Was in Hawaii for a short 23 hours and LB took me out and had me standing on the board in no time ‍ Highly recommended. Will be coming back for more lessons. Mahalo LB you da' man! ‍ read more

I had such an incredible time learning to surf with Larry! This was my first time ever surfing, and honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better instructor. He's so kind, patient, and genuinely cares about helping you feel confident in the water. Before we even started, he took the time to show me how to wax the board, carry it properly, and walk it out into the ocean safely. He explained everything so calmly that I never once felt rushed or nervous. Once we were in the water, he reminded me to breathe, relax, and just have fun -- and it made all the difference. Larry's energy is so grounding and encouraging. You can tell he really loves what he does, and that makes you want to do your best too. He's also a professional surfer, which makes it even cooler to learn from someone who's truly mastered it but still teaches with so much patience and humility. If you're thinking about trying surfing for the first time, take a lesson with Larry. You'll feel supported, safe, and inspired the whole time. I left feeling proud, happy, and already wanting to get back out there. Can't wait to surf with him again next time I'm in Waikiki! Thanks Larry!!! read more

LB Surf - Selfie w/ Larry - Surf Schools Near Me

Learning from a Pipeline master and local surfing legend proved to be a fantastic experience. I've only surfed a few times before. Larry was patient and provided spot on tips each time a fell off the board. I ended the session with a long ride to the sand of Waikki beach. The next day my 20 year old son, who surfs often in SoCal, took a lesson with Larry. He also had a blast, catching a dozen waves in an hour. Btw, Larry knows all the locals in the water, which helps his students catch waves, given the respect they have for him. read more

LB Surf - Waikiki - Surf Schools Near Me

2 years ago I came to Waikiki and wanted to take surf lessons but the weather wasn't great and I wasn't able to but this time I needed to make it happen, we came back to Oahu and my husband and I were out in the water and I saw Larry and how he was with his students and I saw him on the beach later and he told me how I could book a lesson with him, I did the lesson the next day and so glad I did, I got up on my first wave and practically every wave after. He was patient and knowledgeable and it made me want to surf even more when I get back home to Cali! Thanks Larry! read more

LB Surf - Surfing with Larry Rios! - Surf Schools Near Me

I've taken a surf lesson on Oahu in years past and the lesson was taught by someone who just pushes you into the wave and doesn't provide any feedback. Nor did they seem to care if you want to learn and improve. This is not the case with Larry. Larry is an excellent and kind teacher who will give you great constructive feedback, and wants to share his love and knowledge of surfing. From relearning the basics of stance, to paddling more efficiently, to learning how to read waves, I learned a ton from him. Not to mention, he is a native to Oahu and learned how to surf on the same waves he teaches you on. I initially booked for one lesson, but he was such an excellent teacher, I ended up going back for a second lesson 2 days later. I will definitely be hitting Larry up anytime I'm in town for more lessons, and you should too. Thank you Larry, you're the best! read more

LB Surf - Surf Schools Near Me

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My kid spent two days with Larry and she is hooked! Patient and instructional! Thanks Larry! We will be back! read more

I originally had set up private lessons with Larry Rios. Life happened and Larry couldn't make it. In his place, Larry set me up with his uncle Mark. I can't praise enough both of these dudes. Larry really made sure that I was taken care of while in the middle of dealing with things. Mark is a legend. I was honored to be out there with him. I hadn't been surfing for decades and he had me standing first try. I wish I would have had more time (and stamina!) to learn more from Mark. I also wish I had more time so I could have had time to surf with Larry too. Next time, for sure! If either of you see this, Mahalo! read more

Larry is an awesome instructor. He's patient and super knowledgeable, able to clearly communicate instructions to folks of varying skill levels. I Joined for one of his Waikiki Wednesday sessions and watched him bring a group of 10 or so complete beginners from the sand to standing on their boards within a few hours. Some folks were standing ​on their first wave ever! He was pushing folks onto waves, giving pointers on form, and when some random guy (not in the group) paddled up and asked for a push LB ended up adding him to the lineup and even lent his personal board cause the beginner's board was too short. ​ It felt like a casual lesson with your friendly surfer unc. He was watching out for our safety, and getting stoked when we caught our waves. He showed us how to tie the leash, where to wash our boards, and in-the-water etiquette so we don't act like kooks and get ourselves or others injured. Folks on the beach would come up and greet him, smiles all around. It's clear he is a respected surfer at Waikiki, and it felt really great to learn from someone who seemed so integrated into the culture of that beach. I highly recommend Larry as a surf instructor and LB Surf as a team! He does have very friendly and organized folks helping to coordinate lessons and communication - it was a little informal but nothing felt confusing or disorganized (Thanks Jessica!). ​​ read more

Our family had the best first time surfing all because of Larry! We all were catching waves and it was just a really fun experience. He was patient and encouraging, and our kids loved him! Thank you for the memories Larry! read more

LB Surf - Surf Schools Near Me

Me and my husband just started to learn how to surf now that we live on island, and Larry is da best! He's very laid back and local style, and everyone in the water seems to know and respect him. I'm only two lessons in but I can already see my improvement and am catching more waves than I did with a one-off surfing lesson I did at another company last year. Highly recommend! read more

Larry is the best! 100% worth the money to work with one of the greatest surfers, teachers, experts of the water! Before meeting Larry I took probably 4 or 5 lessons over 10 years at Waikiki, most of the time I was put on a board that was too small for me which means no fun. I even took 2 weeks of surf camp in college. None of them put me on the right board size and I never had fun, rarely stood up. When I met Larry he put me on the right size board right away and I was standing up for long rides by my 2cnd wave. I've taken lessons every summer with Larry for the last 5 years and even though it's just 1 or 2 lessons per year I learned so much and progressed because I WAS HAVING FUN all because Larry's knowledge, experience and he understand what surfing means, bringing joy, Aloha having fun and safety. read more

Larry was a great instructor and a very nice person. It was very easy to book lessons with him over email. I would definitely recommend lessons from him to all my friends. I have been surfing 3 times in the past and this was easily the most times I've been able to stand up and ride in 1 hr. He's also a great guy and you can tell he's well respected and known on the Waikiki beach. read more

LB Surf - Surf Schools Near Me

Surfed today for the first time in my life. I had my two adult children also with me. Larry had us up and riding waves on the first wave. The personalized attention and instruction was excellent. The reviews you find about him online are spot on. If you are in Oahu and want to learn how to surf Larry will have you up and riding waves right away. The locals have a lot of respect for him and he is a true teacher at heart. read more

LB Surf - Gathering place. - Surf Schools Near Me

Took 2 lessons with Larry in Waikiki. I found Larry through Yelp, so I'm writing this review to help others find him. Does Larry have a direct connection to the wave gods? Because going out with him, there were so many waves that came directly to where we were sitting. Larry had a lot of helpful feedback on my balance and pop up. I did feel like I made progress over two days because of the number of reps and his very specific tips. Thank you for helping me realize my dream of surfing Waikiki, Larry! read more

LB Surf - Had the absolute best time with the legend! - Surf Schools Near Me

Thank you for your aloha spirit Larry! You lent us your board for 30 minutes so we could get some quick waves before we had to leave back to mainland...Mahalo and God Bless you for your kindness! read more

Warning for anyone, especially women, considering booking Larry Rios for surfing lessons I saw a recommendation for Larry Rios and decided to book two sessions with him. This post is not to blame the original poster but to inform others so they aren't blindsided like I was. Unfortunately, I regret booking him. He was the worst instructor I've ever had. After contacting him through Instagram, he quoted $450 for two lessons or $250 per lesson. He asked for the full payment via Zelle upfront, which I sent. That's when the problems started. He first asked for my pictures, which I initially assumed was for recognition. However, he then started complimenting my appearance and making suggestive remarks. I brushed it off and confirmed our meeting for the next day at the surf shop. During the lesson, he provided minimal instruction--just a brief verbal rundown of the basics. Once in the water, he continuously made inappropriate comments and asked personal questions about my dating life. He shared details of his own relationships and made unsettling remarks about his preferences for younger women. If I refused to answer, he would gaslight me by saying things like, "Oh, you must have been hurt before." After the first session, he called me and insisted on knowing where I was staying, saying he would come over. I avoided answering directly. The next day, he was grumpy and verbally abusive. He barely instructed me, mocked my paddling, and humiliated me by loudly making fun of me to others on the beach. He repeatedly told me I would never be able to surf on my own--an incredibly discouraging thing to say to a beginner. At the end of the second lesson, he presumptuously pushed for me to book more lessons. He also demanded a tip. A tip for what? Harassment and insults? I strongly advise others--especially women--to avoid booking with Larry Rios. His behavior was unprofessional, inappropriate, and borderline predatory. read more

My session with Larry was one of the best experiences I've had surfing! As a casual, self-taught surfer from socal, learning from Larry was super fun and made a noticeable difference after just a couple waves. I'm not exaggerating when I say I think I caught every wave he put me on, unlike my usual sessions where I'm lucky to catch a couple. Plus, this was my first time surfing on a hard-top board! He's super knowledgeable and provided lots of practical tips that were readily applicable during our session, but above all he's just such an amazing dude with a super chill vibe. Even though we had just met, it felt like I was learning an old friend; he's that friendly. Surfing with Larry was so much fun, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from him. You're a legend, Larry! If I ever make it back to Waikiki, I'll be sure to add another surf lesson with you to the agenda! read more

My 8 year old wanted to take a surf lesson and as per most surf schools because of her age she had to have a one on one. We just happened to have Larry as our instructor. He was absolutely awesome! My daughter absolutely loved him and she took to surfing like a pro. She only fell once during her lesson. There were other surf school lessons while we were there and we noticed they were having a hard time getting up on the board. We were up almost every time thanks to Larry and Abe. He is truly a gem and you won't go wrong working with him. My daughter gave him a huge hug when we were done--he's wonderful! read more

Surfing with Larry was so fun! I was part of a bachelorette group and he got all of us standing up on our boards in no time. He knew exactly where to catch all the waves and honestly I didn't catch many myself after the session was over haha. Would highly recommend! read more

For my bachelorette I learned how to surf for the first time with Larry! It was the most memorable and fun experience in my entire trip! I am a very beginner swimmer, but Larry made me feel so safe and capable. We started off on shore where I learned how to position myself on the board and how to stand and balance. Then before I knew it we were in the water with Larry guiding me by timing perfectly with the waves when I should paddle and stand. Now I am telling everyone I know they should surf with Larry at LB Surf because it's such a rich experience :,) read more

I can't recommend Larry enough. I've surfed before, with other instructors. Each time, the instructor is just happy that I can stand up on 2-3 waves. Larry is different. I stood up on every wave. Every time I paddled back from a wave, he gave me tips that actually made sense and improved my ride. I was not only riding every wave but learning how to control the speed by moving up and down the board in a single session. Also, he is just a great dude. While I was paddling back, he was coaching others and helping them catch waves. Larry is a gem, and you should absolutely reserve a session with him. read more

Just had 2 surfing sessions with Larry this past week and it was phenomenal! I'm a local on Oahu and it was important to me to take surfing lessons from a Hawaii local who's been surfing for 40+ years on the islands. He taught me best practices in the water, guided me smoothly, and most importantly taught me both the basics and challenged me equally, My favorite thing was how patient he was with me (I swear I fell 10 times before hitting a 90% standup success rate on the surfboard) Definitely recommend if you want a surfing lesson where he gives you undivided attention and makes you feel comfortable while surfing read more

Hands down the best experience! LB & Jessica were so motivating and very helpful! They helped me with my confidence of standing up & gave great advice for each time! LB is the man of Honolulu You gotta book with LB! read more

Larry is the man to go to if you want to learn how to surf! Super patient and very knowledgeable, I had a great time learning how to surf with him! read more

LARRY IS THE MAN OF HONOLULU. It was my first time trying to surf and got me up with no problem. He clearly knows what he's doing and is so positive, calm and patient in the process. I swear he was more stoked for me than I was when I caught the wave. His vibe is unmatched and meeting him was a highlight of our trip. Definitely the type of guy you want to hang out with while learning how to surf. Thanks again, Larry! Will be recommending everyone I know! read more

Thank you Larry and Jess for providing us with an unforgettable experience! It's apparent how much love and passion Larry has for surfing with how he treats his students. He was able to get us to stand immediately and continued to build on our skills throughout the lesson. I feel extremely confident that he squeezed every ounce of "talent" he could out of us in the short time we had together. The next time we're in the area, I would not hesitate to reach out again. It was an absolute blast and I cannot praise or recommend this experience enough. read more

Surfing with Larry was the best! I booked a lesson with him via Instagram, and he was very flexible and accommodating to my schedule even though my time was so limited in Waikiki. As a complete amateur surfer, Larry taught me all the steps and made it super easy to catch a wave and stand up! I've taken a few other surf lessons before with other instructors, but I had the most fun with Larry. I'll be back to book another lesson the next time I'm in Waikiki! read more

I saw multiple comments on Reddit about how awesome Larry's surfing lessons are and decided to go ahead and book. His fees are a bit more than other surfing schools but WOW was it worth it. Larry gave me a thorough lesson on land to make sure I knew how to properly get up on the board. With his instructions, I was riding my first wave on my second try! Larry started me out on easy waves and slowly added on the challenge so that I always felt comfortable. He also kept me aware of risks like rocks and sea urchins and how to get off the board properly. After each try on a wave, Larry gave me detailed feedback (plant those feet! eyes forward!) so that I was really catching waves by the end of our time together. The 90 minute lesson was the perfect length, I got plenty of tries but my arms were pretty done paddling back out to sea by that point. It was a real workout! Larry would take a couple waves during our lesson while he was waiting for me to get back out for my next try; just watching him effortlessly swirl around on the little waves, you could tell you were in the presence of a guy with total mastery of the water. But Larry is not just a world-class surfer with decades of experience on the waves, he is an amazing teacher and just an all-around cool guy to hang out with. Definitely send him a message on IG and reserve a lesson with Larry if you have the chance. read more