Raglan vs Piha: which New Zealand surf trip?

What the data says

Raglan is best Jan–Jun, and Piha is best Jan–Mar.

Size is close on a typical day in season: 5–7 ft at Raglan, 5–6 ft at Piha. Raglan is surfable more often: about 81% of days in season, against 76% at Piha.

Raglan is nearest HLZ, and Piha is nearest AKL. The two breaks are about 100 km apart in a straight line. From the airport: Raglan, an easy transfer, 59 min from HLZ; Piha, an easy transfer, 59 min from AKL. Fares move every day, so this page prints none. The app shows the live fare from your airport for the weeks the swell is on.

Which one for your dates

• Jan–Mar: both are at their best, so the town and the wave decide.
• Apr–Jun: Raglan. It is at its best, and Piha is off or only OK.
• Jul: Piha. It is at its best, and Raglan is only OK.
• Aug: Raglan. It is only OK, and Piha is off.
• Sep–Nov: both are off, smaller and less reliable, often fine for a lesson.
• Dec: both are worth the trip, neither at its best.

The two waves

Raglan (Manu Bay)

A long, peeling left point, with more lefts stacked along the coast to the west. Raglan is a small harbor town built around the surf.

Piha

A black-sand beach break under Lion Rock on Auckland's west coast, open to the Tasman Sea. The beach has strong rips, so swim between the flags.

Side by side

Month by month

Best its strongest stretch OK still worth the trip Off smaller and less reliable, often fine for a lesson

Full tables with wave size, surfable days and the wetsuit for every month: Raglan and Piha. Taking a board? See what each airline charges and whether your bag fits.

Seasons rank how often great days come; wave size and surfable days are medians. All of it is from years of wave hindcast (how we score a month). Getting there is the ground leg from the nearest airport, the same figure each spot page shows.