Highlight of our vacation! He does this because he loves it and you can't help but feed off his…read morepassion for the sport. He is so kind and patient. Heck, he towed us most of the day so we wouldn't tire out. He offered to loan us his boards and even called and invited us to surf with him another day for FREE! He made my nervous 13 year old niece totally comfortable and got her up 3rd wave. Knew how to teach my cocky 14 year old nephew and he was up first wave! He even got me up at 42! He has great stories and you feel like you're rollin' with a rock star. He is SUPER! He was moving back to Oahu, so, look him up!

Love this guy! Everytime I visit my family in Kona I am always wanting to go hang with Rory! He's…read morereally nice and not to mention a surfing legend. My aunt knows him through some of her friends.. Kona is very small. He lended us some of his foam boards to me and my girlfriend one of the times we were visiting. If you are visiting and want to learn to surf or want to brush up on some of your skills Rory is the man. Just be careful of the reef break! yikes!

The last time I surfed was in 2004 in Maui, many years ago not quite young - but much younger than…read moreI am now; and before I had kids. But surfing in the beauty of Hawaii is an experience of a lifetime and one I wanted to share with my kids/family. My son was up for the adventure. We met our instructor, Daniel, at the surf van that is parked on the road, near the guardrail, just south of the little blue church. He informed us that it was high tide, and there wouldn't be many waves and offered to rebook us for another time. It was our last day of our trip, and we would not be able to make it for another day. After much thought, my husband convinced us just to go out and make the best of it. I'm so glad we did. We got out into the water, paddled out. During the our time in the water, I got roughed l up a bit by a set that rolled one on top of another, but Daniel was there keeping a watchful eye, was awesome to help paddle tow me over a bit further away from that area. Daniel was able to pick out what few waves came by and get us set up to catch them. He is so easy going and encouraging. He continued to give us tips for board positioning. We were able to catch a handful of waves between myself and my son. Standing up and riding a wave was pure magic - and the highlight of my trip. I wish I would have taken photos of it all, but I was too busy enjoying living the moment in real life. And my son and I were able to even catch the same wave together - that was the best! Thank you to Kona Town Surf Adventures and to Daniel for sharing the surf of Hawai'i. And when Daniel comes to Arizona to follow his dreams at UTI, we'd be happy to be his desert ohana.

Our four kids (two 11-year olds, a 13 year old and a 14 year old) had an absolute blast. Two of the…read morefour kids were looking forward to the surf lesson and two of the four were dreading it. Happy to report that four and the four had a GREAT time! Our instructors (Daniel and I missed the gal's name) were definitely a highlight. They let the kids go at their own speed but didn't treat them like babies. I've taken surf lessons in other cities and these were awesome because they cut right to the chase. Definitely more time spent in the water, which was appreciated. Their instructions they emailed ahead of time were spot on. Couldn't say more great things about our experience. All four kids ended up getting up on a board plenty of times, despite less than ideal Hawai'i conditions (gray, rainy, etc). They could have gone for another two hours!

We spent an awesome morning on the water with Evan. He was friendly, fun, knowledgeable and even…read morewent the extra mile (fathom?) while free diving 40 feet to find an octopus so that we could have an encounter with one. We saw lots of turtles getting their spa day while tropical fish cleaned them. Within an hour or two, we received an email with two dozen high quality photos and videos that Evan took with his GoPro. A pretty big value add to the tour! I was a little apprehensive about exiting the kayak but he made it a safe, easy and fun experience. If you're thinking of joining a huge group tour organized by one of the resorts, book a trip with Evan and his guides instead. You won't regret it!

Excellent experience. Evan and Don where great. They both were very knowledgeable of the ocean and…read moretook us to a great place to snorkel on the kayaks.

I almost never write reviews, but this experience absolutely deserved one…read more I accidentally booked my 8-year-old daughter's private surf lesson for the wrong Friday. I called the day before the lesson I thought we had booked, expecting there was no chance they could fit us in. Ben, the co-owner, couldn't have been kinder. He immediately said, "No problem," rearranged things, and even taught her lesson himself. From the moment we arrived, I knew we were in great hands. The safety instruction was clear, thorough, hands-on, and incredibly well done. It was obvious that every instructor has years of experience and genuinely cares about keeping students safe while making sure they have an amazing time. The entire atmosphere was calm, welcoming, and laid back. As a parent, I felt completely comfortable watching my daughter head out into the water. Harlowe is naturally a little shy, and Ben met her exactly where she was. He built her confidence from the start, made her feel comfortable every step of the way, and somehow had her smiling, laughing, and catching wave after wave. She had an absolute blast. I've taken surf lessonsp over the years, and this was, without question, the best experience we've ever had. If you're looking for surf lessons on the Big Island, this is the place. Professional, patient, safety-first, and genuinely fun. Thank you, Ben, for making one of Harlowe's favorite memories of our trip. We can't wait to come back!

INTRO Friendly shop with fair prices, but board quality can…read morebe hit or miss - especially some of the soft tops, which may be waterlogged and very difficult to surf. Definitely inspect your board before heading out and if you get a bad board, simply head in and swap it out. They will be very cool about it and likely give you more time in the water for the inconvenience. THE STAFF Very, very friendly and welcoming. No issues here. THE BOARDS Beware: some of the soft-top boards may be waterlogged. Pick them up - if they're unusually heavy, they're likely full of water and will surf terribly. I raised this with the leadership team, and Ben said they're going to do a better job inspecting the rental quiver to ensure boards are ready to ride. When in doubt, opt for a solid 8-9' hard top. BOOTIES You may think you want them to get out past the ~10 feet of rocky bottom. Not the end of the world - smooth rocks and ZERO sea urchins. They'll tell you they're everywhere, but you're only touching bottom for a couple seconds as you enter the crystal-clear water. Bring your own or rent for $5. If I had to do it again, I'd skip the booties. THE WAVES Scout the waves first. This is not Waikiki. This spot is hit or miss. THE CROWD Perpetual surf school sitting in the best spot in the lineup. No issues with them personally, but it does make the area feel crowded. OVERALL You're surfing in Hawaii - it's always a good outing. This is the best rental option for this beach. The staff is great and the prices are fair. Just double-check the surf and your rental board before paddling out, and don't hesitate to return to the shop during your rental to swap boards. They're happy to help, and if you lose time due to a bad board, ask for extra time - their team will likely make it right.

I was a true beginner surfer.. Eric was kind and really encouraged me to go for it. Explained…read moreeverything clearly, gave me the push I needed.. highly recommend!!

An amazing experience for my daughter! She had so much fun and learned a lot. Hana was the best…read moreinstructor. He was encouraging and gave clear directions.

The location was perfect. Easy to find parking , great waves and very helpful instructor, who was…read morevery patient with my nine year old. They provided us with everything we needed (surfboards, shoes, leashes etc) and gave detailed helpful instructions. If you are looking for family surfing fun this is an awesome surf company to use.

Two years ago, my son (9 years old) took a private surf lesson with Kona Surf Company. The teacher…read morewas amazing. He was patient and very knowledgeable. We loved the surf class so much we brought friends with us this time. We signed three 11 year old kids up for a semi-private class. We were texted the night before the class and asked if we could move our 9:00 am class to 11:30 am. I said sure, no problem. The next day, we had one kid drop out. We had a new instructor. He was nice but didn't prep the kids for surfing (irresponsible). After an hour and a half, the instructor brought the kids back and said the office should have contacted me about the new class time. Classes are no longer two hours, the new times will be reflected on the website. I called the office for a week, no one answered and the voicemail was full. No one responded to my email and I texted the number that texted me for the time change with no luck. The website says a TWO HOUR surf lesson, it has not changed. I feel cheated and no one has contacted me.

Our group of 3 had a blast learning how to surf! Our instructor Ky was very patient and made us…read morefeel comfortable when giving us advice and working with us to get up on the board. While we were waiting for waves, we had fun conversations and Ky gave us a lot of great recommendations around the island. Highly recommend!!

Great owners. Lots of info and videos on the prone paddle board I bought. They sent the board to…read moreHonolulu quickly and safely. The price of shipping was included in the cost of the board. The board came with 3 skegs, a chin rest, a coiled leash, a sock, and a travel bag. Great bargain for an innovative and well made prone paddleboard.

Jay was super cool. I rented a board from him and he gave me advice when I was in the water. He…read morerepresents the Hawaiian spirit of the islands. Will look him up again when I come back

We had a great time with Jae and his crew! I found Jae by looking up safe surf lessons for kids in…read moreKahalu'u, and this certainly did not disappoint. Starting with communication.. Jae made sure we were only booking on a good day for waves... very easy to talk to, he wants a good experience for all! With a 5, 6, and two 8 year old boys who are good swimmers but never surfed, it was great having the instructors each with the little boys on the boards.. I felt very safe with these professional surfers! The 8 year olds were doing great with one instructor. And all the boys caught so many waves! Now all they want to do is surf! The adults were able to tag along and float with everyone, and try to catch some waves too.. it was great for all of us! Highly recommend and we will be back!

Had a great time kayaking through Kealakekua bay with Evan and Steve and then snorkeling near…read moreCaptain Cook's monument. This was our second time and it was just as fun, if not more! The early morning kayaking through the bay is soothing for the soul. We also got lucky and saw some dolphins. The snorkeling is out of this world with such clear water and variety of colorful fish of all sizes. Evan and Steve were both very attentive to all the kayakers and super knowledgeable as we learned a bunch about Hawaiian history, Captain Cook's arrival (and demise), and the lasting legacy of that episode on Hawaii's history. After all the snorkeling, the sandwich lunch hit the spot. It also came with a souvenir water bottle! I had a last minute dietary request and they graciously accommodated. Even though this was our second time, we still had fun and actually learned new details about the history and conservation efforts happening in the area! If you want a fun, yet respectful and ethical experience, this is it!

Fantastic experience with Kona Boys for the Morning Kealakekua Bay Kayak & Snorkel Tour. When we…read morearrived at the shop at 7 am for orientation, Frank was friendly and prompt with greeting us at the shop and giving the orientation talk, and Paul outfitted us with gear and made sure we knew how to get to the launch site. The shop dog and cat were also very friendly. Our guide for the morning was Grant, who was fantastic. He was engaging and extremely knowledgeable about the history, culture, language, geology, flora, fauna, and many other topics. He was also communicative, attentive, and helpful to other people. Overall, I liked that our early start meant that we arrived before the other large commercial boats did, so we got to enjoy paddling and snorkeling the bay with fewer people. I highly recommend Kona Boys as an eco-friendly option with top tier service.

We were visiting from Oahu and stopped in to see what they had. I saw some really cute shirts for…read moremy girls and they were on sale! The workers here were soo amazingly friendly. I absolutely love HILO and the genuine Aloha!!! Thank You HIC Hilo!!

Very similar to other HIC locations. Price and sales are consistent with other locations as well. I…read morewouldn't call it cheap but it's also not terribly expensive. They carry all the standard surf brands with great selection for men and women. We come for the accessories like their bags, belts, hats, etc. and they have great variety. The style is geared toward a surf and skate lifestyle. Staff was really friendly and helpful. They're consistently approachable and chill, which blended right into the feel of the store. We got exactly what we were looking for with the staff's help. They even helped us get a better deal by recommending some of their current sales.