Private Surf Lessons in North Shore Oahu

Booking these surfing lessons was smooth and easy. We were initially assigned to Mahalo, but due to a double-booking, we were offered a new instructor named K-Kai. I’m honestly surprised by the stunning reviews this place has received, so perhaps our experience was simply a one-off. We booked a two-hour private lesson for two people (one child and one adult). We had specifically informed them in advance that we would need life jackets, but the instructor only had one that properly fit the child. After about 90 minutes, the instructor brought the child back and said he was done. I pointed out that there were still 30 minutes remaining and asked if he could continue practicing. At that point, the instructor became very defensive and started ranting that my child wasn’t paying attention, that he would only benefit from a private lesson (despite the fact that this was a private lesson with his father), and that I was going to complain about the final 30 minutes of the lesson. I explained that my concern wasn’t about getting every last minute of the lesson, but rather about how we could encourage the child to enjoy the experience and stay engaged. Unfortunately, the instructor continued to rant about how parents don’t understand how tiring this job is, etc. What really confused and disappointed me was the complete lack of effort to make the remaining 30 minutes a positive experience. There was essentially zero willingness to let either the child or the adult get one more wave in, despite the lesson still having time remaining. I found the instructor’s attitude incredibly apathetic and, more importantly, discouraging toward a child who was there to learn and have fun. A private lesson should be an opportunity to encourage a beginner, especially a child, rather than make them feel like they are a burden. I’m also wondering whether this was related to a change in instructor. The person we originally booked may have been reassigned, and we ended up with a different instructor. If that’s the case, perhaps our experience was an unfortunate exception, because it was very different from what I expected based on the reviews. For me, the cost mattered far less than the experience my child had. Unfortunately, my child felt neglected and said the instructor barely paid attention to him. Because of this poor experience, we chose not to tip. I was honestly surprised when the instructor then complained, stating he only works for tips. Towards the end, another staff member came up and offered us free photos and videos. I couldn't believe how generous he was! We were so impressed that we definitely made sure to tip him.

We had the best experience! We booked a semi private lesson for 3 first time young adult surfers (17-25). Same day booking was easy and accommodating. Kala was great with communication and where to meet up. Our instructor Aton made our experience fantastic! He helped us catch the waves and we were up on the first wave! Not only helpful with surfing, but with all local questions and recommendations of the island. Our favorite of all the experiences we did! Highly recommend!

Kala was great! He explained everything really well and was a great help. My 11 year old daughter and I were up and riding in no time. It was everything we hoped for and then some! 🤙

The best. I’m an old man and I still got up and surfed!

We did lessons at 2pm and it was windy. Me and my two daughters 11 and 7 years old. It was tough paddling back after a surf because it was windy. It was our first time surfing. The ratio was 3 of us to one instructor which was kind of tough for the instructor to try and split equal teaching time between the 3 of us. But overall awesome lesson. Instructor was very knowledgeable and experienced. We’d do it again with a ratio of 2:1.

This was the highlight of our Oahu trip for my kids (9&15). The instructor was excellent with them and they both were able to quickly get up on the board. Communication leading up to the activity was great as well. I would highly recommend this activity to anyone.

We LOVED our experience with North Shore O‘ahu Surf School! My husband and I booked a private 2-hour lesson and had such a great time. They communicated with us the day before about which beach we would be meeting at, and the beach they chose was absolutely beautiful. Our instructor, Kekai, was awesome super easy to talk to, encouraging, and really helpful. We both stood up on our very first wave! I also loved that after each wave he would give us little tips and feedback on what we could improve. When my arms got tired from paddling it was nice to just hangout on the surfboard and chitchat for a little break before jumping back into it! It was pretty cool we got to see two sea turtles while we were paddling out and waiting for a wave! Our family spent a week on the North Shore and did our lesson just two days before we left. We honestly wish we had done it earlier in the trip because we definitely would have gone out with Kekai again! Next time we’re in Hawaii, we’ll absolutely be surfing with North Shore O‘ahu Surf School again. Such a fun experience and definitely something we’d recommend doing while on the North Shore! Also if their photographer is onsite for your lesson get the photos! They are so professional looking and a great memory from the trip.

I booked a group surfing lesson for 4 and my girls loved it. They said it was the best and wish they could have done it again. Mitch and his partner did a great job. Definitely booking again when I return.

We booked a family surf lesson during our trip after seeing lessons taking place on Chuns Reef Beach. 3 kids and 2 adults learned how to surf within the 1st hour. Kids ages ranged from 8 to 14 years old and everyone had a great time. We had 2 instructors with us and Kekai did a great job getting us ready and out into the water. Highly recommend.

My 13 year old daughter and I did a surf lesson here. Our instructor, Kane, was so fun and patient with us. We had a great time and both got up on the board and actually surfed! Highly recommend this for anyone wanting to learn to surf!