At the Diamond Head end of Waikiki Beach, the surf instructor leans over and assures his trio of young students. "The faster you paddle, the more speed you’ll have when you catch that wave," he tells them. "And once you have that speed, it creates stability with your surfboard, and then you’ll get going really good. Okay?"
Nine-year-old Tara shifts her eyes back and forth, from her instructor to the ocean to her instructor again. It’s a warm summer day and the sun is beating down pretty hard. The water is looking especially tempting…
Moments later, Tara is belly-down on her bright blue surfboard on the sand, learning her "pop-up" skills. "What you do is paddle, paddle, paddle—and then you put your hands on the board like this and jump to your feet," says her instructor. Tara nods and gives it a try. Paddle, paddle, paddle…BOOM! She suddenly springs up and lands squarely on the board.
"Hey, that’s good!" says the instructor. "Only, you need to bend your knees just a little…"
The ancient Hawaiians called surfing "hee nalu," which translates to "wave sliding." In those days, only high-ranking alii (chiefs) had access to the best surf spots; a commoner who was found surfing waters reserved for alii was often put to death.
Thankfully, surfing today is available to all comers. Every day, there are people in Hawaii—locals as well as visitors—who are learning how to surf. "Surfing is relatively easy to learn," says one surf instructor. "Every student’s a little different. This one kid I had—he was only six years old—he rode his very first wave almost to shore. It was amazing."
Private surfing lessons for all skill levels (beginning, intermediate and advanced) are available throughout the Islands. Prices and session lengths vary—there are both hourly and daylong lessons—but all usually provide everything you need to ride your first wave. Special attention is paid to water safety, and the beaches used for instruction have gentle waves that are ideal for beginners. Other topics covered include paddling out, board handling, standing techniques, stance and etiquette.
Keep your eyes peeled for periodic free lessons that may be offered. Also, some hotels and resorts offer free lessons for their guests.
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