Big Wave Dave Surf Co.

What Big Wave Dave Surf Co. does

Big Wave Dave Surf Co. is a privately held, family-owned surf school and equipment rental business headquartered at 226 Lewers St in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii. The company provides surf instruction across all skill levels through private and group lessons, bodyboarding, and stand-up paddleboarding, supplemented by outrigger canoe rides, surf tours, surf photography, equipment rentals, corporate team-building events, and an integrated coffee and cafe operation branded separately at coffeewaikiki.com. All instructors are required to hold a minimum of ten years of surfing experience, American Red Cross certifications in Lifeguarding, First Aid, CPR, and Open Water Rescue, as well as Hawaii DLNR surf instructor certification, and the company markets a guarantee that students will catch a wave on their first lesson. The business is Beach Boys Certified and is positioned as a Waikiki authentic-Hawaiian surf experience for vacationing tourists.

The company has approximately 7 employees and no proprietary technology stack, with all booking, payments, and calendar management handled through the embedded FareHarbor reservation platform and the website built on Squarespace. Revenue is generated primarily through per-transaction fees across lessons, rentals, cafe sales, photography, and corporate events, with prepaid gift cards adding a small digital commerce component. The primary customer segment is tourists visiting Oahu, with corporate groups and experienced surfers seeking local-break knowledge as secondary segments. Distribution is direct-to-consumer across three channels: the FareHarbor-enabled website, phone reservations, and walk-in inquiries at the Waikiki storefront, with referral traffic generated through the sister company Pacific Island Beach Boys, which operates three beach concessions on Waikiki Beach. The market served is single-country and limited to Hawaii, with no disclosed expansion into additional geographies and no public funding, M&A, or revenue figures.

Name

Big Wave Dave Surf Co.

Legal name

Big Wave Dave Surf Co.

Website

https://bigwavedavesurfco.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Big Wave Dave Surf Co. is a Waikiki-based, Beach Boys Certified surf school and equipment rental business serving Oahu tourists with private and group lessons, bodyboarding, paddleboarding, canoe rides, photography, and an integrated cafe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Surf School & Beach Recreation Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

akta.pro primary industry

Surf Schools & Surf Camps (THAAAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Surfing & Kitesurfing Experiences (Lessons, Camps) (THAJAJAJ), Surf, Kitesurf & Wind Sports Adventures (THAJABAK), Kayaking, Canoeing & SUP Coastal Tours (THAAAIAF)

Keywords

• Surf school
• Surf lessons
• Beach equipment rentals
• Water sports instruction
• Ocean recreation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Surf Lessons: Private and group surf lessons for all skill levels. Revenue generated per lesson transaction.
2. Equipment Rentals: Surfboard, bodyboard, and stand-up paddleboard rentals in Waikiki.
3. Cafe/Coffee Operations: Coffee and cafe services operated at the Waikiki location.
4. Photography Services: Surf photography services offered during lessons.
5. Corporate Events: Team-building surf experiences for corporate groups.
6. Gift Cards: Prepaid gift cards for surf lessons and cafe purchases.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Big Wave Dave Surf Co. is a Beach Boys Certified surf school in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii offering private and group surf lessons, body boarding lessons, stand up paddleboard instruction, outrigger canoe rides, guided surf tours, equipment rentals, surf photography, corporate events, and a coffee/café. All instructors hold a minimum of 10 years of surfing experience, American Red Cross certifications, and Hawaii DLNR surf instructor certification.

Product overview

Big Wave Dave Surf Co. operates as an Oahu-based surf school and equipment rental business offering a unified portfolio of instructional services and recreational experiences. The core offering centers on surf lessons (private, group, body boarding, and stand up paddleboard) supplemented by cultural activities (outrigger canoe rides, surf tours) and a la carte add-ons (surf photography, corporate events, equipment rentals). The business also includes a coffee and cafe component, creating a hospitality-integrated surf experience. All lessons are facilitated through Beach Boys certified instructors with minimum 10 years experience and Hawaii DLNR surf instructor certification, with booking managed through an embedded FareHarbor calendar system. The portfolio is designed to serve vacationing tourists and locals across all skill levels, from first-time beginners to advanced surfers seeking local knowledge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Surf Lessons One-on-one surf instruction delivered by Beach Boys Certified instructors with a minimum 10 years of experience, American Red Cross certifications, and Hawaii DLNR surf instructor certification. Targeted at individual tourists and visitors in Waikiki seeking personalized beginner or intermediate surf coaching.
• Group Surf Lessons Group-format surf lessons led by certified instructors for tourists and visitors in Waikiki, combining technique instruction with Hawaiian cultural context.
• Body Boarding Lessons Instructor-led body boarding lessons delivered on Waikiki Beach for tourists seeking a lower-barrier wave-riding experience.
• Stand Up Paddleboard Lessons Stand up paddleboard (SUP) instruction offered by certified instructors on Waikiki waters for visitors of varying skill levels.
• Outrigger Canoe Rides Traditional Hawaiian outrigger canoe rides offered on Waikiki Beach, providing a cultural ocean experience for visitors, typically scheduled alongside surf lessons.
• Surf Tours Guided surf tours in Waikiki led by local instructors, taking visitors to local surf spots and combining instruction with cultural storytelling.
• Surf Photography Photography service capturing students during their surf lessons and tours, with images delivered via the PicThrive platform.
• Corporate Events Group surf and beach activity packages for corporate clients, designed for team-building, retreats, and group events in Waikiki.
• Equipment Rentals Rental of surfboards and other beach equipment to visitors who want to self-guide their own ocean activities.
• Coffee & Café On-site coffee and café offering for visitors and customers at the Waikiki location.
• Online Shop & Gift Cards E-commerce storefront enabling visitors to purchase branded gift cards and merchandise for use at the surf school.

Quantifiable outcome

• Guaranteed wave-catching on first lesson

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Pacific Island Beach BoyscoreOthersSister company under the same ownership. Pacific Island Beach Boys operates three beach concessions on Waikiki Beach. Cross-promotional relationship where Big Wave Dave Surf Co. is advertised as the 'surf headquarters' partner, and customers of one may be referred to the other.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Kualoa Ranch: Major Oahu activity provider offering tours and outdoor experiences including ocean adventures. Not a surf school, but a competing activity provider for the same Oahu visitor spending, with growing water-experience offerings that intersect Big Wave Dave's tour and canoe products.

Direct peers

• Goofy Foot Surf School: Long-running Hawaii surf school offering lessons in Waikiki and on the North Shore. Comparable product mix of private and group lessons plus rentals, with similar customer profile of Oahu vacationers.
• North Shore Surf Girls: Oahu surf school focused on women's lessons but open to all skill levels, serving visitors to Hawaii. Comparable lesson format, certification standards, and tourist customer base, differentiated by gender-focused positioning.
• Hans Hedemann Surf School: Established Hawaii surf school offering private and group lessons, SUP, and outrigger canoe experiences in Waikiki and Honolulu. Directly comparable in product mix (lessons, canoe, SUP) and target tourist segment, making it the closest head-to-head competitor in Waikiki.
• Faith Surf School: Waikiki-based surf school providing beginner through advanced surf lessons, SUP, and bodyboarding to Oahu visitors. Operates with similar instructor certification standards and direct-to-consumer booking model targeting the same tourist cohort.
• Rainbow Kayak Adventures: Hawaii operator offering kayaking, snorkeling, and water-based eco-tours. Comparable on the water-experiences layer (SUP, canoe, marine tours) and tourist customer base, overlapping with Big Wave Dave's outrigger canoe and SUP lessons.

Others

• Pacific Island Beach Boys: Sister company under common ownership operating three beach concessions on Waikiki Beach. Not a direct lesson competitor but functions as the primary customer acquisition channel for Big Wave Dave through cross-promotional referrals.
• Atlantis Submarines Hawaii: Established Hawaii water-experience operator offering submarine and boat tours to tourists. Comparable on targeting the same Hawaii visitor segment for marine-based paid experiences, though differentiated by deep-water vs. surface activities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-wave-dave-surf-co.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Wave Dave Surf Co.