How to Surf (and Survive) the Las Vegas Vibes of Waikiki

The Moniz clan are surf royalty – from the patriarch, Tony, a charger in his own right, to the brood of exceptional and diverse wave-riders that he and Tammy raised right on the beach at Waikiki.

Carrying on the family tradition, the Moniz Family Surf School has been operation, in some form or another, for decades. Now, they’re located right across the street from the Hyatt Regency (more on that later), they’re available for lessons for all degrees of surfing ability – whether it’s your first time, you need to brush up on your skills, or you just wanna rent a board, paddle out, and catch a few at some of Hawaii’s most storied surf breaks. The Moniz clan has you covered.

“Here, we cater to all levels of surfing,” explained Isaiah, “from your very first time in the ocean, to someone more intermediate level, wanting to brush up on their carving, or maybe cross-stepping on a longboard. We also provide rentals, available every day from 8:30 to 6:30.”

For our session, we surfed Canoes. The slow, gentle waves recalled a memory of me being five years old, vacationing with my family on Oahu, and catching some of my very first waves in the same waters. It was peak nostalgia. However, the session took a turn as, after a wave, I dropped my DJI Osmo Action Cam, which I was using to capture videos of my partner, as she was being expertly assisted by the skilled hands of Isaiah. (If anyone in Waikiki comes across the camera, hit me up!)

No matter, Isaiah’s warmth made the session a highlight of the trip.

Where to stay?

Perched across the street from the commemorative statue of Duke, the Hyatt Regency is in prime location for a visit to Waikiki. The staff, the accommodations, the dining, the extracurricular activities were all top-notch. Everyone was smiling, all the time – it was hard not to do the same.

They put us up in the newly renovated Surf House, a room filled with vintage alaia surfboards, campy yet tasteful décor, and a stunning view of the Waikiki shorefront. It was hard not to leave the room, to be honest, as the view from the balcony was beyond stunning. Hyatt does things right; and they’re leaning into the whole “surf-y” vibe with this new push via the Surf House.

Not to mention, a proceed of the bookings from the Surf House go to the Andy Irons Foundation, celebrating the legacy of the late 3x world champion, and empowering community-based programs for young people struggling with addiction, mental illness, and learning disabilities.

Extracurriculars

Despite its classic charm, at some point, you’re gonna wanna escape the bedlam that is Waikiki. Too many people, a wafting air of sweat, sunscreen, and oversaturation. It’s enough to tempt a weary traveler to drown themselves in mai tais, and fall asleep in the sand amidst the hordes.

Instead, get outta town for a day. We rented a scooter and headed west. Along the way, there are countless stops to check out – Spitting Caves, China Walls, Halona Blowhole, Diamondhead, Sandy Beach, and countless others. It was a highpoint of the trip, for sure. No real destination, the open road, and myriad stops to check out along the way. Not to mention the much-needed open-air breeze from the scooter to cool off. Just watch out when merging onto H-1. On a scooter, that can be a little dicey.

We spent the day beach-hopping, getting sunburnt, frolicking in shorebreak, and lodging sand into every available crevice in our bodies. In fact, as I type this on the airplane back to the mainland, I can still feel a few kernels stuck in my undercarriage. A nice souvenir. Just don’t tell the Department of Agriculture.

By the end of the day, we were wiped. Thankfully, the Surf House had those cloud-like pillows, and insanely soft sheets. We slept like li’l Keiki, dreaming of surf and sun and island adventure.

Waikiki may be a tourist trap these days. (Wonder what Duke would think if he strolled the beach in 2025? Would he pop into the Coach store? Buy a thousand-dollar handbag, then pose for a caricature artist? Probably not.) But it is still the epicenter; it’s modern-day surfing’s heartbeat.

For Isaiah, it’s home. And it’s still got that rich, historic surfing charm.

“It’s easy to get distracted by all the hotels and everything going on,” he said, “but if you look closely in the cracks, there’s still a solid community here. You don’t even need to look to hard. More tourism obviously, but tons of history. It’s something I’m blessed to be a part of.”