Our Top 14 Family and Kids Surf Lessons in the USA

1.Family, Private & Group Surfing Lessons, Waikiki Courtesy Shuttle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 216 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $107Our pick

Meet the Ohana Surf Project at the Waikiki Beach Marriott, gear up, learn safety and board skills, then ride gentle Waikiki waves with an instructor. Family, private, and group formats are available, with coaching from staff such as Luke, Jayden, Jake, and Tyler. Equipment, rash guard, reef shoes, and Waikiki shuttle service are included.

“Everyone had a great time. All the instructors were fantastic. Very well organized. Definable would recommend to others.”

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2.Family, Private & Group Standup Paddle Lessons in Waikiki

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 143 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $118

Ride the Ohana Surf Project shuttle from Waikiki to a two-hour beach lesson built around your ability. You will receive a rashguard, reef shoes, board, paddle, safety briefing, and hands-on coaching. Instructors such as Mark, Kai, Kevin, and Marcus are praised for calm, encouraging instruction. Photos and videos cost extra.

“I had an amazing time. My instructor was extremely nice and patient with me. I would definitely recommend this activity with this company. They are the best.”

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3.Family, Private & Group Bodyboard Lessons in Waikiki

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 106 reviews · from $111

Meet at the Ohana Surf Center near Waikiki Beach Marriott, gear up with a surfboard, reef shoes, and rash guard, then ride the shuttle to the beach. Your instructor adjusts the lesson to your group, swimming ability, and concerns. Families with children 12 and under must include a parent, and private lessons may suit nonswimmers.

“Our family of 4 had a wonderful time learning to surf. This team worked hard to help our kids and make sure it was a positive experience. Our girls (11 and 9) were so proud of their accomplishments, that we had to buy the photo and video package. We booked the 2 hour touRead more”

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4.Family, Private & Group Bodyboard Lessons in Waikiki

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 104 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $118

Meet at Ohana Surf Project near the Waikiki Beach Marriott, collect your rash guard, board, reef shoes, and fins, then ride a shuttle to the beach. Your instructor works with no more than four students, using a safety briefing and hands-on coaching. The experience is marketed for bodyboarding and surfing, so confirm the exact lesson format when booking.

“Everyone was supper awesome and supportive! Over all a supper great first experience surfing!! Would definitely recommend to anyone that’s looking for a really great first time experience with surfing!”

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5.Kids Surfing Lesson in Waikiki Beach (up to 12)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · 2 hours · from $204

At Surfer Girl Academy in Waikiki, children ages 4 to 12 get a two-hour private surf lesson with patient English- or Japanese-speaking instructors. The session includes beach safety, board practice, more than an hour in the ocean, and tandem rides for nervous beginners. Boards, leashes, reef shoes, rash guards, and an original sticker are included.

“Everyone was so friendly and kind. They were engaging with my daughter and their focus the entire time was on her. My daughter got really bad sea sickness and threw up a few times and had to end early. Despite this she enjoyed her time because her teacher was so kind and patient with her.”

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6.Surf Lessons on the North Shore Great for Families and all Ages

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 27 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $165

Meet Sea and Board Sports Hawaii in Haleiwa for a beginner-friendly North Shore surf lesson lasting about 90 minutes. Your instructor covers surf etiquette, timing, paddling, standing, and water safety, then helps you catch a wave. A longboard and rashguard are included, with private, semi-private, and small-group options available.

“James, Evan and Kane did a great job with our children and grandchildren. They all had a good time, and the instructors were patient and kind…”

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7.Family Surf Lessons in Kihei at Kalama Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $172

Meet Surf Yoga Maui at Kalama Park for a two-hour morning surf lesson with your family or group of up to 15. Your semi-private instructor provides boards, reef shoes, and rash guards, then helps you work with Kihei’s gentle break. Eddie and Summer lead lessons Monday through Saturday in English.

“The entire experience was fantastic. Summer made sure to check in and check out experience levels ahead of time to curate a great day. Eddie was phenomenal as our instructor, making sure to tend to each of us and provide great tips for instruction. His outlook, personality, and spirit were beautiful! Highly recommended this experience!”

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8.Private Kids Surfing Lessons

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $175

Shane, a local Oahu surfer, leads a 1-hour-45-minute private lesson for kids and families at Waikiki Beach. Children can share a tandem board with an instructor before trying solo surfing. Life jackets, snorkel gear, snacks, water, and surfing equipment are available, with help from Shane, Captain Neil, and Chris.

“Shane and team were excellent with my two children 9 & 13. Got them out on the waves quickly and gave great instructions and guidance - could not recommend highly enough”

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9.Family Surf Lesson

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Meet Golden Wave Surf School at 10 Washington Boulevard in Venice for a two-hour family lesson led by professional coach Alex, with David also teaching some sessions. You’ll learn board control, safety, and basic technique in English, then practice catching small waves in a group of no more than 10. Private lessons are required for non-swimmers, children under 18, and some other needs.

“Alex was a fantastic instructor! I took my niece who is 8 and he was able to break down surfing into easy and fun steps for adults and children and then made sure we caught waves and had fun doing it. I’d recommend this for anyone!”

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10.Surf Lesson for Kids in Venice Beach

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Meet Golden Wave Surf School at 10 Washington Blvd for a two-hour Venice Beach lesson built for young beginners. A private instructor, including coaches such as Diego or Alex, teaches surf basics, provides the board and wetsuit, and helps your child work toward catching a wave safely.

“Golden surf was great! My 7 year old came for her first ever surf lesson and by the end she was riding the waves and loved it. Everyone was friendly and patient and great for kids to learn.”

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11.3 Day Surf Progression for Families, Kids, and Beginners in Kihei at Kalama Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $502

Build real surf skills with Eddie and the Waves Hawaii team in three two-hour morning lessons at Kalama Park. You’ll learn board basics, etiquette, ocean safety, paddling, pop-ups, wave timing, turning, and navigation. Boards, rash guards, reef shoes, and reef guards are included.

“Surfing lessons with Eddie and Epse have highlighted our trips to Maui for our son Alex. This last trip is the third set of lessons for our son. Alex has started his first set of lessons as a nervous kid of age 7 to being a confident and comfortablRead more”

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12.Family, Private, and Group Surfing Lessons

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 1 - 2 hours · from $110

Meet Ohana Surf Project at the Waikiki Beach Marriott or a nearby pickup point, get fitted with a board, rashguard, reef shoes, and safety briefing, then ride Waikiki waves with a small group of up to eight. Instructors speak several languages, and private or family lessons are available.

“Todo estuvo espectacular Kai fue magistral nos tuvo mucha paciencia y nos ayudó a coger muchas olas. Sin duda alguna si regreso iré nuevamente.”

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13.Surf Lessons for Families, Kids, and Beginners

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 2 hours · from $172

Meet Eddie or another Waves Hawaii Surf School instructor at Kalama Park in Kihei for a private two-hour lesson. You will practice safety and pop-ups on land, then ride gentle waves with boards, reef shoes, and rash guards provided. Morning times offer the best water conditions.

“Eddie tailors the surfing lessons to the student. My granddaughter was excited, but nervous about it. She underestimated the physicality of surfing but tried, even after falling off. Pay attention to the safety instructions, particularly about falling and potentially hitting coral. She really liked having Eddie as her instructor and felt that he was very respectful of her (my words, hers would be that he was cool). Additionally, we were running late from Ka'annapali due the the debris being hauled out of Lahaina and stayed in contact with WAVES. We were a few minutes late for the private lesson and appreciate Eddie's working with us! Mahalo!”

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14.Private Family Surf Lessons on the West Side of Maui

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $165

Meet Maui Surf Clinics at Ukumehame Beach Park for a private 90-minute lesson. You’ll spend 15 minutes learning safety, paddling, board control, and the pop-up before heading into the water with certified instruction. Boards, booties, and rash guards are included.

“We had the best time! My siblings and I had never been surging before and we all got up by the end! Everyone was super friendly and patient. The waves and wind switched it up on us but it kept the experience fun and exciting. Would highly recommend them!!”

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