After hearing about the madhouse of surfers learning to surf at Waikiki, I decided to buy a…read moreGroupon* and take the long drive to the north shore for lessons with Matt at Blue Rush Surf School. Unfortunately, I had to call Matt over 5 times before he finally picked up. He was very friendly when he did pick up and promised to call me back in 2 minutes. Which turned into 45 minutes. At which point I was already sleeping, since I was 6 hours ahead of Hawaii. So that turned into another few days of trying to catch Matt at the right moment to schedule a lesson. Right before Matt hung up, he asked me to call him the day before the lesson to remind him. What?? So for obvious reasons, I was worried that Matt wouldn't show up on the day of the lesson. But 24 hours had already passed since I bought the Groupon, so I was committed. We arrived at the lesson on time, but Matt wasn't there. When we called Matt, he said that he had to take care of his mom at the last minute, but was sending his friend Stephanie, who arrived soon after. (We later found out that Matt wasn't even in Hawaii, so I'm not sure why Matt needed to wait until the last minute to reveal this tidbit of information.) Well, to my surprise, Stephanie's lesson was really good and we both stood up despite the tiny waves and crappy surfboards. (My husband's board's fin was torn in half.) After we'd been in the water for an hour (we paid for a 90 minute lesson), Stephanie tried to end the lesson. We pointed out that the lesson was shorter than advertised, and she extended the lesson. It did make for an awkward 30 minutes though since Stephanie obviously did not want to be there any longer. BOTTOM LINE: I think Matt and Stephanie are both good surfers and teachers. However, they don't seem to be great business people. *If you buy the Groupon, Matt will tell you to pay him an extra $5 in cash to cover "taxes." 15% tax seems a little suspicious, and I would bet that the IRS never saw a cent of that $5.

Had a terrible experience with this business. Owner Matt scheduled time and date of lesson. We…read moredrove over an hour to assigned meeting point. I texted I was at the beach with 2 teenagers for their lesson-Matt had completely forgotten he agreed to a lesson. Matt told me to wait for "his instructor" Chad. We waited an hour and when Chad got out of water he said no way!!!!he was just doing Matt a favor, he doesn't work for him, and he was not teaching us. Matt and Chad arranged for the kids to go with a "waterman" from the beach who was NOT a surf instructor. This man took them out and shoved them into waves with no instruction. One kid was visiting from Kansas. This was DANGEROUS!! Only 18 minutes in water. Luckily no one DIED or was INJURED. Matt's response- " I was exhausted" "I can't be there all the time" DO NOT USE THIS BUSINESS !!!!!!

I found Zack through a chance recommendation from a local tour guide, and his coaching turned out…read moreto be the perfect match for improving my surfing skills. What sets Zack apart is his methodical approach - before even entering the water, he had me sit to observe the waves and other surfers, providing valuable context through years of practice and wisdom. His teaching technique corrected several bad habits I'd picked up from previous coaches. He taught me to properly maneuver my board, when to sit and relax, and to always LOOK UP! and focus on the coconut trees :D for direction. His exceptional intuition of the water made me feel completely safe so that I can focus on the things I can control and the skills I want to develop. Thanks to Zack's guidance, I surprised myself by standing up and riding several waves with ease. Beyond our one-on-one session, I noticed his generosity in offering tips to other surfers nearby. The personalized attention and expert instruction made this 1:1 session absolutely worth booking for anyone looking to genuinely improve their surfing skills and of course to have a good time. Mahalo Zack! ‍‍​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Zach and his team made our surfing experience phenomenal…read more The communication was very prompt and detailed. My young (4 year old) son had a BLAST with Zach as his instructor. Zach did really well listening to the kiddo and showing him how to be comfortable and have fun learning to surf. My teenager cousin and I also felt like we were in capable hands and had a lot of fun. We're considering seeing if we can squeeze in a second session on this trip.

Both Kalani and Keoni are amazing instructors! They both ensured our safety and supplied any and…read moreall equipment for my group's first time experience with surfing. From the beginning until the end of the lesson, they were both encouraging and extremely supportive. They stressed the importance of being patient, going at your own pace, having fun, all while placing safety above everything else. If you have any concerns, be at ease. You'll be in great hands, catch some waves and have an amazing experience! And I say this as a person who doesn't even know how to swim! This was definitely the highlight of my vacation!

Keoni and Kalani are top notch instructors. Humble, friendly, and helpful…read more They made great use of the time and tailored the experience to my ability level. I signed up for a two hour group lesson since I haven't surfed in years, and the second hour I got the pleasure of surfing 1x1 with Keoni. They do some brief on-shore instruction at the beginning and get you in the water and on waves super quickly. Then it's pretty much a revolving door of action from there on out, allowing you to ride as many sets as possible during the session. The guys clearly have a love for what they do, and I saw them helping customers from other schools in between waves, which goes to show their passion and kindness. Really enjoyed talking to both of them during and after the lesson, and grateful to have crossed paths. Highly recommend these guys!

I had my first ever surf experience and lesson with Lawrence. He was a patient and fun instructor…read more I was able to catch a wave on my first try thanks to his help. It was an experience I'll treasure forever.

Ethan and densen the guys were awesome they let us sneak in a few minutes early is that bad to say…read morethat you let us get in a few minutes early

Carson was a tremendous instructor. He made it so simple 1-2-3-4 steps to get riding the waves…read more Wonderful personality and surfer spirit! Would highly recommend using Carson. He took us to a less populated area to surf - just 5 minutes away and perfect waves for lessons. Amazing!

Shaydo is a true legend and an amazing teacher. Just after a few try i was up and surfing. He bring…read morean added amazing cultural history about his love for Hawaii and the culture....know the best spot, from surfing to eating. Mahalo nui loa!!!!! Cannot wait to hit the wave and hope to be back. Thank.

Worth every penny!!!…read more First time to the North Shore and wanted to try surfing. I decided to book with Shaydo because he's a professional surfer, CPR trained and trusted waterman....I definitely made the right choice!!! From the moment I met him, I felt comfortable and relaxed. He was very patient and thorough before we even got in the water. Once we were in the water, Shaydo got me up on my board and I WAS SURFING!!! Needless to say, the time in the water flew by and I had so much fun. I would definitely book a class with Shaydo again. It was such an authentic experience, plus how many people can say they learned to surf with a professional surfer!

Loved this place, the guy was super nice and very helpful. great service and super helpful.read more

Keoni was our instructor. He was super nice and helped us catch quite a few great waves! We are…read moreabsolute beginners with no prior surfing experiences, and he got me standing on the board for my first try! We did the 4:30-6:30 lesson and the local shops& eats were pretty much closed already. If you want to experience the north shore vibe I suggest you either take the morning lesson and hang out for the rest of the day, or get here early so you can explore the area. Wish we can come back!

3 words that describes Uncle Gil: Knowledgeable, Friendly, Service-oriented…read more I've surfer here and there but never seem to progress. I took an adhoc surfing lesson with Uncle Gil and ended up coming back for another lesson two days later. Uncle Gil started the lesson with basics and demo on the beach and then takes you to HIS spot for the lesson. That is like finding GOLD in Waikiki beach. He is very descriptive with his lessons, gave me pointers on every wave, and literally by the end of the lesson I was riding waves all the way to shore. He started with a large soft-top board and ended the lesson with a shorter epoxy board. Two days later, I came back for another lesson and got a 9'6'' board. I was able to progress so well and by the end of my second lesson, I felt super confident. Outside of the lesson, every time I go to the beach, Uncle Gil would say hi to me and give me pointer and really treated me like family so that is definitely why I came back. Anyone can get a surf lesson but Uncle Gil make is very memorable!

Let me tell you I came to the island for business and had on my bucket list to surf in Hawaii well…read moreI did just that I respect surfers so much no wonder there so ripped it's work I tell you but uncle gill actually gave me lessons and I have awesome pictures of me surfing in Hawaii I highly de come d taking private lessons with u cole gill he's a great guy