Surf season
When to surf Piha
Auckland, New Zealand
A punchy beach break.
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Aug
Best months
When it is most consistent
5–7 ft
Typical face
Median day in season
70%
Surfable days
In season
AKL
Nearest airport
Where we price the trip from
Month by month
Median conditions per calendar month, from years of hindcast at this break. The bar is how good the month is relative to this spot's own best month, so a fickle beach break is measured against itself and not against Pipeline.
| Month | Relative quality | Typical face | Surfable days | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 ft | 81% | Peak | |
| Feb | 6 ft | 78% | Peak | |
| Mar | 6 ft | 66% | Peak | |
| Apr | 7 ft | 71% | Peak | |
| May | 6 ft | 64% | Peak | |
| Jun | 5 ft | 69% | Peak | |
| Jul | 6 ft | 59% | Shoulder | |
| Aug | 6 ft | 60% | Peak | |
| Sep | 7 ft | 46% | Shoulder | |
| Oct | 6 ft | 54% | Shoulder | |
| Nov | 6 ft | 60% | Shoulder | |
| Dec | 5 ft | 62% | Shoulder |
What it is like
- What makes it work
- Black-sand bar peaks under Lion Rock; NZ's surf-city beach soaks up relentless Tasman SW swell.
- Sweet spot
- 4 ft faces
- Tide
- Best on a mid-low tide
- Nearest airport
- AKL
Getting there
We watch fares to AKL from the airports our readers fly from, and flag the weeks a cheap one lines up with real swell here.
Other breaks in New Zealand
We watch Piha so you do not have to
BarrelFare checks the surf forecast and live airfare together, and tells you when a cheap flight lands on a good swell here.
Get the appMonths above are medians from years of hindcast, not a forecast. A median tells you when to plan a trip. It does not promise waves on a given day.