Maui Surfer Girls

Our Newlywed Surf Package

On Tuesday, I taught an adorable newlywed couple from NYC, Jesse and Brianna La Flair.  Ours truly, Nicole Sanchez, captured the magic of their surf lesson.  It was an incredible morning surf lesson for our newlyweds - 4 foot uncrowded glassy waves rolled in at Guardrails Tuesday morning and gave the couple a fun first surf lesson.  It was challenging, but the couple faced the head high waves with grace and an incredible charge attitude.  I was especially impressed with Brianna's first ride - it had to be at least a four foot wave.  The high tide created a backwash wave that jacked up their waves riding to shore.  So it made for some exciting rides. 

If you're a couple, newlywed or not, you can still take advantage of our newlywed special that includes Nicole Sanchez as your personal surf photographer.  It's an amazing way to capture your semi-private surf lesson. 

Here's the top four pics of their surf lesson:

Dustin using her sand chalkboard during her oceanography 101 section of her land lesson.

Brianna charges a head high wave on her first ever wave!  Look at that SURF STOKE smile!

Dustin's "instructor show off" wave.  Floaters like these are taught at her 2nd class with her students...

Dustin's longboard launch off the backwash.

Nicole Sanchez and Behind the Lens Maui

For the past 5 years, Nicole Sanchez has provided our surf school and camps with amazing photography.  She is a true talent and offers professional service with the island touch of aloha. 
She shoots us charging wahine's from the back of our jet ski in 30 foot surf at "Jaws", as well as our surf lessons from shore.

Nicole is also awesome with family portraits and wedding photography. 

So on your next visit to Maui look her up at Behind the Lens Maui. 

Maui Wedding Photographer
How to contact  Nicole Sanchez:
By Phone: at (808) 205-2366
By email: behindthelensmaui@gmail.com

Located in Maui, Hawaii

Behind The Lens Maui Photography
75 Waiaka Lane #102
Wailuku, Hawaii 96793
(808) 205-2366

Here's a couple shots from our lesson with the Kuhr family from Seattle, Washington last week.

Happy Surfin' Family with Maui Surfer Girls

We've had a lot of happy families come through our surf lessons recently during the holidays.  Here's the McGovern family from Chicago!  They were happy to be out of the freezing cold weather back home and enjoying 80 degree weather and the glassy waves of Maui!

Photography by Nicole Sanchez at Behind the Lens Maui

Surf Lessons with Sharky

For the past five years, MSG surf school has been blessed to have one of the best surf instructors on the island working for us.  And believe it or not, it's our one token male instructor, "Sharky".  Our joke is that he'd come dressed for classes in a coconut bra to fit in with all the Maui Surfer Girls and female students.  We figured that our students would appreciate a professional, compassionate, and handsome surfer guy instructor. 

Sharky teaches a thorough surf lesson, where he emphasizes what he's so passionate about (besides surfing of course):  Hawaiian cultural awareness & preservation of our reefs & beaches.  Our students have been entertained with his sand drawings, writing "Papa He'e Nalu" (hawaiian for surfer of waves) on his makeshift sand chalkboard on the bottom of our soft top surfboard.  He teaches respect for the reefs by never walking on the bottom with your booties, respect for our beaches by cleaning up trash, respect for other surfers by knowing the surf etiquette.  If you want the best surf lesson in Maui, request Sharky when you book with Maui Surfer Girls!  He's got over 15 years teaching experience!

He recently taught Jim Sorenson's two daughters.  Jim was nice enough to write us the day after their surf lesson last Saturday, giving Sharky props:

"Dustin, Just wanted to let you know we had a lesson with Sharky yesterday.  My daughter, now 16, has had surfing lessons over the years on Maui, the Big Island, and Kauai...and this was clearly the best.  Sharky taught aloha, respect, wave etiquette, safety, surf history...he had the girls involved and had them up and surfing right away....they had a lot of fun in the water...and learned.  They even pulled off a tandem. ...well sort of.  Mahalo for that.  Aloha to Sharky."  -- Jim, Audrey, Ana Sorensen and Kylie Tafoya

Sharky spreading the "aloha spirit" with the Maui Surfer Girls!

Swellwomen - Surf & Yoga Experiences for Women '09 Summer Sessions

So for the past 5 years Maui Surfer Girls have been teaching surf lessons for Me-Shell's Swellwomen retreats in Maui.  It's been amazing to see the adult women extension of MSG come to life after Me-Shell's summer with MSG in '03.  I've enjoyed teaching women from all backgrounds and skill levels at her retreats.  They do a great job of introducing not only surfing, but a healthy lifestyle of yoga, massage, nutritious yummy food, and other water activities like stand up surfing and snorkelling.  For all those mom's out there that want to experience a taste of what your daughters do at our surf camps - check out Swellwomen for their next retreats at Swellwomen.com

Here's some photos from their retreat last week.

Surf Lesson Props from the Heath Family

Just wanted to share some great feedback we got from one of our surf lesson clients recently.  Here's what they had to say:

"Our surf lesson was awesome.    Our instructor was absolutely great with our girls and that made all the difference in the world.   Our daughters are night and day and she read them perfectly.   Luana has natural people skills.   For what it is worth she spoke highly about you and her job.  She represents you honorably."  --David Heath Aug. 10, 2009

Thanks Luana for representing MSG "honorably"! 

 

Maui Surf Lessons

We love making people's Hawaiian surf dreams come true...It's cool to know that MSG can make a lasting impact on our student's lives, in just a 2 hour class.  The Wood family came to us last year with their daughter and son, but this year they left them behind and took a class on their own.  They were both reluctant, but decided to face their fears and go for it.  Brandon was pretty nervous and admitted after the class that he felt like throwing up as he drove to the surf lesson that morning!  Luckily after catching his first wave, he realized that there was nothing to be afraid of at the easy goin' rollers at "Guardrails".  Katie just wrote in and shared these photos from our class.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, for our lesson.  You really have a great thing going.  We wouldn't even dream of doing this with anyone else.  It was a really important thing for me to do, I was just diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and not knowing what the future holds for me physically, I wanted to do it now since I have always wanted to try it.  It was quite possibly the funnest thing we have ever done.  You would think we caught some waves at Jaws we were so excited!

Hoping we can keep in touch, you really do make people feel like old friends:)  It's part of your gift and what makes you so good at what you do!"

Maui Surfer Girls Surf Lesson Video

Our returning happy customer David Carrera and his wife Aidith made this cool little video of their surf lesson with MSG.  You can even see the breaching whale show in the background of our surf lesson.  I always tell my students in the winter season, that they'll be enjoying a 2 for 1 special: surf lesson & whale watch with Maui Surfer Girls!

Thank you David for another plug on Trip Advisor!  Here's the link: MAUI SURFER GIRLS ROCK!

Or you can check the video here:

Humpback Whale Breach

It's one of my favorite times of year here in Maui for many reasons - big surf of course - but also the humpback whales frolic in our waters each winter.  Just like Maui's tourist, they make an annual pilgrimage to Maui's warm waters to mate and give birth.  During our surf lessons, we've had a ten minute breaching performance right in front of us as we've been catching waves!  Who needs to spend money on a whale watch when you can watch the whales from your surfboard at our prestine surf locales.

Last weekend, my family and I went on a whale watch & thanks to a Maui native standing next to me, Victoria, she caught an incredible breach on film.  She just emailed this footage to share with our blog.  Check it out!

Trip Advisor Review of Maui Surfer Girls

David Carrera, one of our students this year, wrote up a review on their surf lesson with Maui Surfer Girls.  Him and his wife are returning in February for another lesson.  Thank you David for your kind words!

We'd love more reviews if any of you have taken a surf lesson from us.  You can share your feedback on this link:

Trip Advisor Review of Maui Surfer Girls