Hawai'i Lifeguard Surf Instructors — Local services in Hawaii

I believe this is my 6th or 7th trip to Hawaii where I have gone surfing with the HLSI, and for each trip, I surf with them as many times as I can. Tiffany, who teaches the correct standing position in the classroom and checks you in ahead of your surf appointment, is always super helpful and welcoming. She answers questions well and always makes sure you are ready. Out on the water, Jake, who is one of the instructors, is always enthusiastic and gives you great critiques on how you can improve for the next wave. When you do improve or stand up on the surfboard, not only Jake, but the other HSLI instructors will cheer. When you go surfing with any of the HSLI instructors, you feel like you are part of a small knit group/family, as they truly care about you and make sure you feel comfortable and safe. I do recommend you wear a long sleeve rash guard and water shoes to make sure you don’t get a sunburn and don’t cut yourself on the lava rocks below the surface of the ocean. I definitely recommend this company to ANYONE who wants to learn, improve, or just have someone hyping you up as you surf. I don’t think I would ever come to the Big Island of Hawaii and not go surfing with HSLI (unless there are no...

The ONLY surf school recommended to me by Big Island Locals! Perfect for all skill levels. My private lesson with Jacob totally made me love surfing. You'll be working in Kahalu'u Bay with a rock wall to dissipate the power of the waves. No undertow. Jacob & Tiffany (siblings & co-owners) are genuinely warm, funny & patient. I expected to spend all day wiping out & I did plenty, but Jacob got me STANDING! (Briefly, lol) And totally revolutionized the way I think about surfing technique. It makes SOO much more sense now!

Tiffany checks you in & does a 15 min "basics of the board" with 2 mounted dry boards in the office before sending you to Jacob @ the bay so you're not surfing "cold." Please arrive at the office 15 mins early to maximize your time in the water. **NOTE: the office is 4 miles from Kahalu'u Bay but on the same street (Ali'i). They do not provide transport BUT Jacob will store your devices safely @ the bay. You do not need to return to the office once finished! This activity dehydrates you quickly. Drink alotta water before hand. Check their site for occasional discounts. Thank you Jacob & Tiffany for a wonderful experience & I would...

If it were allowed, this would be one of the rare occasions to give 6 stars (I mean, look at their 5,0 rating)! THIS is the family-owned surf school you should choose if you want to try out surfing or improve! Tiffany did an amazing job explaining the basics and having us practice getting on the board etc. before getting our feet wet (super helpful to do this for 10-15 min instead of directly jumping into the water)! Her brother Jake then took over for the part in the water. He was such an outstanding instructor, for surfing and also his take on life in general! His extremely positive and kind spirit really made this the favorite morning of our whole trip – I mean it! On a more practical side, having an amazing instructor such as Jake with you that chooses good waves for your skill level and who times your start and (very important!) who gives you a strong push for every wave enabled us to catch countless waves (with basically no prior experience)! We really do recommend this surf school whole heartedly. Don't...