Piha (South)

The epicentre of surfing in the Auckland Region is Piha, a c. 2.5 km long stretch of black iron rich sand split by the presence of the iconic Lion Rock. This beach break is frequently home to New Zealand’s national surfing competition. This project is concerned with “South Piha”, the section of beach south of Lion Rock.

The Piha Bar is located at South Piha and is known to produce high-quality left handers breaking from Taitomo Island across the bay toward Lion Rock. Controversy surrounds the historical quality of waves breaking at  Piha Bar, which has been attributed to both man-made interventions and natural processes.