Maui Waveriders — Attraction in Maui

Gah. Let me first say that I think this review for Maui Waveriders could probably be applied to every single establishment offering any sort of surf/SUP lessons. Kihei is crowded. Kihei Cove, where Maui Waveriders (and everyone else) takes people to learn to surf is exceptionally crowded. Because of this, you are competing for tiny little waves with like a hundred people...people who either haven't been taught or aren't paying attention to the fact that they are in your way when you have finally stood up and gotten your balance and would like to, you know, ride the wave all the way in. (Frustration #1). The instructors are a mix of locals and natives who have surfed their whole lives. This is awesome as far as being able to learn from people who truly live the lifestyle and know exactly what they're doing. Not so awesome is the somewhat arrogant attitude often displayed by said instructors (Frustration #2). Case in point, being told "...these aren't real waves. What we ride are real waves", and "...that's not a current. What we deal with is a real current". Uh - I live in Washington. It's cold. We don't surf there (well, some people do, but not me or my kids). And if my 11-year old says he's having a hard time paddling back to you because of the yes, WAVES, then that's what's true for him and disdain for that fact doesn't help anyone. Bottom line - overpriced for what you get, and it's going to be hit or miss as to whether you'll enjoy the experience because it's going to be completely dependent on things outside of your control - weather, instructor, and how many other people are out at the same time. I'd try to find an establishment that is based out of one of the other beaches to try to minimize crowd control, and hope you get an instructor who doesn't look down on newbies. We ended up canceling our SUP lessons with Maui Waveriders and instead rented some from the kiosk at the Mana Kai on Keawakapu. They gave a quick 10 minute lesson on how to SUP and we had two glorious hours on our own. A MUCH more...

I have taken surf lessons all over Australia and Hawaii. Never have I experienced a lesson like this. I booked a private lesson to get more one-on-one time. From the moment I arrived I knew it was going to be strange. When I checked in at the desk, they seemed surprised to see me (?) even though I booked my lesson a few weeks in advance. They said they didn't have any instructor assigned to me, but assured me they would find someone. I stood around awkwardly for 15 minutes until someone finally approached me. He was a nice guy, but I could tell he didn't want to be there. He gave some instruction on land and then we headed out. The conditions were terrible as there really weren't any waves, but I know Maui Waveriders has no control over this.

My main issue was that the instructor barely did any instructing. In fact, it seemed as though he was there to surf himself. As soon as a wave would come, I would be set up and ready to go, expecting him to help me. Well, instead he paddled himself out and caught the wave and surfed it in. I was left sitting there like what just happened? Are you here to surf or teach me to surf? He kept doing it, surfing his own waves instead of helping me. He did give me a few pushes in between but it was really annoying to get all set up and then watch him ride his own wave in, like it was his time to surf. I didn't pay $160 to watch you surf.

The cherry on top was when he ended my lesson 30 minutes early for no reason other than he felt like he was done. I had no idea it was ending so early or I would have asked to stay in the water longer. But really, why should I have to ASK for my lesson to go to the full length? It was a really disappointing experience. I could see ending it 5-10 minutes early for certain reasons, but never have I had a 2-hour lesson end 30 minutes early. Usually they are happy to stay the full length or even a few minutes longer if you're having fun. And never have I had an instructor catching his own waves over and over. Very disengaged...

We had a great experience with Maui Wave Riders. We had Hoku as our instructor He was definitely an experienced and awesome instructor. Hoku was very friendly, funny, and also very informative when explaining how to surf - and rightly so, since he is also a teacher by trade! Hoku helped show us exactly what we needed to do while in the water on land and let us practice on board on land. Then, when out on the water, he was positive, helpful, and tweaked his teaching for each of our needs. My husband's surfing ability really transformed throughout the lesson, due to Hoku's patient teaching approach. The best part about our lesson was that we felt welcome, included, and at peace in the water! It was a time for fun and enjoyment and Hoku helped make that possible. We also liked that Maui Wave Riders gave us a souvenir hat with our lesson and that they took fun photos of us while surfing, so we could focus on and enjoy the experience while someone else captured the memories for us. It was a great time and we'd definitely recommend Maui Wave Riders - especially for new surfers! We are now in love with surfing and can't wait to...