Tips for Planning your Maui Surf Lesson
When to Book your Surf Lesson
- Book in advance! For family travel and holiday seasons, we book up several weeks in advance.
- Join the Waitlist! We now have a waitlist for any dates that fill up, or are not yet released online! Join the waitlist by using the ‘chat app’ on the bottom left on any page of our website.
- Book Early in your Trip! Surfing is one activity that is 100% based on the ocean & weather cooperating. Book your surf lesson early in your trip, and leave a few days at the end of your trip free from planned activities in case we need to reschedule, or if you’d like to surf again! Also, keep in mind the time change. If you are traveling from the US mainland, especially the east coast, you’ll be up early in the first few days of your trip, so you can use this to your advantage for early activities like surf lessons.
What Time of Day to Surf
- 8am vs 10:30am – In general, we’ll tell you that Maui gets windier as the day goes on. What does this mean for surfing? When it’s windy, the ocean gets choppier, and you may be paddling in choppy water, against the wind, during the later lessons. (If it’s really windy we’ll move to the alternate locations or reschedule for another day)
- Who likes the 8am lessons?
- People who know what it’s like to paddle in choppy water.
- People who are staying close to our surf breaks
- People who are trying to stay out of mid-day sun.
- People who are catching a plane in the afternoon… ( see our tip about booking at the beginning of your trip: NOT the end! But sometimes it happens!)
- Who likes the 10:30 lessons?
- People who are staying farther away from our surf breaks (Wailea / Kapalua for example)
- People with teenagers in their party
- People who don’t like to set alarms on vacation
- Who likes the 8am lessons?
Which Type of Surf Lesson to Book
- A few different factors come into play when planning your surf lesson, especially how many people in your party, and what are the different ages.
- For One Person age 13 or over:
- You have the choice of Private lesson or Group Lesson (both are two hours)
- The main difference here is price ($99 vs $209) and in a group lesson, everyone surfs one at a time with the instructor. Between catching waves, the other 3 people are waiting in the channel. If you want to surf as much as possible in two hours, you should book the private lesson. If you are ok with taking a break between catching waves, to rest your arms and catch your breath, taking a group lesson may be your best option! If you are bit nervous about surfing, and would like the instructor to have their eyes on you the entire time, and help you in and out of the ocean, upgrade to the private!
- If you have 2-6 people ages 11 and over:
- Book the semi private lesson! The semi private lesson is for parties of this age range and size, and runs at a 3:1 ratio, meaning classes of 2 or 3 people will have one instructor, and 4-6 will have two instructors.
- For One Person age 13 or over:
- If you have 7 or 8 that are age 13 and older:
- Book the group lesson! You will have two instructors.
- If you have children under age 11 and older people that all want to surf together.
- Book the lessons that are appropriate for the ages, and this will get you the correct number of instructors! You will still all surf together (as much as is safe/ makes sense- everyone will get an age/skill level appropriate land lesson) If you have questions about the right lessons to book, please send us a message at the chat app in the bottom left of our website. ‘Text us here’ – the responses will come in the form of a text message to your cell phone so they don’t get lost if you close your browser.
- If you have experience surfing:
- typically our intermediate students book a private lesson, or semi private, for more personalized instruction and to maximize their time in the water, but you are welcome to book a group lesson as well! Everyone surfs one at a time, so our instructor can watch you and give feedback after each wave.
Need to Make Changes to your Surf Lesson?
Plans change! We have JUST upgraded our reservation system to accommodate online reschedules with more than 48 hours before your surf lesson! Just click the link in your confirmation email to see what else is available. If you need to cancel your surf lesson, you can also get 100% issued to a gift card that never expires, or a refund to your credit card, minus the 15% cancellation fee. Click on the links in your confirmation email to learn more!
What NOT to Do the Day Before a Surf Lesson
Surfing is a physical activity, so it’s advised to not over do it on the day before a surf lesson. Here’s what you should AVOID the day before a surf lesson:
- Road to Hana / Haleakala
- All-you-can-drink Luau
- Sunburn / Dehydration – make sure you stay out of the sun and drink plenty of water
- long, vigorous hikes on unstable ground
What to Do the Day of the Surf Lesson
- Hydrate!
- Apply a mineral sunblock upon arrival to the beach. You will have a land lesson giving time for the sunscreen to absorb into the skin.
- Take a non-drowsy seasick medication early in the AM if you are prone to motion sickness.
- Screenshot the driving directions and meeting location information prior to leaving your accommodations. Cellular internet is almost non-existent currently near our meeting location.
- Keep your phone handy while driving into the beach. If we move to the alternate location due to weather, we will text you with meeting instructions for the alternate location. This typically happens around 7:30am.
Why book with Maui Surfer Girls?
We have the best location for surf instruction and the best surf instructors in the state. Come give us a try and see why our students come back year after year!