Private Surf Lessons From Kaanapali Beach

Very friendly, helpful, patient and understanding!

Our instructor, Devon, and the rest of the staff was amazing!! He was incredibly kind and patient! We felt safe and had a great experience. We got awesome pictures taken by a photographer to have as a momento of our “ride”. We would highly recommend Sea Maui Surf!!!

Steven Smith was our instructor and he was awesome! He was able to work a varied level of comfort and experience with ease. He made everyone feel very safe on the water. He was full of positive reinforcement. We all had a blast!!

Had a blast surfing with my son and daughter. Our instructor “k” “the chief” was outstanding! So personable and patient. He was working hard and smiling ear to ear the whole time! It was very windy with 8 foot waves at times and paddling was tough! “K” was zooming around helping to drag us into the right position. We all got up and had a blast! Highly recommend it! Thank you “k”

Kainoa was absolutely amazing with my 13 year old daughter who had never surfed before. From the start, you could tell he’s a passionate surfer who prioritizes safety while making kids feel confident and comfortable in the water. She rode wave after wave and had such an incredible time that we booked another private lesson with him the very next day. Highly recommend! He’s in college, but if you’re lucky enough to catch him while he’s around, definitely request a lesson with him because he is the best.

I got a private lesson from Keali'i (Ke) last week. The day before, I got a group lesson. The private lesson cost about twice as much, but I feel like I got at least twice the time trying to surf. Ke was a wonderful instructor. On the shore, he reviewed what I had learned the day before and then showed me the basics of how to turn. Then we walked back down to the reef. The waves were bigger today, but the wind was less. I was able to get up the first (or maybe second try). After that, I started working on learning to turn. Ke gave me some good tips about how to do it without falling off, and I did eventually manage a few turns. Ke was really friendly and also spent a lot of time towing me back out to the lineup. I was mostly limited by my tiredness. Surfing (especially the paddling) takes a lot out of you. In the end, I was very happy with the progress I made in learning to surf in this lesson and the one the day before. I definitely recommend Sea Maui Surf if you want to quickly learn to surf. As I mentioned in my other review, I had tried to learn a couple of times previously (once at this same beach and once in Australia). In both cases, I had to admit defeat. But not this time. In comparing the private lesson to the group one, I think a group lesson might be good for an absolute beginner. I was glad I took the private lesson on the second day, and I think it was worth the extra money. It's sort of like buying a fast pass at an amusement park. You get a lot more waves / rides for the limited amount of time that you have available. The folks at Sea Maui Surf are super friendly and very flexible. If I go back to Maui, I will be going back to them without a doubt.

Incredible first day surfing with Devon. He’s a true professional, he made me feel comfortable and confident during my first ever surf lesson and made me look cool in front of my son.

Surfing lessons were fantastic! TJ and team were phenomenal teachers and took the time to make sure we were comfortable and safe navigating the water. Super personable and professional team, definitely a must do!

Great customer service and amazing view definitely recommend the surfing is really fun and the water is very cool blue with nice tan beaches

What an amazing time! Devin and JT have great lessons and it was a great time. An absolute must do in Maui! Fun for both kids and adults.

Absolutely fantastic experience, my 8 and 9 year olds loved it. Great instructors that teach to the ability of the attendee, and challenge them!

Had private lessons for my two kids 10 and under and JT and Sky were amazing!! Kids had the best time and came away so happy.

What an amazing experience! We did the private lessons as my son, 9, was not old enough for the group lessons age requirement. I am so glad we did as the 1:1 time was top notch! The instructors were right there with my son and my husband at all times guiding them. They got so many more waves than the group lessons out there at the same time! Very much so recommend! The guys were amazing!!

Absolutely fantastic private surf lesson! JT was excellent and super personable! He provided excellent detail prior to going in the ocean, and had me up riding a wave in no time. I feel confident to go out on my own going forward.

We had a family group and private lessons with the kids with Jason JT and Cris. We had a great time! They were very professional and patient helping us get the best waves ! It was a lot of fun! We recommend the experience !

What an amazing time. .He was so patient and fun. Definitely would do this again. Just a great time riding the waves.

I wish I could give every single person we encountered at Sea Maui a 1,000 out of 5 star rating. Truly incredible and knowledgeable people all the way around. We had a 6, 10, and 12 year old all do a private lesson and we felt so safe with their instructors (the Steves and JT). It was my kids’ favorite thing we did out of the entire trip. Thank you!!

My husband and 11 year-old daughter did a private lesson with Devon during our stay on Maui. Devon was a great instructor and my daughter feel comfortable in the water and on her board with this being her first attempt at surfing. Highly recommend doing lessons with him at Sea Maui Surf!

I couldn't have asked for a better experience from start to finish. Every staff member was super friendly and helpful in booking, talking about conditions, safety for kids, etc. And the surf instructors Devon and JT were amazing. They created such a memorable experience for my kids (ages 7 and 9). The waves were the biggest the kids had ever been in and Devon and JT took amazing care of them, got them lots of great waves, and both kids had an incredible experience. It all blew away my expectations.

Devon was a great surf teacher for our 11 year old. They had a great time, and he was able to handle his own board and surf most of the lesson! Devon was great at making him feel comfortable and safe, yet pushed him gently to get out there and have fun. Highly recommend!!!

We booked a noon surf lesson for our family of three first time surfers (mom, dad and 10 year old son) the last week of February 2024. When we arrived, JT explained that high winds and surf made for less than ideal conditions for beginners, and offered to reschedule us for another day. Since it was our last day on Maui we decided to give it a go, and do the best we could for as long as we could. JT was on board and recruited Devon to come along with us. Best day ever! JT and Devon were professional, fun and encouraging. They found a mellower spot for us down the beach, shepherded us in the water, set us up to catch waves, and cheered us on. They took such good care of us, especially our son, and instilled confidence and enthusiasm. We enjoyed a full lesson and can’t wait to get back out on the water. Jamie’s photos were terrific, she even captured a whale breaching in the background as we waited on the water for our next wave. We will 100% rebook with Sea Maui Surf and ask for JT and Devon—they’re heros for making our last day in Maui a huge success!!! Thank you!

wow I am so glad we booked our surf lesson with this group. We had a great time and my daughter was up on her second wave! I cant say enough how great Devan was as our instructor. He was cool, mellow, patient, and supportive. My daughter spent the next 3 days looking at beginner boards, wetsuits and good beginner places to surf in our area. We booked the semi private lesson for 2. At first I though 1.5 hours wasnt long, but its a perfect amount of time. You can always go and rent a board if you want to continue on your own. But for a first lesson, this is perfect. I think most of the schools here will be good, but our experience with SMS was exceptional and I highly recommend.

We had two instructors for our family of four. (It counted as two semi-private lessons.) Our youngest is 9, so she had her own instructor and the other three of us shared the other instructor. Steve and Devon were both AMAZING! I cannot say enough great things about them for our first time surf experience. They were patient, thorough, and really cared about our surfing success AND our comfort level. Since our daughter is 9, she was required to have her own instructor. (Since she was under 10.) At first she was hesitant to not surf with me, but I had no idea what I was doing! She and Devon became fast friends and she loved that he sometimes surfs with his dog on his time off! She said it was the best day ever!! She enjoyed her lessons so much, she would look for Devon every time we were on the beach. :) Steve was excellent with my 13 year old, my husband, and myself. We aren't generally thrill seekers, but we all wanted to try surfing in Maui. Steve made sure he took care to work with each of us on our level. My son just popped right up without issue! Sea Maui Surf was the perfect choice for our family. We had the BEST time, felt totally safe, and the location was incredibly convenient. It's right on Ka'anapali Beach and we just walked right over from the Westin Resort. Thank you to Devon and Steve for such a great surfing experience for our family! Mahalo!

Definitely worth it! Be aware that sometimes they have to cancel your session due to weather or wind concerns but they will make sure to either refund you for parking/your session or they will reschedule it! So I recommend trying to plan this earlier during your trip incase this happens and you have to reschedule! Our instructor, Steve was also AMAZING! He is a really great teacher especially if you are trying it for the first time! Everyone else on staff was great as well!

JT was great. Great instructor and so calm and easy going. My friend and I were first timers and got up on the board on both our first tries. we had so much fun, we came back and signed up for another class 2 days later with JT. highly recommend! Tutu

I’ve been wanting to suerte for years but always found a reason to bail. This time around with my 19 year old son besides me, we signed up and I’m so glad we did. Devin was our instructor and he was so calm, friendly and knowledgeable. He did a great job covering the basics and getting us on a proper wave. Highly, highly recommend to others. We opted to pay a little more for a semi-private which allowed us to get more time in the waves since there were only two of us versus four.

We were so excited to hear Sea Maui expanded to surf. We’ve lived their catamaran cruises and I can definitely add their surf program to our favorites too now!!! Sky was our instructor and he was awesome. They were prompt, had great equipment and balanced the right amount of fun & teaching. Would definitely book them again on our next trip!

My boys had the best time learning to surf with Sea Maui. Their instructor Devin was fantastic ! I’d highly recommend him. He’s a great teacher and was so excited for the kids once they got it! Can’t wait to go again!

Brock was wonderful! Patient and funny with our 11yo. She got up several times and we also got some great photos! Would do again

We had a great time surfing with JT. Great instructor and he made the lesson a lot of fun. We will definitely book this again when we come back.

Great instructors. Good experience. Ideal location. Small reef break off Ka'anapli. Ideal for beginners.

Amazing experience! Surfing with Devon was a highlight of our trip! Devon was fun, patient and so encouraging to my teen daughters. The waves were rough but he was still able to coach them through and catch some waves. Michelle did a super job with the photos. Mahalo!

My favorite part was watching my daughter catch a wave and stand up for the first time. We chose to take the noon lesson (versus the early morning one), so the waves and breaks were pretty rough. It was windy too. Our instructor (Devin) was honest and open about what to expect beforehand, and he was patient and knowledgeable regarding all of my questions. Despite the challenges, my 12 year old daughter still rocked it. Especially if you're a beginner, my recommendation is to take the early morning lesson if possible. There's a reason why most surfers go out early. Sea Maui Surf has knowledgeable instructors who put safety first. I highly recommend them.

We had a great time surfing with Sea Maui Surf. We went from never surfing before to being able to surf very quickly… thanks to our instructor. His feedback was helpful and each time we caught a wave we improved. It was definitely worth doing while we were in Maui!

Great operation and great people! The initial email outlined exactly what to bring and what time to show up. We got there and Zee was our instructor and he did a great job explaining how to get up on the board and making sure we were safe. My wife decided to join at the last minute and she is terrified of the water but Zee and the entire crew put her mind at ease and she had a great time and did fantastic! She’s ready to do it again because of the experience they provided! Can’t say enough about the entire staff and the photos they took were amazing! We’ll definitely be visiting them again when we’re back in Maui!

Great experience. I booked two different days for my two teen age kids. I was impressed for multiple reasons. 1.The team is honest and not after taking your money but really helping you to learn to surf. They called me the night before the first lesson to let you know that likely there will be no waves the next day. We showed up anyway. They made it our choice to cancel or keep the lesson. The water was like glass. We rented paddleboards instead. I watched the other surf schools in the area out the same day and they were just sitting on their boards. 2. Next time, Devan took my two teens on a lesson. They loved it! My daughter was a bit fearful at first but Devan made her feel at ease. Both stood up right away and had several great rides. They both said it was one of the best parts of our vacation. Thanks Devan!

My kids had a great time! They both got to ride waves! the instructor was very nice and helpful! Everyone was very educated on the subject and helped teach them how to surf!

Amazing experience! Our instructor, Steve, was very personable and gave amazing pointers in the lesson. HIGHLY recommend!