Learn to surf just steps from Waikiki Beach with a friendly local surf team that keeps things safe, personal, and fun. Whether you’re catching your first wave or fine-tuning advanced skills, each lesson is tailored to your level — beginner, intermediate, or beyond — with group, semi-private, and private options available. Expect up to two hours in the water, plus transportation, all gear included, and optional video footage to relive your ride. Small group sizes, a strong focus on safety, and a genuine love for surf culture make this a perfect way to join the local surf community
“I stood up on my second try! The instructors were patient, encouraging, and made it fun.”
Verified Review
GUEST REQUIREMENTS
For ages 2+
ACTIVITY LEVEL
Active
WHAT TO BRING
Swimsuit, Towel, Reef-safe sunscreen
CANCELLATION POLICY
Changes or cancellations must be made 48 hours prior.
WHAT GUESTS ARE SAYING
5.0★ from 640+ reviews on TripAdvisor
Guests love how these Waikiki surf lessons feel easy, safe, and genuinely welcoming — whether it’s your first wave or your fiftieth. Many mention the calm confidence of the instructors, who break down every step and cheer you on from paddling out to your first pop-up. Families say they felt looked after from pick-up to drop-off, and the vibe of being treated like part of the Ohana keeps people coming back for more sessions and warm high-fives on shore.
“Such an amazing experience, they really treat you like family. Best surf lesson ever.”
Verified Review
All surfers share a common sensation that simply can’t be explained in words. After your very first wave, you’ll share it too. Our mission is to help you experience that sensation and to reach the next level of performance. Our goal is to enhance your total surfing experience through smart instruction in a personal environment.
Our surfing lessons in Waikiki are customized to fit any experience level and learning style. They are crafted individually for the beginner surfer who wants to test the waters for the very first time, for the intermediate surfer looking to improve on fundamentals or take on more challenging waves and maneuvers, and for the advanced professional level surfer who is on the search for a competitive edge or simply to push themselves to their own personal limits.
Our lessons for beginners will teach you the basic elements of the sport to get you riding waves —surfing etiquette, water safety, body positioning, board handling and positioning, paddling, and catching waves.
For our advanced students, the instruction takes on a refined direction that matches your riding style — correcting ‘bad habits’, identifying strengths and weaknesses in technique, competitive strategies, and surfing bigger waves.
Most importantly, all students will receive instruction that acknowledges the mental, emotional, and spiritual elements that make surfing such a unique and beautiful sport. You’ll learn how to connect with the ocean environment, understand the line up and the actions of surfers around you, and surf to express your personality.
Our lessons are customized to your skill level. All prices include a surfboard and all the equipment you need to get out and riding the waves. All you have to bring is your swimwear, towel, sunscreen and change of clothes.
What's included:
- Surfboard
- Long sleeve Rashguard
- Reef Shoes
- A safe place to store your belongings
- Transportation to and from designated meeting spots in Waikiki
What's not included
- Gratuities (left to individual discretion)
- Souvenir photos and videos (available for purchase)
- Wetsuits (available to rent)
Itinerary:
- We’ll pick you up from one of our four convenient pickup locations in Waikiki and shuttle you to our shop located within the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa. Or you will meet directly at our shop, 20 minutes prior to your lesson start time, to get checked in for your lesson.
- Once at our shop you will get checked in, geared up and will watch our safety briefing. (10-15 minutes)
From there you will be shuttled to our beach location and your lesson will begin. (up to 2 Hours)
After the lesson you’ll be taken back to our shop to view some of your footage. At our shop you will have the opportunity to purchase your footage or some merchandise. (10-15 minutes)
- After your purchases are made, we will drop you back off at one of our four pickup locations in Waikiki. Or you can leave directly from our shop!Ohana Surf Project is built on the simple idea that everyone who joins them is family — ohana in Hawaiian. Their local team of seasoned surf coaches has decades of experience sharing Waikiki’s waves with surfers of all ages and skill levels. Known for blending safety, patience, and true aloha spirit, they teach first-timers to stand up and help advanced riders fine-tune their flow. It’s more than just a lesson — it’s an invitation to feel what makes surfing special, from technique to connection with the ocean.
Meeting Point: The Ohana Surf Center, in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Hotel. 2552 Kalākaua Ave p159/p160, Honolulu, HI 96815
Check-in details:
Customers will check in at our shop located within the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort and Spa 20 minutes prior to their lesson start time.
Students should come wearing swimwear, sunscreen and bringing a towel. We will have a safe place to store your belongings while you're out in the water.
If you or anyone in your party has a tendency of getting motion/seasick, we'd recommend taking a remedy about an hour before your lesson.
Please sign our online waiver before your lesson takes place. It will be one per adult, and any minors will be included on the waiver of a parent or guardian.Customers will receive a full refund with at least 48-hours notice of cancellation.
Large group bookings of 9 or more are subject to a 72-hour cancellation policy.
You must contact us by phone to cancel or inquire about rescheduling.
No-shows and decreases in the number of students within the 48-hour cancellation policy will be charged the full price.
Rescheduling between 48 and 4 hours before your lesson will be subject to a 20% rescheduling fee.
Lessons rescheduled within our 48-hour cancellation are no longer eligible for refunds.
Photos, rashguard purchases, and wetsuit rentals are eligible for a full refund upon request.
FOLIO TRAVELOGUE
Learning to Surf in the Heart of Waikiki
There’s something cinematic about Waikiki at sunrise. The air is soft, the beach is stirring to life, and the waves roll in with a rhythm that feels ancient. Stepping into that scene, surfboard in hand, you’re met by instructors who feel more like old friends than staff. At Ohana Surf Project, the welcome is immediate and unpretentious. They take surfing seriously—but they never take themselves too seriously.
The lesson begins with a thoughtful orientation: where to stand on the board, how to read the water, what to expect when you fall. There’s humor and encouragement built into the instruction, and even before you hit the ocean, something in your posture changes—you’re already becoming a surfer. Once you’re in the water, the instructors stay close, always watching, always guiding, giving you the space to try and the support to get back up.
“What sets Ohana apart is how they teach with heart.”
And then it happens: a moment when you catch your first wave. Maybe it’s only a few seconds, but it’s enough. There’s lift, there’s movement, and there’s that impossible-to-describe feeling that surfers chase for the rest of their lives. The instructors cheer as if it’s their own wave, and you realize this is the whole point—not just teaching you to surf, but helping you fall in love with it.
Afterward, back at the surf shop, you towel off and watch clips of your session—laughing, rewinding, studying your stance. You might leave with a photo, maybe a shirt, but mostly you leave with something less tangible: a little more confidence, a little more connection to the ocean, and the memory of what it felt like to stand up and ride something bigger than yourself.
