Surf lessons

[disneycrazy2004]

We are heading to Aulani in August and I am would love to book surf lessons for my daughter. She is 16 and never been on a surf board. Anyone has any good recommendations? I thought you could book thru Aulani but I could not see anything on the website. Thank you very much

 

[alohamom]

We used "Uncle Bryan" https://surfnorthshore.com/ because the day we wanted to head out to surf the Hawaiian Fire http://hawaiianfire.com/ was not open. My biggest concern about surfing was safety and the Hawaiian Fire school is run by firemen. I figured they have emergency training and they had great reviews but as I say they didnt have lessons offered on the day we wanted to go (my daughters 16th birthday) Uncle Bryans meant driving up to the North Shore but we wanted to do that anyway and it was just fantastic. My daughter and my husband went out and not only did they both get up multiple times, they were able to ride waves into the shore. The guy who went out with them never let them give up. My daughter was a natural and had no problems but my husband had a hard time at first and couldnt get from kneeling to standing quick enough. The guy they learned from was insisting he would get him up and he eventually did by adjusting how and what he was telling my husband to do In the same area, anther company was having lessons were happening and the instructor was terrible. He basically gave them boards and said go. There were two people in that group who came up on shore and said "I give up". Our experience was so great that we actually ended up booking her another lesson and essentially they gave her a private lesson the next time even though I booked a group one, they were just amazing and I cant say enough good things about them.

 

[cgattis]

Thanks for starting this thread! My DD will be almost 16 when we go, and she wants to surf too. Like you @alohamom,safety is definitely my #1 concern! I was considering going on one of our Kauai days, but if I can't get any DIS feedback on any of those places, we may just go with your recommendation. I know I can find feedback online, but I just feel better hearing it here

 

[ihearthawaii]

We are heading to Aulani in August and I am would love to book surf lessons for my daughter. She is 16 and never been on a surf board. Anyone has any good recommendations? I thought you could book thru Aulani but I could not see anything on the website. Thank you very much

Are you planning on a trip to Waikiki? There are a handful of surf lesson companies and some you can walk up to without reservations on Waikiki Beach. Waikiki Beach is one of the easiest beaches to learn on because of the consistent gentle rolling waves. Downsides are, it's crowded at times and the breaks are far out so you have to paddle out a bit to catch a wave. Upsides are it's cheaper then the North Shore companies and you are guaranteed to stand up (because of the waves). It's fun, she will love it.

 

[Mom2disneygirls]

You can book through Aulani and should come up on the activity search if you put in keyword surf. We have lessons for my 13 yo and husband but they have lessons for all ages. We go soon so will report how they were when we get back.

 

[Drusilla99]

My girls, 14 & 16, just did surf lessons at the beginning of June through Surf HNL, at the time we booked, they were also called "Girls Who Surf", & they really enjoyed it! They both got up loads of times. I never worried about their safety, it was a good setup. I went along to watch on the beach. We were staying on Waikiki at the time & they picked us up at the hotel...they had an option for pick up at Aulani, but it didn't fit into our schedule.

 

[HD1]

We used Girls Who Surf lessons. They have since changed their name. They were very encouraging and safe. We had to drive to the beach, which was not far from Ko'olina. It was about $90.00 for a couple of hours...

 

[disneypoor]

We used Hawaiian Fire and booked directly through them. They were wonderful!!! They aren't real far from Aulani either, so it is easy to get to them. I highly recommend them if they are offering lessons on the day you want to go. We had my niece with us. My sister booked the trip too late, so we were unable to get lessons booked for my niece, but they were so awesome and tried to get her out on the water to give surfing a try (without even having a reservation). She wouldn't even get in the water, so it was a good thing we hadn't booked for her. LOL! We've done surf lessons on Oahu and Maui several times, and Hawaiian Fire is by far the greatest we've experienced.

 

[lizard1]

We used northshoresurfgirls.com. We did a private family lesson for 5. I think there normally would have been 2 instructors, but they gave us an extra because of the age of my youngest (6) because they wanted to ensure our safety. They tried to get everyone up to surf, and I was the only one who didn't stand (but I went in early because my youngest was done). I liked that they helped us a lot- they helped us to paddle out by sort of towing us with their foot hooked on our boards, they tandem surfed with my two youngest (6 and 9) when they were having difficulties. I also liked that they helped and encouraged when needed, but at the same time did not force my youngest to stay out longer (they would have encouraged her longer if I had wanted to stay out). For the private lessons, I think it was $99/pp with a minimum of 3 people.

 

[disneycrazy2004]

Are you planning on a trip to Waikiki? There are a handful of surf lesson companies and some you can walk up to without reservations on Waikiki Beach. Waikiki Beach is one of the easiest beaches to learn on because of the consistent gentle rolling waves. Downsides are, it's crowded at times and the breaks are far out so you have to paddle out a bit to catch a wave. Upsides are it's cheaper then the North Shore companies and you are guaranteed to stand up (because of the waves). It's fun, she will love it.

We are planning on a day at Waikiki ( I am big Hawaii 5-0 fan and need to see the beach) Thanks for the tip, it is definitely worth checking out. Is there a way to find out how much they cost? Thanks

 

[disneycrazy2004]

You can book through Aulani and should come up on the activity search if you put in keyword surf. We have lessons for my 13 yo and husband but they have lessons for all ages. We go soon so will report how they were when we get back.

I will try that again...couldn't find it last night, thanks

 

[disneycrazy2004]

We used Hawaiian Fire and booked directly through them. They were wonderful!!! They aren't real far from Aulani either, so it is easy to get to them. I highly recommend them if they are offering lessons on the day you want to go. We had my niece with us. My sister booked the trip too late, so we were unable to get lessons booked for my niece, but they were so awesome and tried to get her out on the water to give surfing a try (without even having a reservation). She wouldn't even get in the water, so it was a good thing we hadn't booked for her. LOL! We've done surf lessons on Oahu and Maui several times, and Hawaiian Fire is by far the greatest we've experienced.

How long were the lessons? Also, if we are not doing the lessons, are we able to stay on the beach and watch? Thanks

 

[disneycrazy2004]

We used northshoresurfgirls.com. We did a private family lesson for 5. I think there normally would have been 2 instructors, but they gave us an extra because of the age of my youngest (6) because they wanted to ensure our safety. They tried to get everyone up to surf, and I was the only one who didn't stand (but I went in early because my youngest was done). I liked that they helped us a lot- they helped us to paddle out by sort of towing us with their foot hooked on our boards, they tandem surfed with my two youngest (6 and 9) when they were having difficulties. I also liked that they helped and encouraged when needed, but at the same time did not force my youngest to stay out longer (they would have encouraged her longer if I had wanted to stay out). For the private lessons, I think it was $99/pp with a minimum of 3 people.

Thank you for the info..Do you remember how long the lessons are?

 

[lizard1]

Thank you for the info..Do you remember how long the lessons are?

It was a 2 hour lesson. It is on a public beach, you can definitely stay and watch if you want.

 

[disneycrazy2004]

thank you for all the replies

 

[longboard55]

We spend a lot of time in Waikiki and watched hours of lessons. Oahu is one of the best places anywhere for beginner surf lessons. The instructors get you in the right spot and make sure you catch waves and stand up . Looks very easy but about impossible to do on your own. Your arms have a limited life so only do lessons and do not try on your own. Hawaiian Fire has been in business forever and work close to Aulani. If you are in Waikiki there are many choices, I suggest alohabeachservices,com.. Yes a lot of girls do this.

They will also hit you up for some amazing photos that are too good to pass up. Conditions change, schedule early

 

[alohamom]

Conditions change, schedule early

THIS is a a really good point-if you want to try surfing do it early in your vacation just in case it needs to be rescheduled.

 

[ihearthawaii]

We are planning on a day at Waikiki ( I am big Hawaii 5-0 fan and need to see the beach) Thanks for the tip, it is definitely worth checking out. Is there a way to find out how much they cost? Thanks

You'd have to go to each of their websites for prices. I used Aloha Beach services, they have a booth on the beach and I just walked up. I believe it was $60 for a two hour group lesson and $60 for the cd of photos they took of me. I had to have proof that I stood up

 

[longboard55]

One more thing, most places have a group price and individual price. You do not need a group to get the group price, they will just put you in one. Actually the group lesson works out better because it gives them a chance to rest a little between waves

 

[disneycrazy2004]

So many good tip and great information. Thank you all for all the help. I will be doing my research - it sounds like so much fun, my DD might want to so it couple of times