Kiteboarding Paradise Hawaii — Local services in Oʻahu

Warning: Although Felipe is didactically very competent, some aspects are very disappointing.

On his website, Felipe emphasizes the priority for safety. However, this does not correspond to reality. Protective gear such as wetsuit, helmet, and communication device were not provided. We were also not informed in advance that we should bring our own wetsuit. Instead, he tried to sell us one.

Furthermore, when booking for two persons, only Felipe was provided as the instructor. The website states that the Academy consists of two individuals.

Additionally, I learned that the instructor is not insured for his lessons, which is concerning.

It was particularly frustrating that during the kite lesson, my husband had a minor accident and lost his kiteboard. After the lesson, Felipe pressured us to transfer 900 dollars via PayPal for a new kiteboard, which seems unacceptable and unprofessional. (Normally, there's an insurance for the students)

Update (6.2.24): Following this highly emotionally charged comment (some parts of which could be summarized legally as "defamation" - you are also attempting to undermine my credibility with your descriptions about me), my husband contacted Felippe via Whatsapp. We booked 5 private lessons, confirmed by Felippe on December 11, 2023, through Whatsapp (although he claims in his comment that we didn't book any private lessons). When my husband showed Felippe this message, he ignored the fact and unprofessionally began accusing us of lying and being bad people.

Additionally, on February 4, 2024, Felippe posted a picture of a kite. In the background, the same kiteboard that was lost during the lesson is visible. We took a screenshot of the Instagram post and confronted Felippe since he mentioned refunding us $900 once he found the board. Felippe (paraphrased from a Whatsapp message to my husband) said: "That is an identical board. It's not the one you lost. I have the same board multiple times." - We requested a purchase confirmation for the board he claimed to have ordered as a replacement, but Felippe did not respond to this demand, completely ignoring the message.

We reserve the right to take legal action...

We had the one of the best kitesurfing instruction experiences with Felipe. I am an experienced kiter, and for our family vacation to Hawaii, I wanted my kids to learn. Before we arrived I looked up a few schools online, and Paradise popped up. It is a much smaller outfit than the others, which i thought could be really good or really bad, depending on the owner. So I called the number, and Felipe answered. I asked what made his program different from the others, and he replied that the instructors are himself and his wife, who happened to be pregnant so she wasn’t teaching, and they do it for the love of the sport. Plus he seemed like a very good and sincere person, so I decided to go with him for my kids. In addition as our trip drew closer, he was super responsive, giving updates by text on Hurricane Lane, which passed just before our visit and turned out not to be a major disaster event. Thank goodness! We started our lessons at 7am at Kailua bay, which was great for jet lagged visitors and more importantly BEFORE the beach becomes busy with other experienced kiters. Having a clear beach is very nice for beginners. It takes worrying about other kiters off the table so the beginner can focus on technique. Felipe was very patient and also very safety-focused. The kids had life vests, and Felipe watched them scrupulously. The first day focused on setup and learning kite flying. The 3 hours ended with body dragging.

By the end of the 2nd day, my daughter was up on the board 2x, and she spent the 3rd day practicing Water starts. After a total of 9 hours of lessons she was on the cusp of being able to water start and ride.

As a father I felt that my kids were in good hands, from an instructional perspective and a safety perspective. Felipe uses a 2-way radio so he can give clear instructions.

Also while the kids were learning, I rented a foil board from Felipe. He was just great and I would recommend him...

I’ve had multiple experiences with Fellipe and all were top-notch. Listen to him and you’re set for the best sessions of your life.

I tow foiled with him and was immediately whipped into the best waves ever. I’ve had skis randomly try and tow me and just didn’t work. The driver is important. He can drive and he knows the waves to put you on. You only get that skill from HOURS on the ocean.

I’ve winged with him many times and he can show you the best spots. The hidden gems. He can film you. He can tell you where to be. He will get you on waves.

And MOST importantly, he does it safe. He makes sure you’re on the right gear, have leashes, in areas suited to your skill, and can and has saved lives in the water. If your session changes location or time, it’s for your safety/money’s worth. You don’t live to be his age and compete at his level without extensive experience. Trust his word.

You’ll meet people all over different islands that know of him. Many will say “the crazy Brazilian!!!”. He’s known by many and a top-notch waterman.

The price you pay for the lesson isn’t only for a lesson. It’s his knowledge, time on the water, safety, where to go and when to go.

Lastly, I booked to wing foil with him not even expecting to paraglide. He got me connected to a paraglide instructor and I got my first lesson. That same instructor joined us on a Maliko run. You’ll meet people that are great to know and you’ll learn things you simply can’t learn without experience. You’re buying the shortcut to lots of this info and skill. You can “save” money teaching yourself but may get hurt or be on the wrong gear or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Money is well spent with Fellipe.

Gear, rentals, knowledge, lessons, safety, kite, wing, tow, surf, foil, etc. You’re in good hands with Kiteboarding...