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Piha, New Zealand

Stay in Piha: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Piha

Watch this spot We email you when Piha is worth the trip.

Lion Rock Piha Beach
Piha. Photo: Kevin Jude Deloria, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Piha

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces W (263°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (83°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 900 m out (1 in 90). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in July, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 22°C in February, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 2 good days in 7; in September, October and December, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Piha, 2.8 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 16°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 25 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Auckland International Airport (AKL), changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

    See flights MDW → AKL · Skyscanner from about £740 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 50 min from the airport to Piha.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in PihaAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Piha · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Piha · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Piha on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct324 ft8 smushy212kJ14°C
Mon 19Oct324 ft8 smushy160kJ14°C
Tue 20Oct434 ft10 smushy259kJ15°C
Wed 21Oct314 ft8 smushy235kJ14°C
Thu 22Oct294 ft10 smushy266kJ15°C
Fri 23Oct384 ft6 smushy93kJ15°C
Sat 24Oct505 ft13 ssoft790kJ15°C
Sun 25Oct535 ft12 smushy551kJ15°C
Mon 26Oct414 ft12 ssoft461kJ16°C
Tue 27Oct63 ft7 smushy87kJ17°C
Wed 28Oct335 ft10 smushy471kJ15°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to AKL, changing at DFW, then 50 min by road. About 25h 40 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Whites Beach

    Best 19:00 to 22:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 8 kn (15 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Whites Beach

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 10 kn (19 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Whites Beach

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 11 kn (21 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Karekare

    Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 4 ft at 6 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Whites Beach

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 5 ft at 13 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to AKL, changing at DFW, then 50 min by road. About 25h 40 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Piha each day: Karekare, Piha, Whites Beach.

The trip from Piha, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,380–£2,650 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to AKL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£740–£1,530
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£50–£85
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£225–£375
Food7 days eating out£230–£430
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£165
Total£1,380–£2,650

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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