There is no better place to learn how to surf than Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the home of modern surfing. Local hero Duke Kahanamoku popularized surfing worldwide in the early twentieth century.

The vast open waters of the Pacific Ocean and the topology of the islands results in the best variety of waves for surfers of all ability levels. And the warm tropical waters mean that a fall from your surfboard isn’t unpleasant.

Because it is such an ideal surfing destination, there are many surfing schools based in Waikiki Beach. We have identified the 7 top-rated surfing lessons and provided reviews below.

Each of these lessons has its own strengths. Some are best for beginners and some are better for children.

Be sure to see our other reviews of Sunset Dinner Cruises, Pearl Harbor Tours and Whale Watching Tours.

Best Surf Lessons on Waikiki Beach

	Surf Lesson | Waikiki Private Group	From Waikiki: 2-Hour Beginner Group Surf Lesson	Oahu: Kids Surfing Lesson in Waikiki Beach
	Best Private Lesson	Best Beginner Lesson	Best Kids Lesson
Location:	Ocean Patio B Retail, 2161 Kālia Rd Space 107, Honolulu	Free transportation from the Waikiki area	Free transportation from the Waikiki area
Starting:	Between 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM	9:00 AM, 12:00 PM	8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM
Duration:	1.5 hours	2 hours	2 hours
Includes:	Catch waves with a professional big-wave surfer, surfboard & leash, & Aloha spirit	Small group instruction, certified instructors, surfboard & leash, rash guard, reef booties, & free transportation	1-to-1 instruction w/ a professional guide, surfboard, rash guard, transportation, Aloha gift, & photos of your kids surfing
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 7 Best Rated Waikiki Beach Surf Lessons For 2026

1. Best Private Lesson: Surf Lesson | Waikiki Private Group
2. Best Beginner Lesson: From Waikiki 2-Hour Beginner Group Surf Lesson
3. Best Kids Lesson: Oahu Kids Surfing Lesson in Waikiki Beach
4. Best Group Lesson: Oahu: Beginner-Friendly Waikiki Beach Surfing Lesson
5. Best Budget Lesson: Surfing – Group Lesson – Waikiki, Oahu
6. Best Young Kids Lesson: Waikiki 1-Hour Surf Lesson for Children
7. Best Couples Lesson: Waikiki Beach 1-Hour Surf Lesson for 2 People

If you would like some ideas of other things to do, please see our list of the Top 15 Things To Do In Oahu and Top 10 Things For Couples.

Waikiki Beach Surfing Lesson Reviews

1. Best Private Lesson: Surf Lesson | Waikiki Private Group

This is the best surfing class in Waikiki for students who want the full benefit of personal one-to-one tuition. This surfing lesson is a wonderful opportunity for beginner and intermediate surfers to improve their surfing technique.

Because you will have the undivided attention of your teacher, this surfing lesson will exactly match your requirements whatever your current skill level. If you need to learn the basics, your professional guide can show you the ropes. If you’re an intermediate surfer, your experienced tutor can help you rise to the next level.

This surfing lesson is held in an ideal location that provides the best waves for beginners and intermediate surfers. If necessary, the lesson will begin on land so you can learn the basics. More advanced students can hit the waves sooner.

As an optional extra, your Waikiki Beach surfing experience. can be videoed. A film of your surfing class makes a wonderful souvenir of your vacation in Honolulu.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

Other Experiences You May Enjoy:

2. Best Beginner Lesson: 2-Hour Beginner Group Surf Lesson From Waikiki

This is the best surfing lesson in Waikiki for complete beginners who want to learn their technique from the best professional surfers in Oahu.

When you begin a new sport, it’s all too easy to fall into bad habits. That is especially true if you have bad instructors. This small-group surfing lesson is taught by some of the best surfers in Hawaii.

Not only are the instructors current professional surfers, they are also CPR and lifeguard certified. You can rest assured that they will teach you the best techniques with the maximum safety.

The lesson occurs in an uncrowded beginners’ surfing spot a mile outside of Waikiki. This enables you to learn the necessary skills without worrying about fighting over space on the waves or fearing for your safety.

The lesson begins with a 20-minutes tutorial on land, teaching you how to stand properly on the surfboard provided and familiarizing you with the basic knowledge you need to begin. After this, you will spend 1 hour 40 minutes enjoying the waves under expert supervision.

Following your first lesson, the experienced instructors will be able to advise you on the right surfboard and other equipment you need to progress in the sport. They will tailor their recommendations to your skill level and size so that you know exactly what to buy or hire should you wish to continue surfing in Waikiki.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

3. Best Kids Lesson: Oahu Kids Surfing Lesson in Waikiki Beach

This is the best surfing lesson for kids in Waikiki Beach. Children up to the age of 11 receive one-to-one instruction from experienced and professional instructors who specialize in teaching kids.

You can relax as your kids receive the best instruction possible. The lesson begins with a 30-minute session on the beach where they will learn about surfing safety, surfing etiquette, and surfing techniques. They can practice safely on land before hitting the waves.

Once in the ocean, your kids will continue to learn under close supervision. Before you know it, they’ll be riding the waves. And the instructors will also take souvenir photographs on your behalf so that you can cherish the memory of this day forever.

When the fun is over, you’ll received an Aloha gift to remind you of the experience. Your children do not need prior experience or surfing equipment. Everything will be provided on the day. Your kids will have a wonderful time, and you get a peaceful rest.

Tour Information & Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

4. Best Group Lesson: Oahu: Beginner-Friendly Waikiki Beach Surfing Lesson

This surfing class with Surfer Girl Academy represents the best value for money surfing lesson in Waikiki Beach. The maximum number of students in any class is 10, and the maximum ratio of instructor to student is 1:4. You will receive a top-rated surfing lesson tailored to your experience and skill level.

This surfing lesson is especially good for adult beginners and people who feel intimidated by the ocean. The instructors are experienced at making you feel relaxed and preparing you for the waves. The teachers are also all lifeguard-certified, so you will be safe in the water.

This surfing class will begin with between 20 and 30 minutes of instruction on the land. You will be taught about surfing safety, surfing etiquette, and basic surfing techniques. After this, you will enter the water under the close supervision and guidance of experienced instructors.

Surfing is an adrenaline-fueled adventure, and you will have a wonderful time out on the waves. After the lesson, you will receive an Aloha gift to remind you of your fun in the surf. You will also take with you memories you will cherish for a lifetime.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

5. Best Budget Lesson: Surfing – Group Lesson – Waikiki, Oahu

This is an excellent Waikiki Beach surfing lesson for more ambitious adult beginners. The main instructor is a professional big-wave surfer. He aims to hone your skills so you can achieve as much as possible on your first surfing adventure.

Students who have surfed before are also welcome to join these small-group surfing lessons to improve their techniques and receive surfing tips tailored to their current level of experience and skill.

The lesson will begin on the dry beach where you will learn the basics of how to stand on your surfboard. You will also learn about safety and surfing etiquette. Once you are feeling confident, you will proceed to surf on the ocean waves.

As an optional extra, the surfing school staff can take photographs of you surfing that you can later share with your friends and post on your Instagram. An action-shot makes an ideal souvenir of your Waikiki surfing experience.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

6. Best Young Kids Lesson: Waikiki One-Hour Surf Lesson for Children

This is the best Waikiki surfing class for more timid but keen kids. Your child surfs in tandem with an experienced, professional big-wave surfer.

This provides your kid with the safest possible surfing experience. It also enables him or her to attempt more exciting waves than they could without such close one-to-one guidance.

This surfing class will begin on land and progress into the ocean. Because this surfing lesson is one-to-one, your kid will receive tuition tailored to their specific experience and skill level. Before hitting the waves, they will have the opportunity to hone their standing skills and learn about surfing safety.

Out on the waves, a surfing school staff member will video their surfing lesson. A few days after this surfing adventure, you will receive an edited video of your kid enjoying themselves surfing in Waikiki.

Tour Information & Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

7. Best Couples Lesson: Waikiki Beach 1-Hour Surf Lesson for 2 People

This is the best surfing lesson in Waikiki Beach for couples. Learn how to surf with your spouse, your partner, or your best friend. You and your friend will benefit from the undivided attention of an experienced big-wave surfer.

The surfing lesson can be tailored to any skill level. This class will begin with an introductory session on the beach where you will learn how to stand on the surfboard. You will also learn about surfing safety and surfing etiquette. Once you are both confident with your surfboards, you will hit the waves.

The sandy shoreline and slow-breaking waves in Waikiki Beach are perfect for learning how to surf. As the lesson progresses, your professional instructor will point out your areas of weakness and teach you how to improve your surfing technique.

You and your friend will enjoy the best possible surfing experience in Waikiki. Few other surfing destinations can compete with this prime surfing spot.

Tour Information & Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

A Guide to Waikiki Beach Surfing Lessons

Your instructor pushes you into a wave from behind, you pop up on the third try instead of the first, and for about four seconds you are actually surfing, right off the same stretch of sand where Duke Kahanamoku learned decades before anyone called this sport a tourist activity.

Waikiki earns the nickname the home of surfing honestly. The waves here are slow, forgiving, and roll in over a long shallow reef, which is exactly why this beach became the place beginners have learned to surf for over a century.

Why Learn to Surf in Waikiki

Most surf breaks around the world are not built for a first-timer. Waikiki is the exception, gentle rollers that give you real time to find your balance instead of getting worked by a wave that breaks fast and hard.

This is the actual reason nearly every surf school in Honolulu operates right here instead of somewhere with more dramatic swell.

The instructors matter as much as the waves. Several schools here are run by families who have been teaching on this exact beach for decades, not seasonal hires who learned to surf themselves the summer before.

That experience shows up in how quickly most beginners actually stand up.

This is worth doing on your first or second day in Honolulu if surfing is on your list at all. It gives you something to build on for the rest of your trip, whether that means renting a board on your own later in the week or just understanding what you are watching when better surfers paddle out past you.

Sore shoulders and a few bruises on your shins from the board are normal the next day, not a sign anything went wrong. Plan a lower-key beach day after your lesson rather than another physical activity if you can help it.

When to Go

Waikiki’s waves stay gentle enough for beginners year round, so season matters less here than almost anywhere else in this guide. What actually changes throughout the day is the crowd on the water and the wind.

Morning lessons, generally before 10 a.m., get you calmer conditions and a less crowded lineup. By early afternoon, more surfers, paddleboarders, and outrigger canoes share the same stretch of water, which makes it harder for a beginner to find open space to actually practice.

Book a few days ahead if your trip lands during peak tourist season, roughly June through August and the winter holidays. Popular time slots at well-reviewed schools do sell out, and showing up hoping to book same-day works less reliably than it used to.

What You Will Actually Do

The Land Lesson

Several schools require a short land lesson before you ever touch the water, especially for first-timers. Expect your instructor to walk you through paddling technique, the pop-up motion, and basic safety on the sand first, then head into the water once you have the movements down dry.

This is not wasted time. The muscle memory from a few minutes of land practice is the difference between flailing on your first real wave and actually getting your feet under you.

Ask ahead if you already have surfing experience and would rather skip straight to the water. Most schools will adjust the lesson for someone who already knows the basics rather than forcing everyone through the same beginner routine.

Group Lessons

Group lessons are the budget option, typically running $75 to $125 for a session lasting one to two hours, with several students sharing one instructor. You get less individual attention and fewer pushes into waves than a smaller format, but it is a reasonable way to try surfing without committing to the private lesson price.

This suits a fit adult who does not mind sharing instructor attention and just wants to see if surfing clicks. It is a tougher format for young kids or anyone genuinely nervous about the water.

A group of four students sharing one instructor means you might get pushed into three or four waves in an hour, compared to considerably more in a private session. Go in with that expectation and the format makes a lot more sense.

Semi-Private Lessons

A step up from group, semi-private lessons put two or three students with one instructor, which means real wave time without the full cost of a private session. This is the format most couples and parent-and-kid pairs end up choosing, since you get meaningfully more attention than a group class without doubling your budget.

Private Lessons

One-on-one instruction runs $125 to $250 depending on the school and lesson length, the highest price tier but also the fastest way to actually learn. If you are nervous, traveling with a young child, or simply want to spend your limited beach time making real progress instead of waiting your turn, this is worth the extra money.

Several schools also offer a photo or video add-on, generally $75 or bundled into higher-tier packages, worth considering if you want proof you actually stood up and are not just taking your own word for it.

Where to Book

• Faith Surf School. Family-run since 2000 by pro surfer Tony Moniz, with his wife and kids, some of whom compete, still teaching on the same stretch of beach near the Duke Kahanamoku statue.
• Hans Hedemann Surf School. Requires a land lesson at San Souci beach before every first-timer heads into the water, with an HD photo and video package available afterward.
• Kahu Surfing School. Over 30 years of teaching on Waikiki Beach, offering group, semi-private, and private formats with a GoPro video option.
• Waikiki Beach Services and similar beachfront operators. Located directly on the sand, no meeting point to find and no transport needed, you walk down from your hotel and check in at the stand.

Book directly through a school’s own website when the option exists. Prices through third-party platforms like Viator or GetYourGuide sometimes run higher for the identical lesson than booking straight through the operator.

What It Costs

Group lessons run $75 to $125 per person for one to two hours, the budget entry point and the most crowded format. Semi-private lessons land somewhere in the middle, more than group but well under private, and are worth it for the extra wave time if you are not traveling alone.

Private lessons run $125 to $250 depending on the school and session length, the format most worth the extra cost for nervous beginners, young kids, or anyone who wants real progress rather than a single wobbly stand-up.

Photo and video packages typically add $75 or come bundled into higher-tier lessons. Board and gear rental outside of a lesson runs separately, commonly around $30 an hour if you want to keep practicing on your own afterward.

Be wary of the cheapest lessons you can find. A rock-bottom price sometimes means a locally skilled surfer with little actual teaching experience, and the difference between a good instructor and a good surfer matters a lot when you are the one trying to stand up for the first time.

Tipping your instructor is appreciated and not built into the lesson price. Fifteen to twenty percent is a reasonable norm if they got you standing up and actually made the lesson fun, which most of the well-reviewed instructors here genuinely do.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be in good shape to take a surf lesson?

Basic swimming ability and reasonable fitness help, but you do not need to be an athlete. Waikiki’s gentle waves and shallow reef make this one of the more forgiving places anywhere to try surfing for the first time.

Should I book a group, semi-private, or private lesson?

Book group if budget matters most and you are comfortable sharing instructor attention. Book private if you are nervous, traveling with young kids, or want to make real progress in a single session rather than just trying it once.

What time of day is best for a lesson?

Morning, generally before 10 a.m., for calmer water and a less crowded lineup. The water gets busier with other surfers and paddleboarders as the day goes on.

Do all schools require a land lesson first?

Not all, but several require it for first-timers specifically, walking you through the paddle and pop-up motion on the sand before you get in the water. Ask your chosen school directly if this matters to your schedule.

Is it worth paying extra for photos or video?

If you want proof you actually stood up, yes. It is not essential to the lesson itself, more of a nice-to-have add-on if budget allows.

How far ahead should I book?

A few days ahead is usually enough outside peak season. During June through August or the winter holidays, book earlier, since popular time slots at well-reviewed schools do sell out.