Piha - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (February - April)

As autumn settles in, the Tasman Sea comes alive with a steady diet of long-period SW and WSW swells. February through April marks the sweet spot for Piha, with ideal wind conditions—offshore breezes from the NW through WSW—occurring 27-28% of the time. Average swell heights climb from 1.4m to 1.7m, while wave periods hover in the 12-13s range, delivering powerful, lined-up waves that groom the famous Piha peaks to perfection. This is when you can score clean, rippable walls with the occasional pumping session that will have you rethinking your lunch plans.

Fair Surf Season (May - August)

Winter arrives with a punch: average swell heights push to 1.9m and periods remain solid at 12.7-13.0s, thanks to a procession of deep Southern Ocean lows. However, the ideal wind window shrinks to 20-25% as prevailing SW and WSW winds—onshore and destructive—dominate. The western Tasman Sea churns, delivering frequent SW and WSW swell trains that are often accompanied by messy onshore winds. Still, between storm fronts, brief windows of offshore flow (mostly NW to W) can transform Piha into a punchy, hollow playground. It's a game of patience, but the rewards are heavy.

Low Surf Season (September - January)

Spring and early summer bring the most challenging conditions. From September through January, ideal wind percentages bottom out at 15-18%, with persistent onshore SW and WSW winds ruining wave quality more than half the time. Swell heights average 1.5-1.9m, but the energy is often short-period (11.7-12.1s) and wrapped in choppy, wind-affected surfaces. The best chance for a clean session comes when a high-pressure system stalls east of the North Island, allowing offshore easterlies to sneak in. Those rare days, especially in January, can still deliver fun, shoulder-high sets—but you'll need to pick your windows carefully.

May: Size on Tap, Wind a Gamble

May sees average swell heights jump to 1.9m, the winter peak starts. The period remains solid at 12.9s. Swell directions are still dominated by SW (43.3%) and WSW (22.9%), but now W swell (7.0%) adds more west in the mix. Unfortunately, ideal wind drops to 25%, and onshore winds from SW, WSW, and W become more frequent and stronger, with significant percentages in the 20-40kph range. The trade-off is size: many days will see 1.5-2.5m pumping sets, but with bumpy, wind-churned faces. Look for brief windows between cold fronts when a southerly change brings clearing skies and a shift to offshore NW flow. Those windows can produce some of the heaviest, most hollow waves of the year at the main peak.