I was able to take surf lessons for the first time with my son. Their staff, Maddie and Amy, were…read morevery kind and knowledgeable about the different lessons provided. We took a 2 hour lesson with Dakota who was very kind and encouraging to the both of us. If you have to question whether or not to get photos of yourself during the lesson - just get them . I was entirely pleased with the photos and film that Tyler took of my son and I which made the experience 1000% times better because we were able to take a piece of these memories home with us. Dakota and Tyler were true professionals at what they do and my son and I felt completely safe and comfortable with them. I suggest not even looking at another review and just sign up for lessons here You won't regret it!

Went for a 2-hour lesson with my twin boys age 10. Had the best surf ever! Totally epic. All the…read morestaff was fantastic. It was a special treat to get coached by founder Ty Gurney himself! After 1 hour, he had the kids doing tricks. I appreciate the push into small waves, which I could then ride 150+ yards - a lifetime high! Also the paddle out and back in help was terrific, since it's a loooong paddle out. Super super fun experience! Thank you, Ty and team!

My kids decided they wanted surf lessons while we were in Oahu, and I didn't hear back from most…read moreplaces I reached out to since they can book out months in advance. Ohana Surf Project was the exception--they got back to me within an hour and were able to set up private 1:1 lessons for each of my kids the very next day! If you don't see availability online, definitely try calling--they are really accommodating. The whole experience itself was really organized. When we signed up, they collected shirt and shoe sizes - and when we arrived, rash guards and water shoes were already set out for the kids in a bin (you can also rent a wetsuit top for $10). After gearing up, they watched a short instructional video, then everyone hopped on a school bus to head to the beach. They take you away from the crowd to a more private area (which feels rare for Waikiki). It made the whole experience a lot more relaxed. Sean was an amazing instructor--super patient and great with the kids. Overall just a really smooth and fun experience. I highly recommend booking with them! Oh! We also prepaid to have photos taken. The kids had lessons on Wednesday afternoon and we received photos/videos the next day at 11am (about ~80 total between photos and videos).

I signed up for a 2 hour group beginner lesson (with full photo package) on April Fool's and had…read morepersonal coaching from two instructors, Marco and Brady. Kevin signed me up, coached and videoed me surfing. I managed to pop up and surf down the line. I highly recommend a lesson from these experienced instructors.

When our surf instructor became unavailable, we asked for recommendations and were referred to…read moreMickey's, which came highly recommended. We reached out via text, and Mickey responded promptly the same day. Although he was not available for our session, we had the opportunity to observe him teaching two children, likely around 8-9 years old, and were very impressed. Both kids were confidently riding their own surfboards, and Mickey filmed their entire session--creating what appeared to be incredible footage while still delivering an engaging and supportive lesson. Based on what we observed, he clearly provides a memorable and high-quality experience. We look forward to having our own children take lessons with him in the future.

Found Mickey's surf school on Yelp. I texted him for availability after researching a bunch of…read moreother schools. I wanted my two kids to have semi private lessons but all the other schools required kids to be over 13 for semi private lessons. We texted back and forth a few times before we settled on a date and time that worked for everyone. It was a busy week since we were there Thanksgiving week. We paid via PayPal and met on Waikiki beach. He was a bit late since he had trouble finding parking. Mickey had the kids practice some moves on land and wax the boards before paddling out. 90 minutes for $100 each student plus $30 for videos. He paddled them forward with the waves and told them when to stand. The kids had a blast. The videos from his go pro were amazing! A totally rad experience that the kids will remember forever. Mickey was great with the kids. He is super friendly and sang a bunch of songs to them. We highly recommend him. Be sure your kid is comfortable in the water and knows how to swim well. You can find him right behind the famous Surfer statute on Waikiki beach with the colorful umbrella. Fun fact- he taught the k pop group Twice to surf and met Ronny Cheng and Simu. Super

Our family took 3 amazing surf lessons at Moniz Family Surf. The staff was so helpful…read more The instruction was perfect! My daughter, wife and I had not been on surf board in over 4 years. Our instructors, Micah, Josh & Sam, had us up on the board riding in waves in the first 20 mins. We had such a great time we came back the next day to Moniz Family Surf to rent boards and head back out. Amazing experience on Waikīkī Beach! 5 Stars.

A spontaneous visit resulted in me and my girlfriend hitting the waves in no time at all. We had…read moresuch an amazing experience and we were taught by Mr. Tony Moniz himself. He was friendly, professional, kind and very very patient. He did such an incredible job getting us to catch some waves. Highly recommend to take lessons here!!

We had an absolutely fantastic experience with Moku Hawaii! Our 14-year-old twins did the 90-minute…read moresemi-private lesson with Victor, and it was the perfect amount of time--long enough to really learn and have fun without feeling rushed or exhausted. The surf conditions that day weren't great (only about 1-2 ft), but you honestly would never have known it based on how much fun our kids had. Victor was an outstanding instructor--very friendly, incredibly patient, and amazing with kids. The twins kept saying he was "very fun," super supportive, and genuinely enthusiastic the entire lesson. He made them feel confident and excited, even with small waves. The pricing was also very reasonable for the quality of instruction and experience. Overall, this was one of the highlights of our trip, and we couldn't have asked for a better day of surfing for our teens. We would strongly recommend Moku Hawaii and Victor to anyone--especially families with kids or teens. We will absolutely book with them again!

I was put in an odd spot. Surely not in my comfort zone…read more You see, a friend from Japan came to Hawaii and when asked what he wanted to do, surfing came up. As a local boy born and raised in Oahu, I'm embarrassed by the fact that I cannot swim. Surfing clearly out of the picture. I used to work in the Japanese tour agency many blue moons ago where I recall a surfing school that offers surfing lessons. My friend already knows how to surf so I didn't think this was for him so I asked one of my physical therapists who surfs regularly. He introduced me to a surfing school that's at Ala Moana Beach where I was given their website, which is also available in Japanese. I forwarded the information to my friend prior to his arrival to Honolulu where he didn't jump at it and said he'd think about it. On his arrival I drove him to his hotel on Kalakaua Ave and upon check in we saw a rack of surfboards nearby where I asked if they were rentals. The staff advised the boards belong to the in-house guests who were keeping them as storage while not in use. When asked about rentals, the front desk staff advised us to inquire with Moku Hawaii (MH) as their rates are 1/2 to what the businesses are asking for across the street on the beach. MH has been in business since 1985 where they hail from Japan. They started off as a clothing company but transitioned over to a surf shop offering surf lesson and rental business. We walked over and soon found MH, which is on the 1F at the corner of Koa Ave and Uluniu Ave. We were greeted by a friendly, young female staff who welcomed us and answered our multiple questions. With its locality, reasonable rates and customer service, my friend liked MH and decided to look no further. While checking out their inventory, my friend noticed hard boards and was hoping for soft boards. The staff guided us to those soft boards where it's available in either long or short. You will need to complete their rental form which to our surprise is quite flexible. For example, you can initially request for a 2 hr package but in the event you go overcast, you just pay the difference of $5, which is the price difference between 2 hr course and the next course of up to 4 hrs. MH gives back to the community as they sponsor multiple local keiki surf contests. That's so awesome. So, if you should be in a bind where someone asks you for a surf school in Waikiki, look no further and guide them to MH. We were surprisingly impressed with their surf shop and their amazing customer service. They open from 6am and close at 8pm

Wow, Sparky is such an amazing instructor for the kids. He knows how to ensure the kids have fun…read moreand learn as they're having fun. Sparky taught my 6yo son (he had his own board - such a brave big boy!), and brought a female instructor for my 4yo daughter who happened to be a world champion surfer - what a pleasant surprise. She was so attentive to my daughter and surfed tandem with her. My kids want to go pro now! They love surfing and can't wait to surf with Sparky and Sophia again soon!

Okay, Sparky hits different. Let me explain:…read more - He's been doing this for 20 years so he knows surfing inside out and is great at teaching it. Of course you can expect that from many surf schools around here, but his crew is definitely up there. - Sparky called when the surf was bad and suggested rescheduling. I wasn't in town for much longer and he considered a refund, but we ended up finding a new time that worked. Other places would have just taken the money and given a sub-par experience with lousy waves, but here it's all about providing a really good time and I appreciate that. - The pictures. That's really the big thing. We're not talking about a GoPro slapped on the board and just recording a boring video. The pictures are taken with a proper underwater camera with a long lens so that there's a narrow focus on foreground and the surfer actually filling out the image. The photos are carefully framed so that they're interesting - some with Diamond Head in the background, some with The Royal Hawaiian. Different poses - paddling, waiting, and of course riding waves. The pictures are properly graded in post-processing and reframed, so it takes a week. It's worth it. On that note, Sparky also suggested the best time for pictures to get optimal lighting when I booked. - Native islanders! Proud inhabitants of Hawai'i for generations. Those are the people who should get your business. Yeah, seriously. Go to Sparky's. There's nothing like it. It's a great experience start to finish, and the pictures are SO worth it.

I signed up my 8 year old for his first surf lesson with Gone Surfing and the experience was…read moreamazing. I will totally recommened this company, they are very professional. They also got us some amazing photos and videos of him surfing. He had lot of fun and cant wait to go back again surfing with them.

Great instructors. Tommy and Dev were friendly, professional and so patient! It was great having a…read morephotographer there to catch my two daughters getting up during our first surfing lesson ever! We highly recommend this company!

Free parking lot for 6 hours and if you follow the lagoon, it'll lead straight to the Grand…read moreWaikikian Hotel. By 8/9 pm, the entire lagoon clears out and it's empty. Private beach to yourself with beautiful weather.

My husband & sons, along with various family members, had the opportunity to book a private group…read morelesson last week. They had such an amazing experience! Of all the things we did on our vacation, they said they had the best time surfing. There were a number of incredible, encouraging & extremely patient instructors, & the most adorable little surfer girl who took some very memorable photos & videos!

Thanks so much!!! Had so much fun in the water and waves!! Gavin was SO patient and helpful!!!read more

The entire team was great from the store front staff to the instructors. The instructors cheered…read moreeveryone on which really helped get you pumped to keep going. In the need everyone was surfing!

I called the day before to ask for a lesson and they told me I could show up to the 10 AM lesson…read moreand said to pay onsite. The surf lesson was both amazing and scary. We were given a 2-minute safety and tips speech before both of us in the lesson were shown how to get up on the board. We each had one attempt to get up while the instructor held the board steady near the beach. Then we paddled out to the waves. We had to paddle far and it wasn't my hands/arms that were tired but my shoulders and neck because you have to keep your chin up to stay out of the surf on your way out. I was able to stand up on almost every wave except the one that was too small and the one I tried to do myself. I can imagine it being unsafe and not fun to try to just surf yourself without any prior experience because the one time I tried to judge when to get up myself, I immediately fell hard into the water and swallowed salt water. Highly recommend it if you are at all athletically inclined. Surfer Girl Academy was very laid back and I liked the instructor John.

Really enjoyed myself. So much in fact that I returned a couple of days later to surf again. The…read morestaff, Yuko, Shuji, Inne & Jake took good care of everyone in the group. They were very friendly, helpful & service orientated. You will get your money's worth in the couple of hours you are in the water, and believe me, if an old, fat guy like me can get up on a surfboard, most anyone can. Yuko also took great photos & video that will provide some fantastic memories of this trip to Oahu. You'll need to look for the white van in the parking lot by the water. There is a small "SGA" on it.