Kauai has no shortage of incredible beaches and great surfing. Kalapaki is another lovely beach that offers some great beginner surfing. Kauai Beach Boys (Tripadvisor Reviews) is a great spot right next to the beach to rent surfboards and they offer surf lessons as well. If you have never surfed before, a lesson is quite helpful in getting the basics down and it helps to have someone that knows where you want to be and what waves are good. If you want to figure it out on your own you can just rent a board and get ready for a good time and a few wipeouts.
If you are a beginner surfer it’s a good idea to get a board that has lots of volume, it’ll be easier to catch wavers and more stable to pop-up and ride. A downside of a longboard is that it can be difficult to manage getting beyond the break. This is one thing that makes Kalapaki a nice beginner zone, is that you can walk the board out beyond the shorebreak, just try and time it so you avoid any big waves crashing on shore. And once you make it past that the water gets deeper so you don’t have to worry about turtle rolling or getting in someone’s way. If you stay in the middle of the bay you can paddle beyond the break without having to fight through breaking waves, then hang out to watch and see where people are catching waves.
Once you feel like you’re ready to catch a wave, you’ll look to find a nice wave with enough power to push you and try popping up. If you’re just starting out it helps to catch the whitewash, it’ll push you without having to paddle much and it’ll be fast enough that your board will be stable to pop up. Try and do this till you feel comfortable popping up straight to your feet in one motion, it’s tempting to go to your knees and then to your feet but it’s less stable and not a great habit if you wanna catch waves that have not yet broken.
If you’re feeling really solid on popping up in the whitewash, it’s time to try and catch an unbroken wave. This is a bit trickier because it requires being in the right position, paddling hard, and popping up quickly. When you see the wave growing you want to be in the right spot to paddle and catch the wave maybe 5-10 feet before it breaks, this will allow the momentum of the wave to catch your board, and you can pop up and glide on the face of the wave. Good surfers make this look so effortless but there is a lot going on in such a short time that it becomes quite tricky.
If you want further tips there is a wealth of knowledge in online tutorials and videos. But it is hard to beat having a surf instructor there with you to help you on catching and riding that wave. But even if you don’t shred on the first day it’s hard to beat some time spent in the ocean with a beautiful view!