle swim right underneath us. To top it all off, Peg ended the tour with a surprise "Party on the Ocean," which was absolutely delightful! An unforgettable morning on the water in Maui and a wonderful confidence boost for someone who's usually a little scared of the ocean. Highly recommend!

Emily was a wonderful guide! Great pace, answered all my questions, and stopped at a great spot for…read moresnorkeling. Fantastic experience!