LEARNING TO SURF IN HAWAII
Coming from Australia we are both big lovers of all things water. We are active snorkelers, divers, stand-up paddle boarders, and now even submarine-goers! Yet, there is one thing we have yet to accomplish ... surfing - and what a better place to learn than on the waves of Oahu, Hawaii.
Hawaii Surf
We knew once stepping foot on the sands of Hawaii it was time we caught our first wave. We teamed up with Hans Hedemann Surf School who claimed they would have us standing up and riding a wave in less then two hours. We were both skeptical, but on our FIRST wave ...
Hawaii Surf
IMG_9176
By the end of the lesson we had caught more waves than we wiped out on - can we pretty much say we are now pros?
IMG_9027
IMG_9167
Well ... we may need a little more practice.
Our instructors took us out on baby waves at Waikiki Beach, and lucky for us we were the only surfers out there at the time. By the end of the two hours we had gained a solid understanding of stance and balance, though we still need to learn how to determine which which waves to catch and which to let pass.
Hawaii Surf
Hawaii Surf
The surf school was named after a Hawaiian local, Hans Hedemann. He had a natural talent for surfing and represented Hawaii for a surfing World Tour, winning multi awards. In 1995, the Hans Hedemann Surf School was launched. The instructors we had were pro surfers and their love for the sport came through.
Hawaii Surf
Hawaii Surf
Hans Hedemann's group lessons are two hours long and include all the equipment you will need such as rash guard, reef shoes, and of course your surfboard. We had about a 20 minute land lesson before we jumped in the water. We felt it was a fantastic lesson for first time surfers like ourselves, having only 4 students per instructor.
Hawaii Surf
Hawaii Surf
Group lessons run for $75 and for an additional $30, you can purchase a CD full of professional photographs taken during your lesson. The photographer will be there either way, so no pressure to decide up front.
Hawaii Surf
Wanna check out some footage of our time out in the water? Check out our daily vlog of the days events.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEDebN4KbLs
Have you surfed before? Where did you catch your first wave or where would you like to catch your first wave?
Many thanks to Hans Hedemann Surf School for hosting us during our lesson. As always, all opinions are our own.
READ NEXT: EXPLORING THE DEPTHS OF HAWAII
[related_posts taxonomy="category" numberposts="6" minimum="3" itemsmin="1" itemsmax="3" image_size="thumbnail" carousel="true"]