Ala Moana Hotel occupies one of Honolulu’s most convenient locations, sitting between downtown Honolulu and Waikīkī and directly adjacent to Ala Moana Center, Hawaiʻi’s largest shopping mall and the world’s largest open-air shopping center. The hotel is also just a short walk from Hawaii Convention Center, making it an especially practical home base for visitors attending conventions, conferences, trade shows, and other events, while vacationers and staycationers can take advantage of the seemingly endless combination of shopping, restaurants, entertainment, cultural activities, and easy access to the surrounding Honolulu attractions. Yet for all its convenience as a destination built around shopping, dining, business, and events, there is another part of the Hawaiian experience that hotel guests inevitably want to enjoy: getting outside and into the North Pacific ocean. That helps explain the frequent online interest in “Ala Moana Hotel surf lessons”—because spending the day inside a convention center or exploring hundreds of stores is only part of an Oʻahu vacation when the ocean is right there waiting. If learning to surf is on your Honolulu itinerary, you can call 808-724-4208 to book your lesson before arriving at Ala Moana Hotel or arrange one with us after you check in, and read on for answers to the questions guests commonly have about the experience.
What to Know About Ala Moana Hotel Surfing Lessons from Sparky’s Surf School
Where Ala Moana Hotel Guest Surfing Lessons Take Place
One of the most important things for Ala Moana Hotel guests to understand before booking a surf lesson is that the surf breaks immediately in front of the hotel are not where first-time or inexperienced surfers should be learning to surf. The Ala Moana surf zone—including Ala Moana Bowls, Kewalos, Kaisers, Courts, Concessions, Big Rights, Tennis Courts, and the surrounding reef breaks—is a very different proposition from the mellow, beginner-friendly waves for which Waikīkī is famous. These breaks involve shallow reef, stronger and faster-moving waves, longer paddle-outs, currents, crowds, and other hazards that become increasingly consequential as the surf increases; Bowls, for example, is classified by Surfline as an intermediate-to-advanced break and is specifically noted for its shallow reef, powerful waves, intense crowd, and long paddle. Kewalos is likewise regarded as a high-performance break frequented by experienced surfers, with boat traffic around the channel adding another consideration. In other words, being close to a surf break does not automatically make that break appropriate for a surf lesson. For someone visiting Oʻahu to learn, the goal should not be to paddle into the closest wave simply because it is visible from the hotel; it should be to learn in an environment where the waves, bottom, crowd, and overall conditions are appropriate for the student’s ability level. That is why responsible surf instruction should involve choosing the right location rather than simply taking beginners to the nearest reef break.
But no sweat – as we’ve got you covered.
For guests staying at the Ala Moana Hotel, the surf lesson experience begins with a short trip from the hotel to Waikīkī Beach, where Sparky’s Surf School instructors meet students at the famous Duke Kahanamoku Statue and get everyone ready for their first taste of Waikīkī wave riding. Rather than expecting you to figure out where to go, where to paddle out, or which stretch of shoreline is appropriate for learning, Sparky’s instructors take care of the details, meeting you at the statue before heading onto the sand and into the water at the appropriate beginner-friendly surf area. This makes the experience particularly convenient whether you are traveling alone, enjoying a couples getaway, bringing the kids, or organizing a larger ʻohana or group outing. From the hotel’s centrally located position near Ala Moana Center and the Hawaiʻi Convention Center, you can leave the world of shopping, restaurants, meetings, and convention halls behind and trade it for a surfboard, warm Pacific water, and the unmistakable stoke of catching your first Waikīkī wave.
Here are directions from Ala Moana Hotel to the best place to learn to surf in Waikiki:
Is Transportation Available from Ala Moana Hotel?
Ala Moana Hotel guests have several easy ways to reach where their surfing experience begins. For those who enjoy walking, the trip is roughly 2 miles and about 35–40 minutes, making it a pleasant way to get outside and experience more of Honolulu before hitting the beach. By bus, TheBus’ W Line toward Waikīkī is one of the quickest options, with the nearby Ala Moana Boulevard/Kahanamoku Street stop providing a convenient connection toward Waikīkī; current routing information shows buses serving the area frequently. Rideshare is another straightforward choice, with an Uber or Lyft generally taking around 10 minutes depending on traffic, although fares fluctuate considerably with demand, time of day, and surge pricing, so guests should check the app for the current price before requesting a ride. If you would rather eliminate the transportation question altogether, Sparky’s Surf School can arrange pickup from and drop-off back at the Ala Moana Hotel for an additional fee, with the cost determined by the time of day and the number of people in your party. To figure out the details and get a price tailored to your group, call 808-724-4208 and speak with Sparky personally.
Note: We have FREE storage available for your possessions during surf lessons.
Cost of Ala Moana Hotel Surf Lessons
Sparky’s Surf School keeps Ala Moana Hotel surf lessons simple: private lessons are $169 per person, semi-private lessons for two or three surfers are $139 per person, and family/group lessons for four or five surfers are $119 per person. Children under 10 are required to take private lessons.
These are the standard online rates, but larger parties and special plans may qualify for customized pricing. Call 808-724-4208 to ask about possible discounts for multiple days, large groups, birthday or bachelorette parties, corporate outings, and other arrangements not covered by the standard booking form.
Ready to find out why we’re consistently ranked by TripAdvisor as one of the top surf schools worldwide? Call to book your lesson(s) at a day and time most convenient for your schedule.
