Had a great experience with Hans Hedemann Surf School! The instructors (Johan and A) were super informative, helpful, and chill. They definitely spread island vibes to help instill confidence in us catching our waves. Our entire group was able to catch multiple waves!
We (My wife and her 2 sisters, and one of their boyfriends) never have been surfing before...and we each caught multiple waves! We were unsure if we would even be able to stand up - but the instructors were so helpful.
We didn't realize how tiring it would be! We booked the 2 hour lesson, but only used about an hour and fifteen minutes.
We met at the far end of Waikiki, so we weren't intimidated by having other surfers around. I liked the size of the waves, and felt like it was just out there. Would highly recommend if it's your first time!
I would highly encourage you to explore the photo package. Yes, a bit pricey - but you may find it worth it. We left our phones secured in the provided lockers, and didn’t have a decent camera to take a post surf pic with the board. Luckily, this memory will be with me forever as I can’t forget this experience, but a clearer picture would have been amazing.
We did rent a board the next week, and surfed all by ourselves! And was able to get a couple better pics :)