About

West coast is awesome. Totally unspoilt. Always has waves. No crowds, just go and find your own beach and get it to yourself. Make sure you can swim well though. Its warm most of the year as well and you'll meet some really cool people. The locals rip as well, and i can't understand why NZ hasn't produced a World Champion given how good the waves get here.

Atmosphere:
Atmosphere is cool. NZ localism doesn't seem to exist but they think it does - but it doesnt! We went to a private party at North Piha surf club got trashed with the locals and had a great time. I think they thought it was hilarious to have three poms who could A - surf, B, get into a private party as if they owned the place. Great place, can't wait to go back.

Additional Info:
This place is Sick! Never Flat, always seems to have heaps of grunt. One of the most powerful beach breaks we have ever been to. Currents are a bit of a nightmare. Seems best in the summer months when its cleaner as it gets a bit mad when the onshore kicks in.Lefts off the Headland running from the "Nun" thru to "Camel" and the "Submarine rock" and the "Bee-Hive"... This is South Piha people, and entry onto the bar when its big can be made via the "Keyhole", which is a cave that one can negotiate when the tide is low to mid. Over that you are risking a drilling against the walls as "wash" comes back down the walls. If the Bar is 8-12 feet and up, you can use this way to exit the keyhole, go to your left, climb the rocks, sit under the "ledge" should a big set come ( its neat to watch the wave explode over-head)then scramble up and over...hug the rocks or..do the run, JUMP...and paddle like fuck to escape the bull-kelp, and head out onto the bar. You need to get clear off the kelp and away from submarine rock, or you risk taking a set on the head. The lefts now, break when the bar is setup. 2-15ft, it will handle it, entirely dependant on the banks. I have seen the banks achieve this (10-15ft)maybe 10 times in 20 years. We are talking..BIG...Offshore...lined up, cracking barrels. BIG, HOLLOW....slabs throwing out as far as a house roof. Smaller days yes...6-8 are common, but once again entirely dependant on the swell / Wind / Possums/ to get the right combination. You can surf the "Ditch"...where I learnt to surf. A reform wave you can surf only at hightide, and is to all extents and purposes a nothing wave. Yet, in so saying that, I have surfed it at 12 mid-night, offshore..3-4 ft, HOLLOW AS...and myself and 4 other mates out. This was to a full moon....HEAPS...of light. I remember getting barrelled and watching the light coming thru the lip as I slipped under the curtain. Was farking awesome.... There is also a right hander off Lion Rock, which once again is a fickle break. There is always a wave there, but be warned, as a lot of it is created by the rip running around Lion Rock.

Location

Access

As you drop down into piha take a sharp left turn towards South Piha. Follow the road to the South Piha carpark. From there you can see the bar breaking in the southern end of the bay. Walk around the rocks (south) from the beach for about 30 meters, then jump into the rip which should take you out to the takeoff spot.

Wave Characteristics

Ideal Conditions

Crowd

Dangers

Rips / undertow, Rocks

Videos

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