Ty Gurney Surf School, a Waikiki institution for 18 years, runs multi-day kids' surf camps that introduce children to surfing and ocean safety in a fully supervised beach setting. Campers are dropped off around 9am at Kapiolani Beach Park and picked up early afternoon, with camps typically scheduled during school breaks and holidays for kids of all abilities (as young as 5).
The practical details
We list only what the camp itself publishes, and programs change — dates, prices, ages and availability can all move after we check. Confirm the details on the camp’s own website and contact Ty Gurney Surf School directly before you register or pay. Last checked August 2026.
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★Lynn MetzgerI rarely leave reviews, but as a tourist who just paid a lot of money for bad surfing lessons I wanted to warn others to avoid the Ty Gurney surfing school. I definitely wouldn’t come back or ever recommend this place to anyone else, and I have no idea how this place has so many 5 star reviews. We came in with a large party (8 adults) for surfing lessons, and the staff immediately seemed put out by us all. We have dealt with very friendly staff in every excursion that we have done so far in Oahu, so it’s sad that the last thing we did on this island had a negative vibe. The two main instructors, Kevin and Romeo, totally ruined our surfing experience. No one in our party had any experience surfing, and instead of instructing our group they yelled, got frustrated with us, and were intimidating. The two girl instructors out in the water with us were nice, but Kevin and Romeo were horrible….especially Romeo. If the instructors didn’t want to take on such a large party then they shouldn’t have taken our reservation, and we would have went elsewhere. One member in our group immediately got motion sickness out in the water and came back in (literally they were out there for 5 minutes and never even tried to surf), and I’m not even bothering to ask about any kind of refund because the male staff were so rude. One other member of our party paid for an extra hour on the water (so a two hour lesson instead of one), and when Romeo found out he had to stay in the water for an extra hour he was so nasty about it (in front of us all) that he ended up switching with Kevin. Romeo throwing out the f-word when putting away the surf boards at the end of the lesson about summed up our whole experience with this place. Save your money and go somewhere else with staff that actually want to teach people how to surf and who like to interact with tourists.
★★★★★Karly FordWe had an amazing experience with this surf school! The instructors were excellent. Kevin was super encouraging, knowledgeable, and made us feel comfortable the entire time. They helped both of us stand up and catch some really great waves, which made the experience so fun and memorable. The service went above and beyond from start to finish, and we especially appreciated the added photographer package for capturing everything. The photos/videos were such a great addition and made the experience even more special. Highly recommend to anyone looking for surf lessons in Waikiki!
★★★★★john chowmy wife and 2 daughters each had their own 2 hour private session together, back in the middle of January 2026. i also purchased the photo/video package for them. all 3 of them had such a great experience and had a great time. my 2 daughters ages 14 and 12 were both trying surfing for the first time and were able to get up on their boards the first time and were able to shred! chelsea the photographer was awesome and is a must because while she is taking videos and pictures, she's also giving them tips while trying to ride the waves. so she is out there with them side by side pretty much the entire time. chelsea is super friendly and energetic. you can tell she is passionate about surfing and is heavily invested in providing not just top shelf service but memories to last a lifetime. highly recommend. their office is like 1 minute walk from the sheraton waikiki and their beach access is right across the street. super easy if staying at or near the sheraton waikiki (where we stayed).
★★★★★Jennifer LynnWOW! What an amazing experience for my 6 year old son with the Ty Gurney Surfing School!! This was his first time trying to surf, and his instructor, Nicco, was fantastic! He was so patient and positive with a young, inexperienced child. It was really amazing to see! James was our videographer, and the raw footage of the lesson was stunning! To catch a glimpse into the experience through his lens has been priceless! I highly recommend booking an experience with the Ty Gurney Surfing School while in Waikiki if you are looking for the best experience around for a surfing school! Thanks again to Nicco and James for helping to create a core memory for my son and for our family! Mahalo!
★★★★★Randall PorizekThe entrance is on Kalia Rd. Super friendly staff. I surf fairly regularly, but wanted to get a lesson with my nephew. Booking was easy, and when I had to make some changes, they were able to accommodate quickly and easily. Gear is decent. They had us on 12’ soft tops which worked out great. Our instructors, Nicco & Dom, met us at the beach. After a quick pop-up lesson and a few reps, we were in the water. They literally towed us out most of the paddle out to help save our arm strength. They got us into the lineup and helped with instruction and a little push-off to help catch the waves. They were nice, long breaks, which gave ample time for popping up. Super fun experience and great people. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking to learn how to surf, for anyone looking to get better on the long board, or just for board rentals in general.