Aloha!
Hawaiians had such an advanced culture that they had time to invent things like surfing. No trip to Oahu is complete without jumping in the water of Waikiki on a surfboard and catching a few waves. If you already know how to surf, you’ll undoubtedly want to surf either the south shore or, if you are experienced, the famous North Shore. If you are new to surfing, then there is quite possibly no better place to learn how to surf than Waikiki.
Lessons on Waikiki Beach
There are a few ways to get started, but the easiest and quickest way is to rent a board from one of the Beach Boys on Waikiki Beach. The surf break is called Canoes, and our friends at Hawaiirama explain it best:
A good portion of Canoes is a sand bottom break and the better waves definitely break further outside although even those waves are pretty friendly to beginners. The crowds are extremely mellow, although it does get crowded. The better surfers expect to see beginners there so no one loses their cool. All of the surfboard concessions are there and its the place the original Waikiki Beachboys offered lessons. You can go to rent surfboards, usually $20 or $25 for two hours, meet the beach boys, and get a surf lesson.
No reservations are necessary, everything is super chill. Just walk down Waikiki Beach until you see a kiosk with a bunch of surfboards propped up everywhere. Simply walk up and let them know you’re ready to catch a wave. A beach boy will show you how to stand up, take you out, and even put you in the right spot. Nearly everyone (and I really do mean nearly everyone) gets up on a board numerous times. They will rent you a very big surf board, making it really easy to paddle and catch a wave. A big board will make it easy to balance and harder to fall off.
Once you have the hang of catching the waves, you can easily move on to just renting the board and going out on your own. Waikiki is a perfect place to learn and it’s big enough so that everyone has room to practice.
Surf School
After you’ve “gotten your feet wet” surfing (pardon that horrible pun), you might consider taking more private or longer lessons from a Surfing School. You can arrange for semi-private or private lessons, and get the opportunity surf other parts of the island.
Hawaiian Fire is a recommended Surfing School that will take you to the next level, or give you longer more one on one training. Hawaiian Fire is owned and operated by Hawaii firefighters. They offer group, premium (3:1 student to instructor ratio), and private lessons. All lessons include transportation to and from Waikiki Beach, plus all the gear you’ll need. They explain it best:
Our combination of the very best island firefighter surf instructors, a pristine secluded beach with perfect rolling beginner waves and the use of state-of-the-art safety equipment has been our recipe for success.
You’ll learn how to to surf, but most importantly you’ll have a lot of fun.
Hans Hedemann Surf School is another option, with a location in Waikiki that is one block away from the conference venue. HH Surf offers private, semi-private, and group lessons.
Your Fellow Hacker/Surfers
However you do it, we hope you’ll make it into the water to ride the waves of Waikiki and Hawaii. We’ll have lots of hacker/surfers at the conference to answer your questions and even take you out surfing. Look for Anthony Eden, Mark Johnson, Michael Nieling, Cory Shaw, or Kevin English, just to name a few. In fact, Cory has written a post with lots of surfing tips for beginners.
One of our speakers, Corey Donohoe, is putting together a group to learn surfing before or after the conference. Drop Corey a note and let him know you’re down for some surfing safari!
Mahalo and see you in the water!
