Best place around for a full family lesson. Nothing but love for Kai who taught our nine year old to surf. Mahalo Kai!

The booking process, directions, and check in were a breeze. 3 children, ages 7, 9, 9 and my wife met up with Kai at the appointed time and place. He was well experienced, patient, and treated each of these first timers like a little sister! He showed them proper techniques then helped them/towed them into waves at a break they had selected for the day which gave my girls a great chance to surf. By the end of the lesson, all 4 were catching waves, and begging to do it again. Great experience, 10/10, can't recommend enough read more

Kai was an amazing instructor. Went over safety and instructional information very well and then got us surfing in no time. It was our first time so this was especially exciting for us. What was really amazing was the way he looked after our 6 year old and poured into him. He's addicted to surfing now thanks to Kai! read more

Hanalei Surf School - Family surf pic - Surf Schools Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

Flexible in scheduling and great instructor. Would recommend for beginners or intermediate surfers

Started our trip of learning to surf. I've always wanted to try it and our and was recommended this place by a friend. Our instructor Patrick was awesome. Super chill and knowledgeable. Very personable. The guy felt like a long time friend you hadn't seen in a while. After a quick land lesson he took us out and gave us a lot of tips. We got to riding waves really quick. They spot them for you and give you a push at the perfect time so all you gotta worry about is jumping up and riding which was super helpful. One less thing to think about when are trying to get familiar with everything. Overall great experience. read more

Such a stunning place to get a lesson. Everyone was standing up, smiling, laughing. Really wonderful experience! Thank you.

Jackson was very helpful with his guidance and patient as I tried to get up to speed. My goal was to get upright one time to ride a wave. With his help, I blew past that goal many times over. Highly recommend this place. read more

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Ari was a great instructor. Got up and rode waves on my first six attempts. My wife also successfully surfed. Our first time - we are 63 years old. Great instructions! read more

Mohammed was nice and very patient. Price was high but comparable with all competitors. Good experience overall!

BEST surfing lesson so far! Waves were perfect! Caught every wave. Zach is a great teacher, surfing was never so easy and fun! Thank you guys, you're the best! read more

Booked a 90 minute lesson with Hanalei Surf school for my husband. He has taken lessons in other places (Guam specifically). He was paired with Lance and spoke highly of the entire experience. From my end, booking was made simple over the phone and they allowed us to pay cash (held a card on file) after check in. Lance was knowledgeable and someone my husband enjoyed learning from. All of the staff I spoke to were super friendly and overall just happy people. I did find another school that was $40 cheaper for an additional 30 minutes (120 min lesson) but I was not able to reach them by phone. I was happy with the booking process and my husband was pleased with his experience for the price. Would recommend and hope to return when I can also take a lesson (7.5 months pregnant currently)!! There is also a super cute shop attached to the surf school! read more

Excellent! Zach was great. I took my 9 year old daughter and he had us both up on the waves quickly, No shortcuts on time or energy and we were the third 90 min lesson in a row. read more

absolutely phenomenal! Highly recommend if you're looking for surf lessons especially for large group or variety of surfing levels. We had a big group of 20 for a retreat and we split up into 5 groups of 4 in 2 time slots, and every single person said how much fun they had, they loved the amazing instructors, they all felt so safe and taken care of, and many had never surfed before and were all able to get up on their boards! I am so grateful for Hanalei surf school accommodating our group size and the high quality instructors for our retreat. I am so happy I booked with them! read more

What a fabulous surf lesson. Lance is a great instructor. I learned to stay low. Keep my hands on the board until I'm situated. Be relaxed. Got up and road a wave several times. I'll keep practicing. Thanks for the good start read more

Hanalei Surf School - Hanalei Bay Surf lesson - Surf Schools Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

Upon my visit to Hanalei I had the pleasure of working with Ryan Hackman as my surf coach, and the experience got me back in touch with the joy of surfing! His calm, easygoing way gave me the impression that this man had decidedly chosen a peaceful and grounded life in the most beautiful location in the world! From the start, Ryan took the time to understand my goals, challenges, and personal style. His ability to observe my physical movements along with his insight into my body language provided actionable advice. Surfing is a physical and ,let's not count out, an emotional sport. He helped me shift my perspective and achieve breakthroughs I never thought possible. After taking 6 years off from surfing and at the age of 63 I had given up! Ryan put me back in touch with the water again. It tapped into the reason why I had moved to the Hawaiian Islands in the first place. What I appreciated most about Ryan was his ability to create a safe, non-judgmental space where I felt supported and encouraged. His talent for in depth observation combined with empathy and light heartedness were invaluable in helping me move past self-doubt and lack of confidence. I highly recommend Ryan Hackman to anyone looking to make meaningful changes in their surfing skills or to see a positive perspective. His expertise as a pro surfer, which included a lifetime of surfing experience, combined with a genuinely caring approach, made him an exceptional instructor. His enjoyment of sharing his passion was evident and infectious! Ryan is a great choice for anyone seeking guidance, growth, and break throughs to take them to the next level, or in my case to reignite my love of the ocean and riding waves. His expertise, combined with his authentic care for his clients, made him an outstanding coach. With Much Aloha, Annie McNeil read more

We had an excellent experience with the Hanalei Surf School. The instructor, Body, was very helpful and gave clear instructions. This was the first time anyone in our group surfed. Everyone had a great time and learned a lot. We highly recommend. read more

Hanalei Surf School - Surf Schools Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

My son had his first surf lesson yesterday and had the best time ever! His instructor was awesome! My son snowboards, but has never surfed before, but his instructor had him up and surfing in no time. When my kiddo got done surfing he was all smiles! My only regret is I wish we had more time here cause he would have loved to have gone again! I highly recommend this surf school! read more

Hanalei Surf School - Surfing - Surf Schools Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

It was our very first time taking surfboard lessons and we were a little nervous! Our surf instructor was 19 years old and I forgot his name but he was extremely patient and taught us very well despite us failing most of the time. It was a fun learning experience and my s/o and I were able to balance on the board and ride a small wave. This was a good start for us to learn surfing for sure! Our instructor made our first surfing lesson memorable and we'd love to do it again someday! Definitely try this out if you're visiting Kauai! You won't regret it. read more

Ari was great. Nice waters - sandy bottom. My 11 year old son did his 2nd lesson and rode about 15 waves. By the end was popping up like it was nothing. Even doing tricks. The bay is beautiful. Communication was great. read more

My kids loved their surf lesson with Zach! The entire process was easy. Highly recommend!!

Evan was an awesome instructor. We had a private lesson for 5 people, ages 20-13. Evan explained the basics clearly, he ensured the kids understood what to do before they got in the water. Once they began in the water, he made sure everyone had fair turns, and some of the kids were up on their first try! Kids had a blast and keep asking when we can go again! It's clear Evan loves Kauai, the oven and sharing his love of surfing. We will be back....and now my son wants a surf board for his birthday. Maholo for the introduction into surfing! read more

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Jackson was an incredible surf coach. I had the best surfing day of my life. He really boosted my confidence and taught me how to cross-step on a long-board. It was my favorite day of the trip. Highly recommend. read more

My 13 year old first time surfer had a great experience. Worth every penny. I spent quite a bit of time on the beach watching many surf lessons taking place from all different surf schools and it made me very grateful we ended up booking with Hanalei surf school. Other instructors seemed less than thrilled to be giving lessons. That wasn't our experience at all. Ryder did an amazing job, and it just so happened that our son taking the lesson was also named Ryder. Was meant to be! Thanks for the forever memory you gave our son! read more

Hanalei Surf School - Ryder & Ryder - Surf Schools Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

booked a private group session for myself and a friend had a blast! our instructor Sawyer was very helpful with showing us the techniques required in a on land demo that help ensure success in water both for surfing but also for safety. we both were successful in riding many waves with a few laughs along they way. highly recommend this activity and the 90 minutes is a perfect amount of time as you will be tired from swimming back out to the sand bar after every ride in. soooo much fun for a beginner!!! read more

We absolutely love this family owned and operated surf school. Our 10 year old has been taking lessons with their instructors for just about three years now and our son has enjoyed every lesson and caught some waves during each and every session. We have taken lessons during all seasons and the instructors are very cautious, safe and trustworthy. Every instructor has been kind and patient and Charlie has enjoyed each lesson! Highly recommend! read more

Hanalei Surf School - Charlie and his inspirational instructor head out to catch some waves - Surf Schools Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

The experience was simply magical. Brittney was great at finding us a window that worked and Hendricks was a great instructor. Rainbows, waterfalls and waves will really make you want to quit your job and surf full time. The only thing I'm bummed about is not having photos. Epic. Thanks, guys! read more

Hanalei Surf School - Hanalei Bay surfing! - Surf Schools Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

Our surf lesson with Tahaki was a highlight of our vacation in Kaua'i! Our family (parents and 3 teenagers, none of whom had surfed before) received detailed instruction and practice on the sand before entering the water. Tahaki gave us practical tips based on what he saw on each of our attempts so we could get better. All of us were able to stand up and experience surfing! I would highly recommend this experience to anyone vacationing near Hanalei! read more

Can't go wrong with Hanalei Surf School! This was our second time taking surf lessons with them and they truly know what they're doing. Zach was an excellent instructor and broke it down super well. Even as beginners, we felt like we had an epic day in the water and can't wait to come back for more. read more

Ari was an awesome instructor for our two boys surf lessons! They even got up on the first try! read more

Hanalei Surf School - Surf Schools Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

Had a great experience with Lance! He was a great instructor, I would recommend Hanalei surf schools to anyone.

We are swimmers in our 60's and decided to give surfing a try. Waves were small (typical in summer) and Tahaki (spelling?) was EXCELLENT. We all caught waves and stood up! read more

I would highly recommend!! I've had surf lessons at the Outer Bank, N.C. & Tamarindo, Costa Rica but these were by far the best surf lessons I've had! Ryder was my instructor, he was patient and encouraging and also had a lot of great pointers, I learned a lot and would recommend a private lesson...a lot of fun!! read more

Shout out to Ryder at Hanalei Bay for the surf lessons. If your not sure you want to do a lesson I recommend you just go for it. The bay has perfect conditions for the nubes. My 7 year old was popping up on every wave and having a blast. The lessons ended up being a highlight of our trip. We're now back home and my little guy wants to keep surfing. read more

Hanalei Surf School - Surf Schools Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

great job with Lance teaching me my husband and 2 kids. very good instructor and simple low key experience. would recommend read more

Hanalei Surf School - Surf Schools Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

We had a wonderful experience with our lessons. Jackson was fantastic with our two kids, ages 5 and 9, and helped them catch their first waves. they loved it! The entire family had a blast catching waves and the age differences didn't impact Jackson's ability to teach or connect. a wonderful day! read more

Lance was a great instructor and helped get up on my first attempt. He was so personable and visiting with him while waiting for a wave was a lot of fun. Thank you Hanalei Surf School and Lance for making this such a great experience in my life. I would highly recommend Hanalei Surf School to everyone. read more

Hanalei Surf School - Lance: Awesome Surf Instructor - Surf Schools Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

Amazing experience for my husband and sons. Ryder was awesome, simplified everything and was encouraging the entire time. My sons cannot stop talking about the lesson. A must do when in Kauai! read more

Hanalei Surf School - Surf Schools Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

Had the most amazing time at my first surf lesson ever with Tahaki! Can't wait to try it again

Updating my review to 5 stars for customer service. Evan took my concern seriously and we had a nice chat. Sounds like they 100% put the customer first and treat their employees like family. Looking forward to checking them out again when I'm in Hanalei. Rode with Keani (probably spelling his name wrong). We started the lesson with him telling me how he was too good for this job. Kind of set the tone. Then about 50 minutes into our 90 minute lesson, he said we only had 10 minutes left. Luckily I had my watch on. We rode for another 20 minutes and called it early. Rightfully since the water got too choppy for a beginner. About halfway through our lesson, some locals who knew my instructor showed up and he would just talk to them and catch his own waves while letting me know how bad the waves were. After we were done, I just walked up the beach to a spot I saw others riding and got back in the water. Keani for sure gave me some stellar tips to get me riding, so for that, thank you. Overall, I give the school 5 stars and I appreciate my instructor seeing if I could borrow a board from the school later. I appreciate the beginner tips, but for the money I spent and his attitude, I'm docking 2 stars for my instructor genuinely killing the vibe. read more

Evan was so AWESOME! Very well run and super positive experience both my boys got up multiple times and wanted to surf the rest of our trip. Even my 6yo who has never surfed got up and loved every minute! read more

Hanalei Surf School - Surf Schools Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii