Stand-Up Paddle Surf School with Maria Souza

We made a reservation for two private lessons and our credit card was charged $ 438.46. Maria’s website and the confirmation we received said if we cancelled within 72 hours of the class we would get a full refund. We cancelled 5 or 6 days in advance and our credit card hasn’t been credited. We have left messages for Maria and sent her numerous emails but she won’t return calls or answer emails or refund our money. We are now forced to work through VISA and the Better Business Bureau. A sad and apparently untrustworthy way to run a business.

It was our and first time visiting Maui, my husband and I, and one of our Bucket List things to do is learn proper technique for Paddle Boarding. I came across Maria’s Unilocal page since it was a 5 star review, read her reviews and watched her video on her link page.
I called her at 6:30am on a Sat (so early. I know ;p) and got back to me within acouple hours and asked for our height and weight to properly fit our board and paddles to us and a Credit card to hold our RVSP for the next day. Maria sent me a message confirming our appt and directions to where we would meet for our 30 min technique lesson before we headed to the ocean.
It was an easy drive from Lahaina to her home in which also has her Massage Studio. She is very welcoming and has a wealth of knowledge in her lesson. She has a bous ball to help you find balance, mimicking the stability of what the board would feel like in the water. Proper stance, form, getting up and down from your board to a sitting position to a standing positions and variation of paddle strokes.
Also how to hold your board from the side or balance it on top of your head like the pros do it! And of course how to transport your board from land to sea.
We drove down to a near by beach where we strap ourselves into our boards and paddle paddle paddle! During our lesson and paddling out on the ocean Maria was taking our photos at no cost. Capturing the moments that we couldn’t do with one another. As we paddle around she is also teaching us how the wind and ocean variation can change, finding our landing mark, and what we should carry as a emergency kit.
This experiance was so amazing, we stayed upright the whole time and didn’t fall once. We felt really safe with Maria, her lesson is full of information I can take back home and use for my future paddling! I highly recommend her for your lesson!

Learn how to paddleboard right the FIRST time, because as with anything, it is hard to break old habits. Both my husband and I know the importance of good body mechanics (proper form), when it comes to ANY activity. So when we wanted to learn how to paddleboard, we were very picky in trying to find a suitable instructor. Not only is she amazing in teaching you proper form, if you have prior injuries or pain (back, neck, etc.), she will teach you how to prevent further injury to those areas, and even lessen pain in those areas.
Maria starts the land portion at her massage location, which I think is a great idea. We were able to use a nice clean bathroom before heading out (beach bathrooms are not always the best). She always had a cooler full of drinks for us so that we stay hydrated. Most importantly, we were able to focus on learning without people staring at us. We were also able to use various types of equipment that helped us develop our skills.
In the water we were up on our boards paddling right away. Maria always corrected our form, and educated us how to watch the waves, have reference points to help us get back to shore, and taught us emergency rescue skills. She really did not leave anything out.
We of course were able to talk story with Maria, laugh, and just have a good time. A honu turtle even came up next to my board! Maria had her camera ready to take a video, but the honu was quick to hide.
Maria also sent us a lot of pictures and videos to help us remember this amazing time (Many surf schools make you pay for pictures). We can’t wait for her to also have surf lessons, so we could learn pointers from her next time we are on the island.
Please, when choosing an instructor — think about this. Do you want to learn the right way, to prevent any injuries in the future and to progress very quickly in the sport… or the wrong way and wonder why your neck, back, shoulder, etc. hurts, and why you can’t seem to stay on the board?
Choose Maria and you won’t be sorry.

We had such a blast with Maria. My partner and I did private lessons and Maria had her eye on both of us at all times. I felt very safe with Maria knowing that she was a world class surfer and a life guard! AND she carries extra board leash so that she can tow you into shore if necessary. My partner got right up and started paddling. I was not as skilled and spent a good deal of time falling off my board. Given that it was a beautiful summer day in Maui, falling off the board into the clear, warm water was actually fun too! Maria was right there with me, instructing me how to get back up and start again. We will definitely take lessons with her every time we are in Maui. I think next time I will schedule massage appointments with her right after the lessons. SUP boarding is a full body work out! It was one of the highlights of our trip :)

I considered my self somewhat knowledgeable when it comes to the new sport of stand-​up paddle because I paddle 3 – 4 a week in Sacramento CA. Right before I left on my trip to Maui one of my Paddler friends told me I should take some lessons before I go out on the ocean because it’s very different then lake or river paddling. Especially because I was taking my 15 year old daughter and would be riding waves for the first time. BEST ADVICE EVER, AND BEST INVESTMENT EVER. Maria is the most knowledgeable instructor there is when it comes to this sport because it isn’t a crash course. It’s like learning to fly an airplane because she starts with a ground school warm-​up explaining the movements and gives you the confidence you need when the waves are on your heels. My 15 year old doesn’t get up for anyone at 6am unless it’s school, she loved Maria and we ended up going 3 days during our 6 day trip. It was the best mother daughter bonding we’ve done in years and Maria made it one of the best experiences of our lives with her infectious passion for the ocean and sport. It’s like Maria has this 6^th sense when it comes to reading the wind, waves, and our minds. My only regret is that I don’t live here because I would spend more time with her. Riding my first big wave at 55 was the best feeling I’ve ever had when it comes to anything, not just paddling. Without her school and guidance this could have been a miserable, dangerous, experience. I now feel more confident and better equipped to paddle in the ocean and my daughter can’t wait to come back. She’s amazing and I“m looking forward to learning more from her on my next trip.