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SURFING, SURFBOARD HIRE and SURF LESSONS "Surfed,
ate, surfed, drank, slept, surfed, ate, surfed, drank!" - Tim
Hawkes Bay ~ Piha is a great place to be based for surfing, there are waves here every day and the North East Coast, Coromandel and Raglan are all only 2 1/2 hrs away ~ SURFBOARD
HIRE Surfboards are also available for hire from the two Surf Shops in Piha: Piha Surf and The Lion Rock Surf Shop, see below... SURFING
LESSONS There
are several other commercial operators offering group lessons and
some local surfers that offer private one-on-one surf lessons at
Piha that charge around $60 -$70 per person plus board hire. SURF SHOPS, REPAIRS, SHAPERS Lion Rock Surf Shop: Ian "Ratso" Buchanen is a local surfer and shaper. They sell new and used surfboards, clothing, wetsuits, wax, legropes and have rental boards and wetsuits. $25 -$35 per day and wetsuits $10. Located next to the Piha General Store in the centre of town. Opening hours during summer 10am - 4pm daily and weekends only during winter. Piha Surf Shop: Mike Jolly is a local surfer and shaper and also sells new and used boards, clothing, wetsuits, wax, legropes and have rental boards and wetsuits. $25 -$35 per day and wetsuits $10. Located 122 Seaview Road on the way down the hill to Piha. Open year-round when Mike isn't surfing! PIHA SURFING INFORMATION Piha Beach consists of two distinct beaches, South Piha and North Piha with Lion Rock dividing them.
North Piha features a good left and right on the north side of Lion Rock. You can also find good peaks near the Helipad, river mouth, United and at Caves at the very north end of the beach. (Also good shelter from strong NE winds)
SURFING LINKS - Local surf reports and forecasts for local region. Use these tools to help plan your surf trip:
AUCKLAND SURF SHOPS
Karekare
Beach features a range of quality beach breaks. At the northern
end you'll find a peak offering a fat left and a right wall which
peels through to a grunty shorebreak. Find another peak in front
of Watchmans Rock mid-beach. Click to enlarge image
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South
Piha is the most popular end of the beach and features quality,
hollow powerful left and right beach-breaks and a left hand bar
break off Camel Rock (or the Beehive) - often good
at low tide or on a big swell. Shifting sandbars produce a sucky
wedge takeoff and long workable walls ending with a heavy shorie.
This can also be a good place to look for a wave on days with strong
SW winds. On big maxed out days there can be a good chunky right-hand
reform in "the Ditch" next to Pataki Rocks. This is also
a good end of the beach for learners and beginners as it is smaller
here than North Piha. 
Lion
Rock south side, features left and rights and to the North side
"Old mans" makes an easy paddle out in the rip. Often
suffers from backwash off the rocks at high tide. 
Piha
is best surfed between 3-6 foot (1- 2.5m), in easterly winds on
all tides, is good for surfers of all levels, but when it's big-
competent surfers only. 