Bodyboarding is the fastest way to start catching waves in Waikiki. There is less to balance and more time riding, which is why it clicks in minutes for almost everyone. Ohana Surf Project runs their lessons from the Waikiki Beach Marriott, a few minutes on foot from the hostel, with the board, fins, and all the gear included and a quieter stretch of the Waikiki shoreline to learn on.
Two-hour lessons. Family $145, exclusive group $150, semi-private $160, all per person, or private one to one $205. Bodyboard, fins, and gear included, daily year round.
If you want to spend your session actually riding waves rather than learning to stand on a board, bodyboarding is the answer. You are lying down, the board is short and forgiving, and the fins do the work of getting you into the wave, so the learning curve is short and the wave count is high. On Waikiki's long, gentle rollers that adds up to a genuinely fun first hour in the water.
Ohana Surf Project teaches out of their surf center inside the Waikiki Beach Marriott on Kalakaua Avenue, close enough to Waikiki Beachside Hostel to walk. Lessons run at 9 AM, 12 PM, and 3 PM every day of the year, each a full two hours, rain or shine, and they use their own stretch of the Waikiki shoreline rather than the crowded main beach. The board, the fins, and all the equipment are included, so a swimsuit is all you really need to turn up with.
Beginners are the main audience, but this is not only a beginner lesson. Experienced riders can book advanced instruction and work on more complex maneuvers like spins, rolls, and aerials, up to Professional Coaching Level 4 with a pro surfer and video analysis. One thing to know before you book: bodyboarding has no open group option, so the smallest booking is semi-private at $160 per person for two students with their own instructor. On your own, the private one to one lesson is $205 and takes all ages and abilities, with tandem lessons available. With a group, exclusive group is $150 per person for three or more, and family lessons are $145 per person for at least one parent and one child under 13. The instructors bring over 150 years of combined experience between them.
Lessons run at 9AM, 12PM, and 3PM daily, all year, and every lesson is two hours. Professional Coaching Level 4 runs 2.5 hours. Ohana runs rain or shine.
Bring a swimsuit, a towel, reef-safe sunscreen, and a change of clothes. The bodyboard, fins, and all the equipment are provided.
This one is a walk. Ohana Surf Center is inside the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort at 2552 Kalakaua Avenue, around the corner from Waikiki Beachside Hostel on Lemon Road, so you can head over in your swimsuit a few minutes before your lesson. No transport to book and no parking to worry about. A courtesy shuttle is also available from select Waikiki pickup points. The map below shows the walk from the hostel.
A few minutes on foot. Ohana Surf Center is inside the Waikiki Beach Marriott at 2552 Kalakaua Avenue, around the corner from the hostel on Lemon Road. A courtesy shuttle from select Waikiki pickup points is also available.
Most people find it quicker to pick up. You ride lying down instead of standing, and the fins help you into the wave, so you tend to catch more waves in your first session.
Two hours. Every standard lesson is a two-hour session, and the only exception is Professional Coaching Level 4, which runs 2.5 hours.
Bodyboarding has no open group option, so the smallest booking is semi-private at $160 per person for two students with their own instructor. On your own, the private one to one lesson is $205. With a few people, exclusive group is $150 per person for three or more, and family lessons are $145 per person. It is worth asking around the hostel common room, since the per-person price drops as the group grows.
For the exclusive group lesson, yes, and it is ages 13 and up. For semi-private, call ahead if anyone in your pair is under 13 or cannot swim. If you are not a confident swimmer, the private one to one lesson takes all ages and abilities and tandem lessons are available.
Yes. Advanced instruction is available and covers more complex maneuvers such as spins, rolls, and aerial tricks. There is also a professional coaching option for experienced riders.
A high-quality bodyboard, fins, and all the equipment you need, plus your instructor. You bring a swimsuit, a towel, sunscreen, and a change of clothes.
You will receive a full refund with at least 48 hours notice of cancellation. Group bookings of 9 or more people are subject to a 72-hour cancellation policy.
