The 15 Best Surf Lessons on Oahu

1.Open Group Surfing Lesson in Waikiki, Hawaii

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 582 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $112Our pick

Meet the Hans Hedemann Surf team at 150 Kapahulu Ave for a two-hour Waikiki lesson. You’ll learn safety, etiquette, paddling, turning, and standing up, then practice in the ocean with a small instructor group. Boards, rash shirts, reef shoes, and lockers are included.

“I highly recommend this Surfing school! I had very low expectations of my abilities to surf, however Nico and Lewis are great coaches, whose guidance and advices helped me to stand up on board and surf.”

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2.Beginner-Friendly Waikiki Beach Surfing Lesson

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 425 reviews · 2 hours · from $125

Meet Surfer Girl Academy for a two-hour Waikiki lesson with English or Japanese instruction, one guide for up to four students, and a 20 to 30-minute beach briefing. Guides such as Yuko, Mito, Noah, John, and Shuji have earned praise for patient coaching and helping first-timers stand up.

“Excellent teachers and the pictures came out awesome! Highly recommended.”

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3.Surfing Lessons On Waikiki Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 317 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $129

Meet near Waikiki Beach Walk for a 90-minute beginner lesson with a surfboard, leash, locker, and professional instruction. You will spend about 20 minutes learning beach safety and board skills before practicing in Waikiki’s shallow, sandy water. Instructors such as Josh, Derek, and Tanner have earned strong praise.

“Ten out of ten !! The guys were very informative and very helpful.. definitely recommend!! Easier than i thought”

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4.Waikiki Private Group Surf Lesson

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 298 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $123Top rated

Meet Stoke Drift at Ocean Patio B for a 90-minute Waikiki surf lesson. You’ll spend 15 to 30 minutes learning safety and technique, then about an hour catching waves with an instructor such as Justice, Keith, Joey, or Cole. Swimming ability is required.

“It was an incredible experience being on the water. My husband and I have injury’s from old age and Cole was awesome and accommodated us. He was so cool and understanding! Will definitely be back! 😊”

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5.Surf Lessons on the North Shore of Oahu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 267 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $95Best value

Meet Sunset Suzy’s Surf School in Hauula for a 90-minute beginner lesson with instructors such as Suzy, Andy, John, or Matthew. You’ll spend 15 minutes learning beach basics, then practice on gentle North Shore waves with a board, rash guard, leash, and local guidance included.

“Suzy was the best! She was very helpful, patient and enthusiastic. I would love to take another lesson with her! The whole group was beginners and they picked a spot that was fun and not too hard. Would 10/10 recommend.”

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6.Family, Private & Group Surfing Lessons, Waikiki Courtesy Shuttle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 216 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $107

Meet at Ohana Surf Project near the Waikiki Beach Marriott, gear up, and ride to the beach for a roughly two-hour lesson. Your instructor adjusts the coaching to your level, helps you catch waves, and keeps safety in view. Luke, Jayden, Jake, Tyler, Cole, and Marcus are among the instructors praised for patient teaching.

“Super chill, great experience. Shoutout to Marcus for being super chill and helping me catch some waves!”

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7.Waikiki 2-Hour Beginner Group Surf Lesson

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 191 reviews · 2 hours · from $103

Spend two hours learning to surf about one mile outside Waikiki, where current professional surfers such as Turner, Kai, and Noah teach small groups of up to six. After a 20-minute beach lesson, you will practice surf stance, wave safety, etiquette, and board control in the water.

“Amazing experience!! Must do in Hawaii. The thrill you get from surfing is addicting.”

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8.Private Surfing Lessons in Waikiki

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 176 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $96

Meet at Moku Hawaii on Koa Avenue for a 90-minute private Waikiki lesson. You’ll cover safety, balance, paddling, and board position on land, then walk to the beach with your instructor. Max is often praised for calm, clear coaching, while Wil also teaches select lessons.

“Max was an amazing surf instructor! He's super friendly, warm and full of positive energy - exactly what you need when you're taking your first surf lesson and feeling a bit nervous. I was a little scared at first, but with his help i learned quickly and has so much fun!!”

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9.Surf Lesson Without the Crowds Including GoPRO Videos

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 167 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $125

Meet instructors such as Michael, Mike, Rio, or John at Ala Moana Beach Park for a 90-minute beginner surf lesson. You’ll cover safety and etiquette, practice on the beach, catch waves in the water, and receive edited GoPro photos and video by email.

“Our surf instructor was really nice and super helpful with his tips. We were scared to go but ended up feeling really safe and having a lot of fun!”

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10.North Shore Beginner Surf Lesson, Hawaii

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 114 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $104

Meet Surf N Sea in Haleiwa for a two-hour North Shore surf lesson capped at four people. Your instructor covers ocean etiquette, safe falling, standing technique, wave timing, and board choice before taking you to Waialua Bay or another beginner-friendly spot. You must swim and provide your own transport.

“Mark was a really good instructor. Felt safe, had lots of fun, and even sighted a whale! Would definitely recommend it for beginner surfers as I’d only been surfing once and caught a few waves!”

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11.Private Surfing Lessons on the North Shore of Oahu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 87 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $150

Meet your private Catch'a Wave instructor at Puaʻena Point Beach Park for a two-hour lesson shaped around your skill and goals. Conor has helped first-timers manage busy waves with calm, patient coaching. Gear, rash guards, and personal instruction are included.

“Incredible tlexperience learning how to surf on the NORTH SHORE! Connor was great at showing us, first timers, what to do. He personally navigated us around the busy waves, and got us onto a few fun waves. Connor was very patient and a good instructor for the two of us. He started us out on land, and then we transitioned to the water. We will definitely.be back!”

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12.Private Surf Lessons in Honolulu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $199

Spend about two hours at Waikiki Beach with a private surf instructor from Hans Hedemann Surf School. You get a board, waterproof gear, safety guidance, and coaching matched to your level. Instructors named in guest feedback include Niko, Chris, Charlie, Charles, and Kalani.

“Nike was an excellent teacher! My son had a great time and caught some amazing waves.! Hawaii was a great place to learn to surf. Highly recommend!”

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13.North Shore Surfing Lessons Oahu Hawaii

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 68 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $120

Spend about 90 minutes learning to surf on Oahu’s North Shore with DFC Surf Academy. You’ll get a board, rash guard, and leash, then practice paddling, standing, and wave timing before heading into the water with an instructor such as Matthew, Jacob, or Chris.

“Matthew was an AMAZING instructor with great energy! He taught in a way that was easy to understand and made our first surfing experience phenomenal! He gave great pointers while we were catching waves, and we got to go for some big ones (at least they were big to us!) Cannot recommend this guy enough! This was an experience of a lifetime!”

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14.Kids Surfing Lesson in Waikiki Beach (up to 12)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · 2 hours · from $204

Bring a child ages 4 to 12 to Surfer Girl Academy for a private two-hour Waikiki lesson. A patient instructor teaches beach safety and board skills, then offers one-to-one ocean coaching and tandem rides for nervous beginners. Surfboards, rash guards, reef shoes, and an original sticker are included.

“Yuko was fantastic with my 9 year old! He had a fabulous experience and declared he wants to move to Hawaii and be a surfer!”

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15.Waikiki Beginner Private Surf Lesson- Female Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 40 reviews · 1 hour · from $135

Meet Ali at Duke Kahanamoku’s statue for a private Waikiki surf lesson built around your pace. You’ll learn to read waves, paddle, pop up, and surf safely after 20 to 30 minutes of shore instruction. The one-hour session includes a board and leash, with optional drone footage available.

“Great instructor. Thorough and thoughtful about ability, skills, and limitations. Super positive and upbeat. Recommended for anyone”

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