Opens the official listing with live dates and prices. Book there; nothing is charged on this site.
Area
Oahu
Theme
Watersports and Surf Lessons
A group surfing lesson at Waikiki. The south shore's rolling breaks are the island's usual place to learn.
Overview
Two hours, one beach, and a format that moves quickly from classroom to ocean. The lesson is run by Hans Hedemann Surf Inc from a shop in the Queen Kapiolani Hotel lobby at 150 Kapahulu Avenue. Check in runs 20 to 30 minutes before the start, lockers take anything that should stay dry, and a quick slideshow opens the session.
Then it is down to the sand. Instructors demonstrate paddling, standing up and riding a wave, breaking each stage into steps before the group enters the ocean to try it for real. Reviewers keep describing the same result: complete beginners standing and riding waves in a first ever session.
Who it suits is broad. Families, solo travellers hoping to join a friendly crowd and complete beginners with no expectations of getting up all show up in the feedback. The entry requirements are narrow instead: participants must be able to swim without a lifejacket, the activity is not recommended during pregnancy, and no surfing experience is expected. Boards, rash guards and reef shoes are supplied, taxes and fees are already counted, and sessions cap at 40 travellers.
What's Included
Included
Professional instruction from a certified teacher
2-hour Group Lesson
All Equipment including surfboard, rash guard, and reef shoes
Safe storage lockers to store your belongings
All taxes and fees
Not Included
Hotel pick-up and drop off
Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Gratuities (For booking 8 and above is a must)
Itinerary
Check in at the shopArrive 20 to 30 minutes before the start at the surf shop in the Queen Kapiolani Hotel lobby, 150 Kapahulu Avenue, Honolulu. Storage lockers are available for belongings.
SlideshowThe session opens with a quick slideshow before the group heads to the beach.
Walk to the beachThe group leaves the shop and heads to the nearby beach with the instructors.
Practice on the sandTechniques for paddling, standing up and riding a wave are developed on dry land before anyone goes in the water.
Paddle out and surfThe session moves into the ocean to catch waves and ride them, putting the earlier theory into practice.
Return to the shopThe activity ends back at the meeting point on Kapahulu Avenue.
What To Expect From The Tour
The points below cover gear, pace, group size and the extras that cost more. They draw on the listing and on comments that recur across traveller feedback.
Swimming ability. This is the one firm requirement. Participants need to be able to swim without a lifejacket, and the listing does not recommend the lesson for non swimmers. Surfing experience, by contrast, is not expected at all.
Gear supplied. Surfboard, rash guard and reef shoes all come with the booking, and the shop provides storage lockers for anything that should stay dry. Nothing needs to be rented on the side. Taxes and fees are already inside the price of the lesson.
Land before water. The session does not begin in the ocean. A slideshow indoors comes first, followed by technique work on the beach, and only then does the group paddle out. Anyone picturing the full booking spent in the waves should expect the opening stretch on land.
Group size. A session can hold up to 40 travellers, though the listing promises a small instructor to learner ratio. Reviewers often mention coaching matched to the individual, with patient encouragement and tips for each person.
Photos and tipping. Souvenir photos are sold separately rather than included. Gratuities are also outside the booking, and the operator makes tipping mandatory for groups of eight and above. Budgeting for both is wise before arrival.
Getting there. No hotel pickup or drop off is offered. The shop sits inside the Queen Kapiolani Hotel lobby at 150 Kapahulu Avenue, close to public transportation, and check in opens 20 to 30 minutes before the lesson starts.
Common issues. No hotel transport is provided, so the trip to Kapahulu Avenue falls to each traveller. Souvenir photos and gratuities cost extra, and the operator makes tipping a must for bookings of eight and above. Cancelling less than 24 hours before the start brings no refund, and changes inside that window are not accepted. A minimum number of travellers is also required, and if it is not met the session is cancelled with a choice of a different date or a full refund.
Questions People Ask
What is included in the booking?
The booking covers professional instruction from a certified teacher, the two hour group lesson, all equipment including surfboard, rash guard and reef shoes, storage lockers, and all taxes and fees. Hotel transfers, souvenir photos and gratuities are extra, with tipping required for bookings of eight or more.
Where does the lesson meet, and is hotel pickup available?
Hotel pickup and drop off are not included. The meeting point is the surf shop in the Queen Kapiolani Hotel lobby at 150 Kapahulu Avenue in Honolulu, with check in 20 to 30 minutes before the start. The lesson ends back at the same spot, and the shop is near public transportation.
Is prior surfing experience needed?
None at all. The lesson is built around first timers and moves from slideshow to beach practice to ocean. The firm requirement is the ability to swim without a lifejacket, and the listing does not recommend the activity for non swimmers or pregnant travellers.
Is the lesson suitable for teenagers or travellers with limited mobility?
The listing marks the experience as wheelchair accessible and pushchair accessible, allows service animals, and states that surfaces are accessible and most travellers can participate. Families with children book this lesson together, according to the feedback. Since the water portion requires swimming without a lifejacket, anyone with specific needs may want to confirm details with the operator before booking.
What is the cancellation policy?
A full refund requires cancelling at least 24 hours before the start time, based on the local time of the experience. Inside that window no refund is given and changes are not accepted. The tour also needs a minimum number of travellers, and when that minimum is not met the operator offers a different date or a full refund.
What should be worn or brought?
All the surf gear is provided, including the board, rash guard and reef shoes, and lockers are on site at the shop. The listing does not give a packing list, so anything beyond the provided equipment is up to each traveller. Souvenir photos are sold separately for anyone who wants a record of the day.
Book Open Group Surf Lesson
Live dates, times and prices are on the booking page.
Oahu · Paddle across flat reef water from Kailua to the twin Mokulua islets, a run that pairs exercise with a landing most visitors never reach.
Paddle across calm, shallow reef from Kailua Beach toward the twin Mokulua Islands, sea turtles resting spots along the way. Guides handle the route and the gear, so beginners can focus on the water and the birds on the islets.
from $115The starting price covers gear and a guide but not transport from Waikiki.Check availability →
Oahu · A beginner surf lesson on Waikiki's gentle rolling waves, where the sand bottom and long breaks forgive every wobble. Instructors start you on the sand before you ever push off into the water.
Waikiki is where Hawaiian surfing taught the world the sport, and its slow, forgiving waves suit first-timers well. The lesson covers stance and pop-up on the beach first, then an instructor stays alongside you in the water until you stand.
from $126Lesson pricing varies by group size, as private instruction costs more than a shared session.Check availability →
Oahu · Yoga on a paddleboard in calm, flat water, where the board becomes your mat and every pose asks a little more balance. Sessions suit beginners as much as experienced yogis.
Anchored in sheltered, glassy water, the board turns ordinary poses into a balance exercise, and falling in is half the fun. The instructor adapts the flow to the group, so first-timers and regular practitioners share the same session comfortably.
from $57Starting price varies because group classes tend to run cheaper than private bookings.Check availability →
