My two junior moonies did enjoy surfing at Waikiki. The waves there are perfect for beginners.

I gave it the "icky" descriptive primarily due to the crowds. We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian village because my wife had meetings there and her work paid for the room. Even being free, the place was still a rip off. $5 for a stale bagel, $1 extra for a little pack of cream cheese, lines for everything, $15 for a beach chair, indifferent staff, etc... We went off property at every opportunity.