Kahalu’u Bay Surf & Sea

they were so great! Kobe (sp?) — the ¹⁵⁄₁₆ year old that was paddle boarding with us was so sweet and helpful!
Ben was awesome and enthusiastic and reminded me of that guy Paul Rudd plays in Forgetting Sarah Marshall haha!
def recommend SUPing here!

We visited Hawaii twice and both times have come to rent boards. The service is more than outstanding! They all are super friendly and caring and super helpful and patient with us as we do not surf regularly. They recommend great local food to eat. And we absolutely had the best time listening to Craig tell stories and talk about surfing. Both times we have been at the shop it has been one of our favorite parts of our trip and we can’t wait to go back to the shop! If your in Kona you must stop by and rent a board or snorkel gear you will leave smiling.

These folks are super nice and very helpful. My first trip to the big island was made so much better because of them and their help with my gear. I will most definitely be back to take surf lessons from them!

First time in Kona and I wanted to catch a few waves. I hit up this surf shop because of its locale relative to Kahalu’u Beach near where I’m staying. Service could have been basic because they have the location but it was the exact opposite as Ben was super friendly and helpful. Because I’m not a great surfer it was nice to be able to walk in a shop and not be intimidated. He gave me a few pointers and I was on my way. Thank you for the great service! I also picked up a couple cool Kona hats as well.

We had an amazing experience here under Ben’s attentive, knowledgeable and enthusiastic guidance. He was so patient with us newbies and his gung-​ho spirit was infectious.
We didn’t feel rushed or pressured during the entire lesson. The pricing was fair and we definitely felt like we got good value from the lesson.
The shop was clean, well kept and the location was great! Service was friendly all around and we could not have asked for a better first time lesson!
We forgot to bring cash to tip the wonderful instructor and to show our appreciation for this awesome shop. Hopefully this review and referrals to our friends will make up for that.

I’ll start by saying I’m a beginer level surfer. I didnt need a lesson as I’ve surfed fairly well elsewhere, but am by no means an expert in the sport. Best thing about this shop is the location. Beginer level surf breaks in Big Island are rare, and this is located right next to one of them.
Selection of boards was good. Service was attentive but a bit condescending towards a beginer surfer «haole» like myself. Perhaps it is just how people are in Hawaii surf culture, but I’ve received much more kind service at surf shops in different parts of the world.
Not knowing the waves in Kona (I was visiting for the first time), I asked for and received a suggestion on board size. Unfortunately it was too large for me, perhaps I should have trusted my instinct and selected the shorter board, but hey you live and you learn.
Pricing was fair.

Had a great time on surf lesson! Ben is awesome! They where kind enough to reschedule for me to catch better waves, and the group was very small so I got plenty of coaching!

My 8 and 10 year old daughters had a surf lesson with Susie during spring break. Susie alternated, helping the girls catch wave after wave. The girls were so thrilled that we bought surf boards and surfed for the next 10 mornings! Susie is great and all of the surf instructors at Kahaluu Bay are so helpful-​they were helping the girls catch waves even when they weren’t in a lesson. Thanks Kahaluu Bay Surf!!! We will be back for more lessons next year!

My 13 year old son and I took the group lesson and could not have had a better experience. Suzi and Craig were great instructors and they WILL get you surfing! DO IT!

I could not rave about this place more! Every single person here– from the owners to the instructors– are absolutely wonderful. Everybody was so patient and had an upbeat, carefree attitude that was contagious. We came with a very large group for lessons and they ensured each of us had a great experience, even when we wiped out over and over. Came back a few days later to rent beach gear and Monica (I think that was her name. Ben’s wife) took the time to talk to us about beaches, Hawaiian culture, etc. their dog Jane is adorable too! Could not recommend this place more. Mahalo!

Great beach to start learning water sports!!!
But try to come earlier. Usually is very busy and it’s harder to find parking place.

I work for the airlines and was on a 24 hour layover when I ran into Kahalu’u Bay Surf and Sea. I had the pleasure of working with Ben and Monica while on my stay on the big island. I was so Impressed with their honesty and helpfulness when I tried to rent a surf board from them.
Ben informed me about the high swell they had been experiencing and only allowed me to go out while he was giving lessons in a few hours. He asked about my surfing experience and truly cared about my safety over making a few dollars off of my business. Ben knew I would have to wait a few hours for his surf lessons to start, so he gave me a free rental on snorkeling gear. The snorkeling was amazing! There was such vibrant sea life just off the shore with so many tropical fish and sea turtles!
Once I was on the surf board I also had the experience of watching Ben give lessons to his customers. Ben has such a deep passion and understanding for surfing that he passes on to each and everyone of his students. He learned everyones’ names and made sure everyone was enjoying was having a good time.
When you travel as much as me, it’s truly is a joy to find hidden gems such as Kahalu’u Bay Surf and Sea that make your travel experiences great.
I highly recommend Kahalu’u Bay Surf and Sea to anyone who wants to learn to surf. You cannot go wrong with this place. Also, if you work with the Airlines, let Ben know and he will throw in a discount for you!

Our instructor was awesome. Taught us some great basics. Made me want to keep surfing.

The lady we worked with was super helpful. That was my first time paddle board. She gave me a short lesson before I got into the water.
I have no arm strength. She offered to carry the paddle board for me to the water. We did two hours for $ 35. The price was reasonable.
— we used the 10% discount from Unilocal
— no cash discount
— the water was so clear. I could see turtle next to me. =)

Busy little place! Great prices for gear rental. They do lessons for surf and paddle board. I rent snorkel gear. At $ 30 a week, this is cheapest thing to do in area. Great views in park across the street

To start off with the positives: this place is very conveniently located, the price was reasonable ($ 35 for 2 hour SUP rental, $ 5 for booties) and the actual boards we got were newer and in great shape. The only negative was the distastefully brusque demeanor of the employee who assisted us, but this was duly mitigated by the owner Ben who appears to genuinely care about his business and the satisfaction of its patrons!

These guys are awesome!!! I’ve been renting surf boards and snorkel gear from here for the past few days and just keep coming back!
The girl in the shop, Monica, is really helpful at explaining how to position myself on the board, how to get in and out, where to go and where not to go, and what to watch out for. I also got to meet Ben, who was doing surf lessons with another group.
Kahalu’u Bay is sooo beautiful! The water is so clear and we always see bright yellow and blue fish out there. The bottom is all reef and coral so it’s awesome to just swim and snorkel around. We even saw a turtle!
I highly recommend renting from these guys. Prices are on point, location is unbelievable, and all the people working are super friendly, helpful, and informative. Big Mahalos guys! Thanks!

The decision to take a lesson here was one of the best we made all trip. I’ve taken lessons before and the instructors were nowhere near the calibre of Ben and his team. Ben is super knowledgeable, very kind, informative, and I could tell he loves the ocean and his job as a surf instructor. I would definitely recommend this outfit for brand new surfers, all the way through seasoned vets. Also, if you’re heading out of town, bring the surf shop guys your extra food/​booze and they’ll make sure it doesn’t go to waste. ;-)

It’s a sunny day in Kona and the bay is occupied with snorkelers, surfers and all sorts of water sports in the distance. When I’m on Oahu, I don’t normally go snorkeling and that might need to change.
My dad decided he wanted to check this place out since it’s right next to the bay and he could just simply take his rented surfboard for a nice ride. We spoke to Ben (one of the owners), a super personable person at the shop. At the time there was a high surf advisory and he wasn’t renting surfboards out to anyone due to liability of getting hurt. I love that he’s not quick to think of the money he will make from us but our safety first. My dad understood and opted to get snorkeling gears instead for the entire family. Ben helped us out with all of our gears. Gears involving, rash guards, life vest, fins (all sized accordingly), goggles/​mask and the breathing apparatus (don’t know what it’s called, sorry).
Snorkel Sets: Day $ 8.75/Week $ 19.75
Rash Guards/​Lif Jackets: Day $ 3/​Week $ 10
Snorkel sets can also be rented individually
Mask/​Fins/​Snorkel each: Day $ 3/​Week: $ 10
Surfboards: 2hr $ 20/​4hrs $ 25/​Day $ 30/​Week $ 100
The overall experience was wonderful and very insightful. We were given lots of different options for different areas of snorkeling and safety. I love that the owner has a good heart and has put safety first than making the easy bucks. We will come back again in a day or so to pick the surfboard as soon as the high surf has been lifted. Definitely worth coming back to support the business. Ben will make your renting experience worth it.

The spirit of Aloha is thriving at Kahalu’u Surf and Sea! I was super impressed with my various 2-​week rentals from these guys! I always rent my boards here, both surf and SUP. Local surfers (and employees!) Helene (super pretty and sweet local surfer girl) and Bradah Chris (knowledgable and also, is everyone here gorgeous??!) were super attentive, they made sure I got hooked up with WHATEVER board I wanted for whatever waves were pumping that day. They also hooked us up with (Swanky Tommy Bahama brand!) beach chairs and umbrella, which are essential if you’re going to spend any time at the more remote beaches which are arguably the most stunning on the island.
The ONLY on-​site store, conveniently located mere steps away from the renowned surf and snorkel spot. They give surf and paddleboard lessons, and offers rentals for everything from snorkels, beach chairs, and umbrellas to full service SUP rental, including free straps to secure the board to your vehicle, and foam noodles to ensure your rental car is safe and secure with your board atop.
I felt treated like a VIP from the moment I stopped in.
TIP: if you haven’t surfed and had a lesson before, take one from these guys! I watched them for days in the water, and imho they give the best lessons of all the surf instructors out there. There’s more to surfing than being pushed into a wave, clambering to your feet, and having your photo snapped for the 2 seconds you’re up. These guys TEACH. Give yourself the gift of learning and you’ll enjoy your experience more, and take that knowledge with you for future experiences in the water!
Contact Ben (sweetest guy alive? MAYBE!!) and/​or his wife Isha if you want to have best, most convenient surf or snorkel or beach experience possible in Kona.
Oh. Regarding pricing: this company is a STEAL. Other places charge as much as $ 50/​hr for a SUP rental; you get a WEEK for about double. If you can do math, you want Kahalu’u Surf and Sea.