I don't want to give this business any stars at all! My husband wanted a surf and I was a tag along wanting to just sunbathe. We ended up with a guy who we didn't originally speak to about what we exactly wanted. Took us to a few beaches but the waves were crap for my husband. So we kept driving and driving and in the end we got fed up as we were driving around for around 4 hours. We just went back to the shop and spoke to Dave the owner who didn't want a bar of us and said he can't control the waves. I called him when I got back to the hotel room saying we wanted a refund as in the original email it says due to weather and unforeseen circumstances we get a full refund. He ended up hanging up on me! I could've paid an Uber if I wanted to be driven around!!! Not pay $470!! Never ever use this company it's a fraud and rip-off!! Worst customer service from a business owner I've ever dealt with. Very disappointed and disgusted with his attitude. I'm hoping consumers out there read this review and others. Most companies would try and resolve the situation but this one always seems to blame the customer! As we Aussies say "own your own shit". Adding to your reply (anyone not present in the situation shouldn't be able to comment either): Whoever has commented on this situation wasn't present. We saw different people when we enquired to when we checked in. The staff checked the surf report for us and advised Saturday was the best day for waves so we made the appointment for then. Based on staff's recommendation! My husband wanted waves not too big and I just wanted to lay on the beach. We were told by another guide, who was meant to be taking us, that he knew the perfect spot for the both of us. So we expected to be taken to one spot to enjoy time in the sand and surf and not be driven to 5 different places and waste our half day tour in a car! We stopped at one place with a beautiful beach but the waves were crap! The other places weren't even beaches and not swimmable!! If they think I'm going to swim where the waves were crashing on the rocks they've got another thing coming!! I don't smoke anything so that's neither here nor there! Not one mention here or anywhere about making the waves bigger. My husband clearly indicated what he wanted on Tuesday and he didn't get that. Also check with Lee about us arguing! Saying we were displaying personal problems in the van are you kidding me and saying we were arguing rudely in the van is a LIE!!! We did not have one argument so get your facts right!! We have manners and know better thank you very much!! We've been to Hawaii 4 times now so we know what the weather's like and how beautiful this place is. This experience just ruined our day and we've learnt from this not to pay anything like this in full upfront when we return!! I don't need to stay in my hotel room and let him go surfing. If he's not happy with what he saw that's got nothing to do with me. He wanted me to go with him so don't be so rude! Saying we were harassing Dave is a lie also. If you deal with an owner of a company in Australia they don't walk off on you or hang up on you! You really need to get your facts right. Again, people who weren't there shouldn't comment! Maybe you should be more clear and transparent about your clause! Misleading information. If that was in Australia that would be against the law and covered under consumer protection! We didn't abruptly end the tour but considering we had to check in at 7:30am and didn't leave until after 9, then drove around until lunchtime is a joke!!! We had to be back by 1pm anyway!! There was no harassment!! When you're talking to someone trying to resolve an issue and the owner then walks away what do you think someone's going to do?? Next point of call is via phone and that's what we did. Spoke to him and he hung up. I actually wasn't sure if that's what he did so yes I called back but that's normal not harassment!! I'm sure threatening someone in the USA is against the law! Dave swearing on the phone and saying to my husband, "F$@K you mother f$@ker I'll meet you right now and pound you"!!! Plus the rest!! Seriously!!! Not acceptable behaviour! read more

From the moment we arrived, the aloha sunshine spirit shone brightly from the little surf shop under the gazebo at the allys end. It was like the pot of gol at the end o the rainbow. We were taken through a practice run on land til we were comfortable enough to tackle the waves, fitted with rash guards so we wouldnt leave our skin behind as fish food, and off we trekked the block to the beach with our amazing instructors exrodinare, Kamalu and Alika. Having never surfed before, and being of "old age" I was a little nervous, but the guys wrre absolute gems staying with us, towing us back and forth when our own paddling wasnt quite enough, pushing on us at the right spots to catch the waves, encouraging and cheering each stage of getting up and offering options for success til we did. They treated us like royalty, never condescending and took as nuch glee in our "getting up" as we did. We ALL had a blast and our experience couldnt have been more golden. And we have two whole disks of fabulous pictures to prove it (one from each lesson). The canoe ride is an added bonus and well worth it for an extra thrill. Surf lessons with Big Wave Dave was the pinnacle of our hawaiian adventures! Big Wave Dave's is theeeee BEST!! Cowabunga baby! read more

The rudest service on Hawaii ever. Popped in for a board rental for half a day. Lady behind counter says it's gonna cost $20. She asks if I have it. I say I'm parked right outside, I'll go grab my wallet. In the meantime, I ask her a couple questions - when they close, liability stuff, etc. She rudely answers with one word answers. I go back to the car, grab cash. I try to give it to her. She goes - do you have your credit card? I say I have cash. She rolls her eyes, says she needs credit card for file. Fine, I go back and grab the credit card. I come back and ask if any of the boards have a go pro attachment. She looks at me like I asked if she knows Ernest Hemingway's middle name. Shrugs her shoulders. As I pull out the credit card, she asks again - DO YOU HAVE YOUR CREDIT CARD? Lady, you need to chill. Now I am all riled up. And all I wanted was to surf for a few hours. Last question - what's the best spot to go surfing for my skill level? She utters one word: Diagonally. Huh? "Diagonally" and she points towards the water. Such lovely people at this establishment. I'd avoid it of you prefer to talk to humans that don't hate life. read more

I recently took a family vacation to Maui and Oahu for my daughtrer's sweet 16 and our day with Big Wave Dave and his crew made it that much more incredible!!!! It was me (45) my daughter ashley (16) her friend abby (16) my daughter katie (13) and son sean (9) years old. We were lucky enoough to get big wave Dave himself and a great instructor Aleka and Dave's wife Krystal took fabulous pictures for us. We took a 4 hour excursion where we surfed a beautiful spot on the north shore of Oahu then they took us on a tour of all the famous big tiime surf beaches of Oahu's north shore includung the Pipeline and Sunset beaches. My group had only had a lesson or two before this and Dave and his professional team helped us so much with our confidence and we improved all day and all left with big smiles on our faces! The water and waver where they brought us to surf were spectacular!!!We also got to experience some of the local culture thanks to Dave, Krystal and Aleka!!! Awesome day and one of life's great experiences!!! I recommend for all levels!! Sean Mc. read more

I ended up there, thanks to the coupon booklet. And that way, you never know what to expect. I dealt with PY for the booking. She is very customer friendly and helpful. The day of my lesson, I showed up early, as I wanted to check if I could get the lesson earlier, due to my flight out. She had some availabilies and I therefore could make it. She also has been very accomodating in different ways, which always leave a very good impression. The pictures are very beautiful, even if you don't know where the photographer is hidden. Anyways, you focus too much on not falling into the water to spend time (and attention) on searching for somebody with a camera... The time in the water appears not to be long enough, but considering how difficult it becomes to paddle back to the shore after succeeding in riding a wave, it ends up being enough ! The 2 teachers we had were also helpful. Definitely a good catch ! read more

I took my 9 and 11 year olds to Oahu in Feb for their winter break and decided to give them a week of surf lessons they've always wanted. I came across Big Wave Dave's surf shop on line as I was searching for safe, reliable surf place for my kids to go for surfing for the week. I called Dave's shop and asked many questions before signing up. I signed up my kids for a 1/1 2 hour lessons with Dave and his team and my kids had the time of their lives. I was so impressed with how kind and generous the staff was. They even offered to pick up/drop off my kids at the Kahala Resort I was staying at. Overall, wonderful experience. If you have little ones, I recommend one/one lessons with Dave and his staff. Thanks Dave so much for making my kids' vacation a hit! read more

My husband and I and two sons ages 21 and 19 got SUP lessons with Dave over the 4th of July holiday in Hawaii. I found him on line and called and spoke with him first. He was EXTREMELY friendly and helpful before I ever booked with him. He met us on the beach that morning and had the boards all ready and gave us a great lesson on land and then took us all out for a few hours. He's an amazing instructor and even had my boys riding waves on the paddle boards! He's patient, fun and friendly... my boys really enjoyed him and so did we! I would recommend him to everyone! He's awesome! Thanks Dave for the great time and the experience! If we ever come back we will be in touch!!! Mahalo!!!!!! The Pelle's Dayna, Tony, Anthony & Austin read more

I took my high school band to Hawaii for a band festival and this was kind of a last minute suggestion from one of the parents. What find! We had their Groupon to use and they offered our group a better price than on the Groupon. Dave, Krystal and the instructors were great - patient, supportive, kind, knowledgeable and effective! Imagine a group of eighteen high school students and three adult women who have never surfed - they were all true professionals. We all had an amazing time and of all the activities we did on Oahu, the surf lesson is what the band members are talking about the most. I will recommend a surf lesson with Big Wave Dave to everyone I know who might be vacationing in Hawaii. Well done! read more

Always wanted to do a surf lesson and ride in an outrigger. I received a Living Social gift that included both. What an absolutely awesome time with a fabulous and knowledgeable crew. From checking in and instructions on surfing and paddling, through catching waves and then checking out videos and photos of our experiences at the end, this was a totally cool experience. Everyone at Big Wave Dave Surf Co. was wonderful. Our outrigger crew Dave and Evan had us stroking through then coasting in on waves. Our surfing instructors Uncle Niel and Evan showed great care and aloha with us to make sure that we all enjoyed ourselves and had great memories of catching waves. Mahalo Crew. I look forward to my next wave. read more

Big Wave Dave's Awesome Lesson for 1st Time Surfer. Thank you Troy for my awesome experience!! It was my first try surfing and I got up every time - about 6-8 waves. He was an excellent instructor and looked out for everyone in our group. His experience was clear as he was also giving tips to other people who clearly didn't know what they were doing. Troy was kind of a surf crossing guard. He did a fantastic job and it was exactly as I imagined - Diamond Head to my right and surfing in to Waikiki beach looking at the iconic coast on a sunny afternoon with a huge smile on my face. I couldn't have asked for more. And the photos by Chris Beeson will preseve this incredible memory. Thank you all!! read more

AMAZING experience! From the moment we walked into the shop, we felt totally welcomed and comfortable. Everyone in the shop was so helpful including, our surf instructor was Alika. He made us feel so comfortable in the water and was encouraging! We got our money's worth - being that we only had land instruction for 15 minutes and then remainder of the time (1 and 1/2 to 2 hours) actually riding waves while others (using different instructors) were just hanging around. The CD of photos is totally worth it as well - such clear photos that we can share. Thank you again for such an amazing experience. We will definitely recommend you to family and friends! Aloha, Katie and Ben Friday read more

Super great experience - these guys really know Oahu, and the North Shore area. I surf regularly but not in HI so I was looking to get the HI wave experience for my son and I. Alika was our guide and was nothing but excellent. I highly recommend this shop if you surf in other parts of the world and are coming from somewhere else but don't know Oahu...these guys will put you on the right spot, based on your ability and skill level...highly recommend them!!!! Also, the staff at the store were super nice and all very friendly...made you feel at ease and at home...no hard sell or attempt to get you to buy something, which was refreshing. read more

I came to Hawaii on the 22 of May 2018. It was my first time surfing and I was very nervous of the ocean and just being stabled on the board. My boyfriend been in Hawaii several times and been telling me that B W D S Co is the BEST surfing store ! I wasn't surprised why! The staff is so friendly and amazing. I took a surfing lesson with Charles and I felt very safe but not even that, I GOT ON THE BOARD right away for my first time first wave !!!! I love this shop and staffs personality. It's a family now and I can't wait to go back ( we rented boards for 7 days with a good fair price ) I recommend Charles for surfing lessons :)) read more

Let me start by saying I have never surfed before so I didn't know what to expect. The experience was incredible and it was due to Josh. He was an extremely professional and attentive instructor who is truly passionate about surfing and wants his students to have a great time. The extra touches like helping you paddle out will be appreciated it's far more tiring than it looks. The rest of the guys at the shop were extremely friendly A+ outfit. If I ever find myself on Oahu in the future I will be booking my next lesson here. Thanks for making my first time out a great one. read more

I had money stolen from the secure locker in this shop while I was out surfing. It seems the owners didn't even care enough to review available security camera footage of the locker, to see what happened and try to prevent it happening to future customers! (They promised to do this - but didn't, even when I followed up a second time). Warning - if your experience with these guys doesn't go to plan - they are not interested in sorting it out. Unprofessional. Avoid. read more

Had Alika (sp?) as my instructor. First time surfing and the sport is phenominal! You've gotta try it. Alika was very knowledgeable and had me surfing in no time. i'm renting a board on my next island and hopefully I will be able to take what Alika taught me and ride one solo. if I would have done this the first day of the trip my wife wouldn't have been able to get me out of the water to see the rest of the island. great time. rent the shirt its worth the 5-er. read more

11/15/2013 Had the time of my life on my first canoe ride. Dave was very nice and Troy also. Since I am a senior citizen I was allowed to occupy the Queens Seat (at first). I told Dave that I wanted to see where I was going not where I'd been so he had me and Troy trade seats so I got to paddle and experience the whole thing. I wish I could have stayed out all day. Mahalo, Dave and your whole crew. Very nice people to work with. Phyllis T. Fort Worth, TX read more

my sister and I just went surfing today and we had lots of fun!! i wished i remembered the names of our instructors (Kamalu? and two others :S)but all i can say is that they were really awesome.. The staff (guy named Chris and a girl named Krystal) at the office were awesome as well, very very helpful! there were pictures and videos included in the CD as well to keep as souvernir! we loved it! I will definitely bring my sisters on my next trip! read more

Took a surf lesson here the other day. Cool people and they really took the time to explain. They do a little land course first and that was appreciated for sure. The shop is cool they have lots of neat stuff to buy and a huge 4 tv video screen to show off all your embarrassing near drowning photos. The owner Dave was there and he was engaged with everyone and answered questions. Made you feel part of the crew even though you can't surf! :) read more