Mount Maunganui Surf Lessons Your Ultimate Guide
Looking for something to do this summer for your kids or the whole family, well Mount Maunganui surf lessons might just be the tick in the box. The Surf Schools at Mount Maunganui have got you covered.
Whether you’re just looking for a lesson to get you going or a school holiday camp to help your kids progress while you watch from the beach. One of the surf schools below will have you covered.
Choosing a surf school can be hard as all the surf schools in Mount Maunganui have awesome reputations. So it comes down to what suits you and your family’s needs.
Finishing up and heading in after another successful surf
Are you looking just to give your kids a one-off lesson to see if they like surfing or are you looking for a holiday camp where your kids will hang with amazing instructors, and other likeminded kids and spend anywhere from 2-6 hours a day surfing and been educated on ocean safety.
Or are you looking for great family memories by surfing or learning to surf together.
Deciding can be a challenge, the information below will hopefully provide you and your family with the information you need to pick the surf school that best matches your needs and wants.
Hibiscus Surf School – Main Beach and Tay Street
These guys have two surf schools set up, one at the main beach pretty much opposite Leisure island and the other at Tay Street which is about halfway down Marine Parade.
Nothing better than catching that wave
Both locations are awesome as a parent if you are not surfing as you are moments away from either one of Mount Maunganui’s best cafes or a food truck.
A coffee and muffin on the beach as your kids learn to ride the waves… bliss (my wife wrote this part)
The team at Hibiscus Surf School offers a wide variety of Mount Maunganui surf lessons for adults, kids and families. So they cater to everyone’s needs.
Lots of fun activities at Hibiscus Surf School to keep the kids engaged
Get your Aloha – 2hr Beginner Group Surf Lesson here at a discounted price
or
Get your Tay Street Session – 2hr Beginner Group Lesson here at a discounted price
For those parents looking for surf camp/holiday programs then Hibiscus Surf School has got you covered. The ‘Party Wave’ school holiday camp runs from Monday to Friday, starting at 9 am and finishing at 1 pm.
The kids learn water safety and great foundational surfing skills. Plus your kids are in safe hands as the instructors have a lifeguard and first aid qualifications.
Get your Party Wave – School Holiday Camp Daily here at a discounted price
They also offer the private ‘Moana’ lesson for families, perfect if you are looking to surf or learn to surf as a family. This lesson lasts 90 minutes.
Get your Moana – 1.5hr Kids & Family Private Lesson here at a discounted price
Mums fear not this surf school also runs woman (wahine) only lessons.
Hibiscus Surf School offers Paddleboarding lessons either group or private sessions for 90 minutes.
Get your Ohana – Flat Water SUP Group Lesson here at a discounted price
Enjoying the waves, nothings better on a perfect day
They have a pretty extensive range of equipment to hire from the usual surfboard and wetsuit to performance surfboards.
However, you can also hire boogie boards, paddle boards, beach wheelchairs and single or double kayaks. Plenty of offers here.
Get your Beginner Surfboard and Wetsuit Hire here at a discounted price
Mount Surf Academy
Lukas has been coming here for the past few years, while he enjoys riding the waves he doesn’t make a lot of time to do it as he has a lot of other things (sports Activities) going on. However, every summer he’s keen to take a couple of lessons to help get his confidence flowing.
The team here at Mount Maunganui Surf Academy creates a fun, relaxed and safe atmosphere. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or looking to improve, Mount Surf Academy is here to ensure you get the best out of your day.
Located on the corner of Banks Avenue and Marine Parade, you can’t miss their trailer and marque tent.
Family lessons are offered here (kids must be 7 and over) and as well as one-to-one sessions. If you are just looking to get the kids surfing while you relax and watch from the beach (that’s what I did) then they offer kids lessons, including surfboards and wetsuits, at a great price.
They also offer 1 and 2-hour lessons for adults along with surfboard hire for those who want to go out in the waves on their own.
The instructors Lukas had over the years have been wonderful, always smiling, giving great advice and above all making sure he had fun. It really is a great spot to come for your Mount Maunganui surf lessons.
Address: Corner Banks Ave &, Marine Parade
Mount Surf School
These guys welcome newcomers with open arms, here you’ll learn everything from how to read waves, paddle correctly, and importantly how to stand and catch waves.
They are located opposite 27 Marine Parade.
The instructors are fully certified, life-saving trained as well as first aid trained so you are in safe hands.
For mums out there wanting to give surfing a go and are looking for other like-minded mums then they offer surfing courses for women that range from level 1 Beginner to level 3 Improver. There is even a longboard course for those ladies looking to ride the bigger boards.
School holiday camps are run here too. Your child can attend for the whole week or you just might want your child to go for the day or a couple of days. The team here will help tailor the days that work best for you.
Camps are Monday – Friday and start at 8.30 am and finish at 1 pm. Kids here will not only learn how to surf they will also be educated in their safety and ocean awareness program, beach games and so much more.
Children aged between 7 to 10 must be accompanied by a nonsurfing adult. The adult will receive a wet suit free of charge.
Mount Surf School also offers a couple of family packages; either the ‘shared family lesson’ where you and the family surf with other surfers outside of your family. Or the ‘private family lesson’ where it’s just your family and the instructor. Personally for just a few more dollars, I would opt for the ‘private family lesson’.
All lessons at the Mount Surf School include a wetsuit and surfboard.
Address: Opposite 27 Marine Parade
South Pacific Surf
This place is perfect when looking for the best Mount Maunganui surf lessons. Located opposite Sutherland Street on Marine Parade.
The instructors here are experienced, certified and motivated to teach you everything you need to get you up and confidently riding waves. Trav and the team will really look after you.
They have an extensive program of private and group lessons for adults and kids alike. Surfboards and wetsuits are included in all lessons. The wet suits are C-skins that keep you warm throughout your lesson.
This is another surf school that offers surf lessons for women, it’s great to see that a few schools offer this. Connie said this is what she would choose if we could get her on a board… one day.
The team at South Pacific Surf also offers holiday programs. Camps are Monday – Friday and start at 8.30 am and finish at 1 pm. The kids receive quality surfing lessons along with theoretical lessons, beach safety education, giant sup, beach games and so much more.
One unique thing about this surf school is that they offer surf trips across to Matakana island to surf the breaks there. They will transport you over there on their South Pacific jet ski and share their local knowledge.
Like Hibiscus Surf School, South Pacific Surf also offer paddle board lessons either in the waves or in Pilot Bay if you like the water flat.
Address: Opposite 36 Marine Parade
Average Joes Surf Coach
Average Joe’s has a great setup opposite Grove Ave on Marine Parade. Now Average Joe’s is not just your Average Joe’s.
They are not your transition surf school, they work with those surfers who are already invested in their their surfing (have their own equipment) and are looking to progress and develop.
Average Joe’s programmes can be taught individually or in small groups.
The team here has a great reputation, you only have to look at the reviews on google to see how impressive these guys are.
Time to ride
They offer a wide range of surfing lessons and packages.such as;
Grom club a surf programme that runs during the school term.
Their school holiday camp is hard to beat. Starting at 8.30 in the morning and finishing at 2 pm. They offer a mix of surfing and skateboarding sessions designed to be skills-based with lots of energy to help kids progress during their holiday programme.
To see the dates they offer this click on their website/Facebook page, but be warned these book out fast.
They also run a Morning Longboard programme to help grow and develop those longboard skills.
The great news is your lesson is videoed and then sent to you to review, great to see where your next steps as well as your growth.
Remember you need your own equipment, they get can boards and wetsuits for you but this is at an extra cost.
If there are no waves and you are keen to skateboard the team at Average Joes can help you out there too.
Time to catch that wave
Click here to read more about their holiday camps
If you are looking for your kids to have some serious fun, progress and be entertained then look no further than Average Joes Surf Coach.
Address: Opposite Grove Ave on Marine Parade
Hakanini Surf School
It might not be in Mount Maunganui however it is only a few minutes drive down the road and could be a great option for those looking to get out of the Mount or those staying in Papamoa and wanting something a little closer.
The team at Hakanini getting ready for the next session
This is Papamoa’s only surf school and what an incredible reputation they have. While neither of my boys have surfed through this school I know quite a few parents whose kids have and they all speak very highly of the team at Hakanini.
They are based out of Papamoa Domain and are very easy to spot.
Hakanini Surf School is right on the beach
Hakanini Surf School is close to Papamoa Beach Holiday Resort and if you are staying there it is only a 2-minute stroll.
Lessons start from $70 depending on how many people are in your group. This includes; 2 hours of surf lessons, water safety, where to surf, basic surf knowledge & how to paddle and most importantly how to get up and stay up!
Hakanini Surf School prices
As well as a wetsuit or rash top, surfboard and sunscreen.
They also offer half-day and full-day board hire from $35
The team at Hakanini does offer school holiday programs, these usually last a week and go for an hour a day. This is a great way to become more confident on the board. I know when Lukas attended a school surf program his confidence and ability improved massively.
Check out their Facebook page for up-and-coming programmes.
You will also find The Sandbank, a great little cafe on the beach, in fact we believe it is one of the best cafes in Papamoa.
Address: Domain Road
Final Thoughts
To be honest all the surf schools here have amazing reviews, 4.9-5 stars on google reviews and trip advisor. So you know whatever surf school you pick you are going to have an unforgettable experience, maybe become hooked and take up surfing.
All the kids holiday camps/programs look and sound awesome, the only really different is either the duration or start/finish times
Lukas having a break during one of his first surf lessons
During the summer months and school holidays, you need to be quick as the Mount Maunganui surf lessons fill up fast
Pricing can always help influence your decision but from what we found the surf schools are around the same price, even the surf camps or holiday programs.
The cheapest option is usually the 2-hour group lesson. This is a great way to introduce kids or adults to surfing.
It’s always great to see the experts carving it up
When Lukas was 7 we put him into O’Neils Surf School for 2 hours a day for the week. He really enjoyed his first surfing experience and as Christmas was only a week away…. yep he got a new surfboard from Santa. Sadly O’Neil Surf School is no longer at the Mount.
All the best and make should you do a ‘shaka’ when you catch that first wave.
Meet the family
We are a family of 4 living in New Zealand. I’m a teacher (great profession for traveling) and my wife Connie is a section administrator. We are also proud parents of two travel-loving boys.
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Hi, I've been fortunate enough to have travelled for over 25 years. My parents gave me the travel bug when I was 10 years old by taking my sister and I to the USA and Mexico for two months. I've travelled by myself, with mates, with my wife and now as a family of four. My goal is to inspire our families to get out and see the world.
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