Paulo was a great coach and all 3 of us caught multiple waves. Aura farming: surf lesson at Waikiki…read moreBeach, right at the Duke statue. Great time and value!

If zero stars could be the score it would, but, alas, we're stuck with 1 star. I suppose I should…read morehave done my homework beforehand ... and certainly having Elon Musk as your background picture on Yelp would have been a big red flag .... Avoid: Kahu Surf School. My son was so excited for his first surf lesson and we had signed up with this School based on reviews on Google. I don't even know where to begin - they were late, the photographer no-showed, they didn't have a plan for who would give the lesson, and then they expected my kid - (and this was billed for 6-11 year olds) to immediately grasp it - and this is all before getting in the water (we also had to meet them at an office two blocks off the beach). The instructor told my son to "stop f'ing around" in front of us when he giggled nervously when he didn't get some something perfect immediately. We should have pulled him right there (parenting fail). Verbal abuse is never okay. The surf lesson was an absolute nightmare. The instructor swore at my child repeatedly (including f-bombs) leaving my son in tears, he was impatient with my son as he struggled to learn a new skill, and he seemed to have a little experience or willingness to work with a new-to-surfing kid. Kids need to be told things and receive constant reminders to help them learn. Instead, the instructor was verbally abusive of a child. This was supposed to be the highlight of the trip and instead my son ended up on the beach in tears. The surf instructor took off and paddled away from him as my son was attempting to learn how to navigate on a board and then screamed at him that he was f'ing terrible when my son fell. The whole thing was only 25 minutes instead of an hour. I've reached out to the surf school for a refund (they did give back the photo fee, but have refused everything else and are now LYING that my son is special needs and that I misled them . Our son does not have special needs and is not special needs in any way ... their story has changed ged repeatedly- all to justify financial irresponsibility and verbal abuse of a minor. They tried to say it was my son's fault for not learning his first time out or listening (to verbal abuse). These are kids- they deserve better- and patience is part of it..It was the most unprofessional experience we've ever had and I'm so, so sad for my kid. I would NEVER recommend them and encourage everyone to seek more appropriate options for children's beginner lessons. In fact, the instructor started out saying he would be on the beach watching my son, and he'd come in if he needed help. It was unreal and I think he saw our expressions as he did go in the water with him. Note the photo, that they offer refunds for reviews ... so, buyer beware. I don't suppose I'll get a refund for this? I have also had really strange communications via email with the person I can only assume is the owner and the author of the below response. Each email has changed the story and now he's settled on calling an academically gifted child/swim team swimmer special needs (I think there is maybe a reading comprehension issue? It's alarming and very strange. These are not people I'd want around my kid. It's a violation of yelp and Google to offer incentives for reviews.

When we were looking for surfing lessons on Oahu, Mickeys Surf School stood out to us. Lots of…read morepositive reviews of how he worked with families, and reasonable prices. We are so glad we went with Mickey. Mickey was really amazing with our kids. They tend to be shy, but he was so friendly and they had fun with him almost instantly. It was their first surf lesson, and they had a blast. It was one of the best highlights of our visit. Our kids love telling people about it. Great instructior, great lesson, and great experience for a good price! Thank you, Mickey! Can't wait to return someday.

Our experience with Mickey made our trip. He introduced my 4-year old to surfing in such a gentile…read moreand thoughtful way, ensuring a safe and positive experience. We scouted out all the options for instructors and Mickey is by far the best and highest quality. In our case, he also went out of his way to share his time early in the morning to allow for best possible conditions. My son came out of the experience with a new friend, asking when he gets to surf with Mickey again. He also had a creative Go Pro set up that documented the whole experience. Mickey is special and has a natural way with kids (and people). We are so thankful we met him, let alone surfed with him.

Wonderful surf school. The staff are extremely helpful and friendly. They made sure we knew what we…read morewere doing, and why. Made sure everyone in our group was doing well. We loved it so much we had to come back again! Our great instructors were Happi, Brandon, and Tyler. Great people! Thanks for the amazing time Management give these guys a raise!

We love JOB school of surf, the instructors are strong surfers, gives great instruction and gets my…read moredaughter into great waves. We've gone to both Coronado and Waikiki. The solo surf lesson makes a difference when you're looking for a quality experience. Highly recommend for young kids.

Our family had such an amazing experience! We booked a family surf lesson with our three kids (ages…read more4, 7, and 9), and they paired us with four instructors. I honestly can't say enough good things about the entire team. My two youngest stayed on their instructors' boards the entire lesson, which was perfect for their ages. Their instructors were incredibly patient, kind, encouraging, and so amazing with young children. My oldest had his own instructor who really took the time to teach him and build his confidence. My husband and I were with Sparky, who was absolutely fantastic. By the end of the lesson, every single one of us had stood up and ridden a wave more than once! The instructors made everyone feel safe, supported, and successful, no matter their age or experience. It also gave us peace of mind knowing everyone is lifeguard certified. We had so much fun that before we even got back to the car, my kids were already asking to book another lesson before we leave! If you're thinking about surfing, especially as a family with young kids, I can't recommend Sparky and his team enough.

I (9 year old) took an amazing surf lesson!…read more Sparky is the perfect guy for me, he was so patient! And he was always lifting my spirit with amazing positivity whenever I wiped out on a wave. I loved him so much I took another surf lesson the next day! Since I am a kid it is not too easy but with Sparky on my side the word hard never came my way! Surfing with Sparky is amazing and if you are looking for a successful surf lesson you should definitely go to Sparky's! Love Olivia to Sparky!!!!!

Aunty V was great, very patient and understanding with someone like me, a non-swimmer surfing for…read morethe first time. After the patient comes fun, but observant Aunty V. Trusting her helps you trust yourself while surfing. I highly recommend 10/10.

Yogi was super helpful and our instructor was awesome My…read morekids loved it Will be going again

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.

First time signing up for surf lessons and, based on reviews, decided to give Faith a try…read more I think the rates are reasonable for personal, semi-group, and group instruction. 80 minutes for newbies was a perfect amount of time to go over safety, technique, and signals on land then experiment in the ocean for the remainder of the time. Rocco was clear when giving instructions and tips for improving our stance on the board while on land. He was patient and re-stated parts I did not understand. Looking back, I wish I had asked for advice on what to do when surfing directly into/next to someone. Shout to the other person? Jump off the board? Rocco mentioned 'traffic' and who has the right of way but not crash scenarios. I mention this because on three of my practice runs, I was wiped out by other younger individuals No blame or judgment from a first-timer here, but I was excited to get a longer run standing yet almost half of my opportunities were stopped short not due to my lack of skill. You will need to purchase a rash guard either at Faith or purchase one locally (check out Ross, Walmart, Target, etc.). Also would recommend leg protection if you burn easily (like I did). I applied sunscreen on the backs of my legs, as instructed in the confirmation information, but I got a gnarly sunburn on my and legs. I signed up for 11:00 slot and was delayed almost 30 minutes due to overlapping canoe and surf lessons schedules. The staff was apologetic and kind and offered beach chairs while we waited. We were not in a rush, so waiting was no issue. Once we began, we received the full 80 minute lesson and had a blast! Even with the delay, I would highly recommend Faith! The staff is excellent and personalizes feedback on land and in real time in the water. Mahalo ‍

Stopped by at 9:30am this morning with no reservation & the guys were able to accomodate us…read moreimmediately! Clark, Toni & Ron were so friendly & full of aloha!! Will definitely stop by regularly on my HNL layovers!

I reached out to my friend Edrick to find lessons, not knowing that a surfer of his stature also…read morecoaches newcomers. After a short lesson on awareness and body positioning, both I and an older buddy with no experience were catching every other wave we tried for with his help, riding some almost all the way in! Somehow, he was also able to take footage of us--so stoked on the whole experience. Mahalo, E!

Highly recommend! We did a half-day tour with lessens. He picked us up from our Airbnb and provided…read moresurf gear and boards, gave us a quick lesson, and brought us to a pretty much empty surf spot. He also offers video/photos if he catches anything food. Afterwards we got a smoothie and were given an option to surf at a different location - we were too wiped out though. We got a nice scenic tour of the islands and were dropped off at our Airbnb again.