Sea Maui Surf — Local services in Maui

We had a very disappointing experience with Sea Maui Surf. My partner and I, along with a child who joined our group, were complete beginners taking our first surfing lesson. The only guideline on the website for a group lesson was that participants should be able to swim and feel comfortable in the water—which we are. Beyond that, we expected the instructors to be supportive and patient, as many other reviews suggested. Unfortunately, that was not our experience.

We struggled quite a bit and felt we needed far more guidance than we were given. For example, I didn’t even know how to steer my paddle and was left floundering in the water. If the level of independence expected in a group lesson is this high, it absolutely needs to be made clear at the time of booking. This class did not feel beginner-friendly.

The most upsetting part, however, was the instructor’s attitude. At one point, he told us, “This is the worst class I’ve ever taught,” and sarcastically commented, “I’m giving you the royal treatment like a king, I only do this for private lessons,” while I was struggling in the water. He even yelled at us in frustration when we weren’t able to follow his instructions. I know we sucked, but we were genuinely trying our best, and this behavior felt shaming and demoralizing.

Surfing is difficult to learn, and beginners deserve encouragement, not sarcasm or belittlement. I strongly urge Sea Maui Surf to either clarify who their group lessons are actually for—or better train their instructors to meet beginners with patience...

My husband and I wanted to catch some surf lessons on our last day in Maui. We did not plan ahead to make reservations as we knew we should have but we decided to just see if they had any openings. Initially there was not anything available and we knew that was likely going to be the case and we were willing to accept that. Everyone was very kind and offered other times and days but due to the limited amount of time we had left it was unlikely we could make another lesson time. However, without even asking to make an exception, Sea Maui Surf staff went above and beyond and called one of their surf instructors to see if they were available. Within an hour JT arrived with a welcoming smile and assured us he was happy to help us out. JT was professional, patient, and very knowledgeable about surfing, the waves, and Maui. My husband and I got up on our first waves and had a blast throughout our lessons. We really appreciated everyone making this an enjoyable last day in Maui and making this last minute adventure a reality. We highly recommend Sea Maui for surf lessons and if you’re lucky, hopefully you’ll get a chance to surf with...

Not sure of the usual surf lesson expectations. This is just my opinion. 1:4 ratio surf lessons are not a great option for beginners especially who are not athletic. The ground lessons but did not explain the problems we struggled with - to paddle into the ocean with waves coming forcefully. The instructor went in with the other students quickly into the ocean. I might have been slow. But I expected the instructor help me get into the ocean as I got scared after falling into the water while attempting to paddle in. Instead he was signaling from deep inside the ocean to get in. Luckily someone from the shore taught me how to do that. On getting inside, Sky, the instructor was sounding more persistent and positive to get me to stand on the surf. However, I expected the instructor to move around a lil to be around you atleast after you fall. I saw other surfing instructors nearby do that. At the end of the lesson, we were promised photos which never were clicked. And to get reviews, they have an incentive to spin a wheel in which I won a picture with social media handle. Neither did I receive the picture nor I saw it...