-	All photographs of Surfing Piha

Piha is the birth place of surfing in New Zealand, In 1958 two US lifeguards, Bing Copeland and Rick Stoner arrived here with their malabu long boards and paddled out into the surf at Piha and gave a show that changed the way that many Kiwi’s regard the ocean forevermore.

New Zealand’s western coastline is more frequently pounded by constant surf then its Pacific cousin. With the prevailing south-west wind, and the El Niño effect, make sure that this coastline gets more then its fair share of swell, wind and rain.

The south-west swell is almost constant throughout the winter. violent storms can batter this coast for weeks at a time, moving massive quantities of the black iron sand up and down this coast.
During the summer months the north-east offshore winds are more frequent, the south-west swell will clean up and there will be barrels to be had up and down this excellent coastline.

Every now and then a low pressure system to the north-west will create short lived swells that will start cranking up reefs, sandbars, and points that don’t usually break.

This coastline is well renowned for its strong rips and currents. The wild west coast gets its name for a reason. Piha Beach is one of the most popular and one of the most dangerous surf beaches in the country. The lifeguards who patrol these beachs make dramatic rescues every day.

Being situated so close to Auckland means that when the surf is good every man and his dog are out at the best breaks. There are numerous other waves up and down this coast, some involve a short walk and others a short drive, but if you look around there will be plenty of waves to be shared around when the conditions are right.

See Piha accommodation to check and pre-book a hot shower and a comfortable bed on your Piha surf mission.