Private Surfing Lesson: Two Hours Of Beginner Instruction

Lots of fun for my fist try at surfing. Turner, my instructor, was excellent at explaining and demonstrating techniques. The location seems ideal to this non-expert. Enough swells to learn and have fun and yet not too intense. If you get a private lesson, be prepared for plenty of sleep at night!

My daughter had a great time her first time surfing! Noah was a great instructor, super helpful and effective, now she wants her own surfboard! Definitely recommend for anyone interested in surfing

What a fun and awesome staff! After a busy week of snorkeling, body boarding and such, we were feeling our 50s by the time we made our way to the Kaimana for surf lessons with Kai Sallas' Pro Surf School. We met Turner when renting a paddleboard, and immediately warmed up to him as he described the water and waves around the Kaimana. We were still a bit nervous about our ability to surf, but turned up for our lessons and couldn't help but be buoyed by Turner's enthusiasm and encouragement. He's a treasure to the school and hotel, and I just wish we had been there a few more days to take another lesson!

My 5.5 year old daughter and I took a private surf lessons with Kai and Lowen today and had an amazing time. She stood up and caught on immediately. It took momma a little longer but they were super patient and I finally got the hang of it. The beach was very private and the waves were perfect. The kiddo now wants to be a professional surfer!

My husband and I wanted to try surfing while visiting Oahu and we were so glad we did. It was so much fun, our instructor Jake was fantastic, and we haven't stopped talking about it since. The location was great, as you can stand in the water if you are tired from paddling and take a break before catching the next wave. We would book again with the school in a heartbeat when we go back to Oahu.

We were too late for a group lesson, so we ended up doing a private lesson for our family of four. Lucky for us, it was with Kai Sallas himself! He was so down to earth that we didn't realize we were with the longboard world champion. And thankfully, he was very patient! You hear so many horror stories about people (who don't know what they're doing) getting hurt or hurting others when trying to surf (actually happened to a friend of our's). And if you're lucky enough not to injure others or get injured yourself, not many people actually are able to catch a wave. That's the hardest part - way more than standing up on the board. Because Kai pushes you with the wave as it comes, all you have to do is stand (the way he tells you to), and you're surfing! Then, you get to come home with brag photos!

My 9 year old wanted to learn how to surf. With a quick in office orientation as to how to surf, we drove out to the beach and within 15 minutes, my son was surfing. Low waves in shallow water, but he was up and doing it. The clincher was that they provided Go Pro pictures right from the edge of the surf board (for an extra charge)! The only thing that would have made it better was if Kai had shown up himself. My son was so happy! They provide the water shoes and rash guard too. The water is shallow which would be good for a nervous person, but it there are also reef rocks making it a potentially dangerours location to surf. For a young person it might be hard to navigate the reef rocks and think about surfing.

Enjoyed the lessons. The instructors were great. The location was very poor as we learned to surf in shallow water with a reef floor. The concern over injury impacted the lesson. On the last run of the lesson my daughter hit the reef and got a very nasty cut which impacted the next couple of days of our vacation.

My daughter and husband have never surfed. I used to because I grew up on the PCH and well, it's just what you do! This surf lesson was recommended via our concierge at The Waikiki Marriott Resort & Spa. My husband booked a private lesson for he and my daughter. We met down in the surf shop later in the afternoon. The lesson took place right there in the shop with Lowen; basic 'how to's' on getting up ; paddling out; leg placement and balance. The boards are blue foam. We were by a kind of rundown van shuttled out to a less busy beach away from Waikiki. Shoes were lended to both and we assumed rash guards would be too. My husband swore that he asked and that was confirmed upon booking. No rash guards were supplied; trust me.. You need these. The instructor was cool and nice enough. Both my daughter and my husband were able to surf within minutes of being out in the ocean. My daughter ended up loving surfing so much, she wants to go do more over the summer. That was a plus! NOT having rash guards was not , as both her and my husband were pretty rashed after an hour of surfing and hitting course sand and reef. The boards could have been a little better in quality, as well, as the lessons aren't cheap! The other issue we had, was being told that having a 'go pro' to video or film the session would render 100% loss of the device. That may be or not be true. We didn't chance it. After the session the instructor offered to air drop us the video and pix of both for $75 a piece if we gave him cash on the spot. I didn't have that much cash on me. He said he would upload them and we could get them from the shop the next morning via credit card. We wanted them! The next day we called and the girl that checked us in for the prior days lesson said we could have called the day before and she wished she had known. There were no uploaded pix. She said she would call us with the pix which we could them get via Dropbox later that day. She never called. It was 4 days after we returned back to the Mainland and several calls before we got these pix. Island time? I don't know. Improvements could be made.. the lesson itself was great .. maybe a better place and the lesson not in the shop. Rash guards are huge and updated equipment to match cost is key too. They could also have some sort of package so the customer knows the photos will be pricey and optional. It seemed tacky to do that after and then take so many calls to get photos that cost NOTHING to video;not that I am saying they should be free, but $150 for two is a lot. We were also entitled to a small discount by booking this surf school via our concierge and we never got it. 3 stars and on the fence whether to return or recommend.

We had a lesson for our 10 & 12-year-old kids and couldn't be happier! The whole team - Manu, Jake & Makani - made them feel right at home and allayed any nerves. Once the kids got in the water, Jake & Makani were super patient, extremely encouraging, and seemed as excited as our kids were at the whole experience. The fact that the surf spot is away from the crowds (and there were a ton of people surfing near our hotel in Waikiki!) made it easy for us to watch and enjoy. We'd definitely recommend this shop, and will be repeat customers the next time we visit!

My lesson with Lowen was great and I found it was easier than I had anticipated to get up and stand and actually surf. I highly recommend.

The instructor was wonderful, very patient and helpful, the waves were perfect for a beginner, and the environment created was lovely. Would recommend, 10/10!

My mother-in-law got my 2 children surf lessons for Christmas. My 15yr old girl had a group lesson and my 8 year old boy had a private. We were greeted warmly by Kai's wife in the lobby. My 8 year old was scared and saying he didn't want to go. Between her, and the 2 instructors (Sy & Jake) he changed his mind. They got a safety lesson and were loaded up in the van to hit the waves. My in-laws and my wife and I watched from the shore. My 15 year old was with Sy and a group. She did great and loved it. Sy helped her catch wave after wave. And she got up on the board more than half the time. My 8 year old boy was nervous, but ready to go. He got on a 12' board with Jake and off they went. Jake paddled him into a lot of waves. He encouraged him to try and get up. He held onto him during the waves. He ensured my boy had a great time and wasn't scared. I asked him what they did out there. He said "We talked a lot. I told him how Dad broke his toe the day before and fell over twice on the canoe in the ocean." He came back to shore excited, encouraged and ready for more. When we left, Sy & Jake were thankful to us. Leo and Jake gave each other knuckles and Jake said "Be good little bro." When we got home he asked if we could go again on this trip. I said we'd go by uncle and aunts house. He said "I want to go with Jake again." My nervous, scared little boy was now ready to charge it. I can't say enough about the whole team and how they treated both my kids. If you are thinking about surf lessons, these guys won't disappoint. Thank you again to the whole team!

This place was recommended by the folks at Kailua Sailboards. We bought the two hour private lesson and couldn't have been more pleased. It was just enough time to learn the basics and work with an instructor who picked waves for us, watched us go, and corrected our form from time to time. He taught us how to be safe, as well. The whole experience, my first one for surfing, was great and has piqued my interest in the sport. I plan to try it again when i get the chance.

I really lucked out with Kai Sallas. I signed up for a group lesson and I turned out to be the only one that did. Instead of making me reschedule or jacking up the price for a private lesson, they kept the price the same and I got a full two hours with my instructor Brian who was great. They start you off in a secluded area where the waves aren't too intense. This was my third time surfing, so I was pretty comfortable with getting up on the board. After a couple times of getting up with no issue, we moved over to where the waves were a little bigger. I really enjoyed that. Overall, I was extremely impressed with Kai Sallas. I would recommend them to anybody who wants to learn to surf or improve. I will use them again next time I am in Oahu!

Our private lesson with Kai was all that we hoped for and more. My husband and I had been surfing a few times. On our Waikiki trip, we wanted to move to the next level. Kai got us out to a break that we would not have attempted on our own. What a huge rush to catch a wave taller than me! Kai worked with us on timing waves and paddling technique. A single two-hour lesson made a huge difference in our skills for the remainder of the trip. As an added bonus it was great to get away from the crowds at Queens / Canoes for an afternoon.