Pacific Soul Surfing

Yes, guilty, me and Thing 1 and Thing 2 did what every sunburned, lei-wearing pot bellied mainlander does when they come to Waikiki beach- we took surfing lessons. We took them from these guys and they were great. We had Mad Dog as our main instructor, and mad Dog looks exactly as his name suggests. After 25 minutes on the board on land getting to know how to hold it, stand up, paddle, turn and get down we are out on the water, paddling about 400 yards to get to the fabled breakers of Waikiki Beach. For $20 extra they will tow you out and if you are not in shape you should pay tyhe $, as yuo will be less tired when you get out there.Absolutely fabulous. One of their guys is also out there taking photos and for an extra $25 you get all the photos of you - and in an hour or so on the water pretty much everybosdy managed to get up ansd look half decent. I have to say Thing 1 and Thing 2 looked a lot better than half decent on some waves and enjoyed themselves immensely.

These guys are great. Let me start by saying I had two beginners my daughter, 15 and my son, 7. I havent surfed that much since I got married over 8 years ago. Im outta shape. The safety briefing was great. The land instruction really helped out alot and James, our instructor, broke it down into 4 easy steps. Then he helped my son paddle out to the break which saved his stamina. My daughter got the same type help from the photographer. Then we got out there and James would tell us what we need to correct to get better. We were all surfing in no time at all. Not only was it instructional, but my son and daughter got the stoke of surfing. They provide the surfboards, dry land instruction and the water instruction to get you surfing.The other cool thing was that the photographer took a ton of pics. Then you could buy the entire series for 30 bucks per student! Other instructors either didnt have photographers or they charged 25 bucks per photo (thats the truth cuz I checked). If you are looking to get your money's worth from your day of surfing, then this is the place. Lesson is an hour and a half. If this is your first time, it is highly likely that you will have gotten the best, most fun workout that you have ever gotten. 5 Stars for sure.

What a great surfing experience! I had a lesson with James which was awesome. I felt confident in the water and caught a lot of waves. My 11 year old and 12 year old had a lesson with Rich and they totally enjoyed it! They caught so many waves! The pictures were awesome. I highly suggest purchasing the cd.

James, Vin great and patience. The group was large about 10 people which did slow things down, but overall it was very enjoyable and reasonably priced. This is a must do while in Honolulu.

I took lessons here at Pacific Soul and at Big Wave Dave on the same day, and they were pretty different. You may want to choose the one that you think fits your needs. Check out my Big Wave Dave review here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/big-wave-dave-surf-co-honolulu-4?hrid=YIccpbfRdivHJG45oRjRsA&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)The on land instruction at Pacific Soul is long and comprehensive. In general the instructor was more skilled, but also more hard core, than at Big Wave Dave. This was the third surf lesson of my life, and I found it be a bit confusing. They teach you to stand up by going to your knees then placing one foot at a time. This was a little complex for me vs jumping up with both feet, and it requires much more flexibility, which a few people have mentioned to me was just too hard for them. You essentially need to be able to touch your toes.Pacific Soul is directly across the sidewalk from the beach so it is super easy to grab your board and get in, but then you have to paddle pretty far to get to your surf spot! One girl was completely worn out by the time we paddled and could barely surf at all from exhaustion.The area here is much less crowded than spots closer to Diamond Head, like Big Wave Dave. This was a big deal, as I saw when I got to Big Wave Dave people were legitimately in danger of getting run over or had to bail on waves so that they didn't hurt someone else.Once we were out the instructor had us lining up and catching plenty of waves. I probably caught close to 10 but was only able to stand up and ride half or possibly less. At Big Wave Dave I caught significantly fewer waves but rode every single one for a nice, long ride.

We were very excited to surf today! The crew was very knowledgable and great with the children. We live on the ocean in Florida, so the girls were all very comfortable out on the waves. Mr. James and Mr. Fitch were awesome teaching the girls and capturing the experience on digital camera. They were very patient with the girls but pushed them to get the most out of the session today. I really appreciate that! I am so glad that we have digital photos to take home with us. I highly recommend surfing right here in Waikiki with these guys. They have a military discount and are right by the Hale Koa Resort for military. I booked a time in advance and think that is the best way to go. Get down to the beach a few minutes before your time if you don't pay in advance! Enjoy your time surfing!!!

The surf instructors are professional and they make sure you catch many waves. The location is nice which is on the Derussy beach park oceanfront. The waves are long. Highly recommended.

These guys are awesome! James, Mad Dog, and Nathan are serious about teaching and make it fun! I've been to two different locations and this one was great and very inexpensive compared to the other (Hans Hedemann). I had an amazing time on 1.21.12 and they took great pictures too for lasting memories!

That was an amazing experience. Actually, I've never had experience about surfing at all, and tide was pretty rough at the time. But, this instructor explained how to surf really well, easily and clearly. so I could do the surf in the four times trials at the waikiki beach. My sister did it in second trials . And in the last trial, I could go to shore directly while riding the wave. I recommend this class strongly. That was the best memory here in hawaii.

My daughters (13 & 11) just finished their first surfing lesson here. Instructor (Vinny) was awesome, patient, and clear. There was 30 minutes of instruction on land, away from the hustle and bustle of the area, to learn the basics, then you practice what you just learned, and then they take you out into the water. And then (for a reasonable fee) you can buy photos of your surfers. Would absolutely recommend Pacific Soul Surfing to anyone visiting Waikiki.