Private Surfing Lessons in Waikiki
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Oahu, USA
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Learn to surf—or perfect your technique—in Waikiki, the home of surfing. This private surf lesson offers a one-on-one experience tailored to your needs, skill level, and goals. Enjoy the full attention of your instructor who provides a customized learning experience not always possible in group lessons. The lesson begins at Biki Station #328, 2424 Uluniu Ave, Honolulu, HI, providing a clear meeting point for your session.
- Master surfing with one-to-one guidance every step of the way
- Flexible scheduling to accommodate busy schedules
- Learn at your own pace and focus on areas that need improvement
- Improve your surfing while enjoying Waikiki's beaches
What's Included
- Use of surfboard.
- Use of wax.
- Use of sunscreen.
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Moku Hawaii2446 Koa Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815, USA
Meet at the Moku Surf Shop and your surf instructor will meet you there and start the surf lesson.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
My husband and I really enjoyed the surf lessons. We had never tried it before, so Max taught us from scratch. He explained everything very well and prepared us for our first waves. The lessons took place in a great atmosphere, Max created a very good vibe, he was absolutely kind, patient and attentive to our mistakes, correcting them immediately. Thanks to him, we will definitely try it again.
Reviews
4.9
based on 219 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Great Day Surfing! Our instructor was awesome! He made sure we caught waves and his instruction was thorough and clear. Great guide, we'd do it again in a heart beat! Thank you so much we had a blast!
If I could give this experience 0 stars, I would. I booked a group surfing lesson for a group of 4. When we arrived, the instructor first went over safety tips inside their surf shop before taking us out to the ocean. The group lessons do not require prior experience by any members of the group, and the company only provides one instruction per group, regardless of experience. When we arrived at the ocean, I had a harder time than others in my group, which caused me to be farther behind in the ocean. The instructor had to paddle back to me, and in doing so, became extremely rude and cross. He said in a harsh and loud tone, "Did you forget everything you learned in the safety class?" When I advised the instructor that I was doing my best, he responded in the same tone that I needed to "try harder," and he "couldn't be responsible for me and the others if I was that far behind the group." This experience caused me to end the lesson after 10 minutes. When I asked the company for a 25% refund due to my experience and not having a lesson, they denied. I provided feedback to other workers at the surf shop that IF they are going to continue to offer group lessons, they need to either a. have more than 1 instructor for novice/beginner groups or b. require that groups of 4 have prior experience.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Michaela, I’ve been doing this for 15 years, and I’m not going to apologize for being direct when someone’s safety requires it.
You were drifting toward a jetty while lying on your board and not paddling with the urgency needed to move away from it. Meanwhile, your other three friends were continuing farther into the ocean. So yes—I paddled back to you, and yes—I told you firmly that you needed to paddle harder and move.
What exactly would you have preferred? That I stay beside you giving slow, gentle, one-on-one instruction while your other three friends paddle out unsupervised?
That makes no sense.
A 4-person group lesson is cheaper specifically because the instructor’s attention is divided between four people. You cannot book a group lesson and then expect private-lesson attention when you discover that you need considerably more assistance than the rest of your group.
The ocean is beautiful, but it is also rough, physical, and constantly moving. Waves don’t stop. Rocks don’t move. Other surfboards are flying around. If you fail to react and end up getting pushed into a jetty or hit by a board, you’re going to be a lot more upset than you were because an instructor told you firmly to “be quick and paddle harder away from the rock and towards the rest of the group.”
We clearly describe our lesson options. It is each customer’s responsibility to assess what level of instruction they need and book accordingly. If you need slower, constant, individualized attention, that is exactly what a private lesson is for.
You were given the option to continue. You chose to stop. Your other three friends continued and had an excellent lesson.
We take legitimate criticism seriously. But I’m not going to pretend that urgently telling someone to paddle away from rocks is poor customer service.
Sometimes safety requires urgency.
Max was the epitome of “surf is life.” From start to finish, he was professional, patient, passionate, and genuinely invested in making the experience special.
Most importantly, he was amazing with my 6-year-old daughter, Paisley. He knew exactly how to make her feel comfortable, encouraged her every step of the way, and turned her first surfing experience into something she’ll never forget.
This ended up being one of the best memories of our daddy-daughter trip, and Max deserves a huge amount of credit for that. We came for a surf lesson and left with an experience we’ll talk about for years.
P.S. — Do yourself a favor and add the drone video with his partner OG. The footage is absolutely incredible and captured moments we otherwise never would have had. Totally worth it!
Thank you, Max and OG, for an unforgettable experience!
Great workout today especially for the kid. It is way more difficult than we thought but still had a lot of fun
We had this surfing lesson booked and unfortunately we’re late to our start. Max was amazing and explained that we should consider rescheduling, in a very professional kind manner. I highly recommend booking with this team. Even though we didn’t go surfing , we got a great friendly experience.
Max did a great job with my 10 year old daughter! She wanted to learn how to surf so bad while in Hawaii and the private lesson with Max was just perfect for her. Would use them again if we return to Hawaii!
Max and the guys were great! We had a great lesson at Waikiki Beach with Max and then had some laughs with the guys back at the shop. Highly recommend the experience, thanks!
Max was great for my first surfing lesson. Not easy teaching an old guy and he was super patient with me.
Max gives clear instructions to ensure a positive experience. He goes out of his way to make you feel confident on the waves. Great experience!
My teenage daughters had such a fun experience during their private surf lesson with Max. Max was patient, informative, laid-back and supportive. It was their first time surfing and they both were able to get up and successfully ride several waves. The surf shop is super convenient to the beach. My husband and I were given beach chairs to be able to comfortably watch from the beach. Mahalo to Max for a memorable day!
Max helped me fulfil a life long dream of mine I've always wanted to surf and ride a wave without falling off and with his instructions I did just that I will say I had to end it early I didn't know how hard it was to surf I was wiped out within 20 to 30 mins but it was all worth it thanks Max
had so much fun. We were both able to stand up and surf in just an hour, and the instructor made me feel safe and confident in the water!
Surfing is hard. Don't wait until you're 66 like i did. Max was a great help even if I wore out early.
What a fun experience! Unforgettable memories made. This Surf experience was scheduled after an amazing Honolulu hike; I highly recommend this Surf lesson, it was definitely the icing on the cake."
I don't ever leave negative reviews, but I did a beginner lesson with Max and it was pretty distressing. I saw he had good reviews, but unfortunately that was not what I experienced. I mentioned it was my first time, and I was very nervous, but I felt completely judged by his constant stream of comments that I wasn’t trying hard enough, I needed to stop taking rests, and that every time I fell it made things inconvenient. I shouldn’t have to keep defending to him the fact that I was indeed trying, and trying the hardest I could. I know this sport is difficult and I was fully aware I was signing up for a challenge. What I hadn’t anticipated was having to audibly tell him before a wave, “No, I’m not ready. I need to breathe,” and getting pushed into the wave anyway. It caused me to nose dive from the loss of energy. I felt a lack of empathy and support from the one on one instructor that could see and hear that I was having a hard time. Honestly, I feared for my safety. Because of this, I chose to end my lesson early.
If I could sum up my feedback for Max’s teaching technique, it would be this: Compassion goes a long way, and kindness goes even further. When your student is getting repeatedly knocked down on the shore by the waves and falling face first into the sand, that would not be the time to scold them for being too slow. Checking in on a person’s well being is equally as important in safety guidelines as anything else. It would also help to acknowledge their efforts and that they are trying their best.
When we parted ways, I was clearly shaken up and he was not concerned. I didn’t find it “encouraging” to be reproached every time I fell. I didn’t feel comfortable out there with him at all. If you are specifically looking for an instructor that is patient, compassionate, and supportive, I personally would not recommend Max. It felt more akin to bootcamp. I left the lesson in tears, humiliated for the way I was spoken to and completely demoralized.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for sharing this, and I’m sorry your first session left you feeling shaken — that’s never how I want anyone to walk away. I remember the day differently, so I’ll offer my account here.
Everything about how waves behave and why quick action matters is covered in the land lesson before we ever get in the water, so it isn’t meant to catch anyone off guard. The hard reality of the ocean is that it doesn’t pause for us — when a wave is about to break, you either catch it, paddle through it, or duck under it, and a surfer riding toward you means moving too. Staying still is what leads to injury. The moment you mentioned being moved into a wave was a safety call: getting you onto it and out of the impact zone is far safer than taking set after set on the head. I also towed you so you could rest, and stayed beside you throughout.
Where I’ll always listen is on delivery — I’m sorry my urgency felt like criticism rather than encouragement, because that was never the intent. If you’re open to it, I’d welcome the chance to talk. I truly wish you the best, in the water or out.
Surf instructor is very good. Sky was so helpful and encouraging. He pushed me ahead in my skills to time my takeoff. .
I got this for my son's that had never been surfing before but were eager to learn. Max was their instructor. He got them up on some good waves, and they had a great time. He went out with them and and was able to instruct them in the water as well. Must do in Hawaii!
Amazing experience! Max was great with our kids and got them both up on boards quickly and safely. They might be a little overconfident thanks to his guidance! 😅 Everyone was so nice and encouraging. Such a fun adventure and one I know the kids will talk about for a long time. Thank you!
Our surfing instructor made the experience memorable and successful. My child has multiple sensory processing and special needs and for this reason does not pair well without quite a bit of effort and attention devoted to this as a task. Maxwell was patient, thorough in his instructions and mindful of my child’s limits. This was the second time on two separate occasions he’s instructed surfing lessons while in town and I’ve recommended both him and his surf and skim school to those inquiring of private surfing instruction. The sense of pride and accomplishment at the end of the lesson makes the price nominal and worth every penny!
Max was very helpful and patient with us as beginners. Would him for anyone wanting to learn! Book soon as slots fill up quickly!!
Max was patient, kind, and so encouraging with my daughter. She is 11 and a little delayed, and he worked with her so naturally and confidently that she felt comfortable and excited right away.
She had an absolute blast and was beyond excited the entire time. One of the best parts was that Max also captured some great videos of her surfing, which made the experience even more special for us to look back on.
Even though the beach was busy, Max made sure she had plenty of opportunities to learn, have fun, and truly enjoy herself. He gave her an experience of a lifetime, and seeing her confidence and happiness out on the water meant everything to us.
If you’re considering surf lessons, we highly recommend asking for Max specifically. He truly went above and beyond.
Max was really patient with us since me and my fiancé were first timers. He gave us very clear and detailed instructions on how to get to the board and catch our very first wave. We had so much fun! We’ll definitely do it again!
Ok, so we didn't realize surfing was so taxing on your upper body but my gosh is it rewarding when you ride that first wave. With that being said, and they warn you, paddling out is the worst part. Falling off the board wasn't bad at all. So just get up and try again. Anyway, the instructor we had was Max. He was very patient and thorough. It's just me and my wife are stubborn lol. We loved it. It was an experience I wouldn't trade for anything.
Conveniently close to the beach, easy instructions for first ever surf lesson. It is a very busy beach which made me a little uncomfortable, but nothing the surf instructor could control. Good first experience!
It was really hard work, but we had so much fun! Max was great and really took it seriously. We knew we were safe with him out in the ocean. We went at 1pm, and it was really crowded, so I'd suggest going earlier in the day.
Kids had a blast! Instructor was very patient and worked well with my kids. They never got frustrated and did quite well! They both want to buy surfboards now and go surfing all the time. I would recon this experience highly - for adults and especially for kids.
This was an amazing experience! He is an excellent teacher and super motivating. My daughter and husband had an unbelievable time and amazing experience. The memories we made were priceless and the surf lessons were 100% worth it. We will book in the future on our next trip back
We had such a great time! It was my first time surfing, and he explained everything so clearly at the beginning. Then we headed straight into the ocean and surfed the whole time.
Even as a beginner, I was able to ride waves thanks to him! He’s super friendly and very attentive to safety.
I’d love to take his lesson again when I’m back in Hawaii!
Instructor was excellent. Very encouraging. Great time. This was my first time surfing and was able to have a successful time
We had great time. Max was awesome and great teacher. Cannot recommend this experience enough. Don’t think twice book.
Member Pricing
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$91.20
per personWas $96.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Private Surfing Lessons in Waikiki
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1 hour 30 minutes
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