Piha Surf School Instructor in Indonesia August 2024.

Our Instructors are all Champion surfers.

While our senior instructors run training camps overseas during winter, we still conduct lessons all year and hire surfing equipment as required. Our lessons are designed to help you learn in the shortest possible time. Piha Surf School is Surfing New Zealand and Watersafe NZ registered. Ask now about our Gift Vouchers and after school programme.

This is a first time beginner lesson in progress.

The days are getting longer and the weather patterns are more settled.

Our emphasis is on safety and then fun. Our instructors are top long term Piha surfers who know the beach. We are Internationally qualified and lifeguard trained. Piha Surf School you will help you surf better, faster and safer.

We try to make all our lessons fun so you enjoy your experience.

Our instructors will take you to a safe part of the beach where you can practice correct technique again and again. Because we are success driven, we want our students to gain the most out of their lesson and finish satisfied with what they have achieved.

This video is of a typical beginner lesson at Piha.

Our leading instructor winning at Piha. Photo:Norrie Montgomery

Piha Surf School was established 20+ years ago and has coached many surfers who have gone on to win National Titles or represent NZ.

We do not have visiting backpackers or inexperienced surfers for instructors. Local knowledge is very important at Piha. For safety and expertise, please check the surf school you visit is SURFING NEW ZEALAND and WATERSAFE NZ registered.

Five European students doing their pre-surf warm up.

Water temperatures are improving and we are running lessons daily.
Piha Surf School have smaller classes so you improve faster. We also use a part of the beach that is safe and perfect for learning even if you have never been on a surfboard before. For intermediate and advanced surfers we will help you access the best parts of the beach where you will find high performance waves. Check our Facebook or Instagram pages for more regular updates.

Photos like this get you in a magazine.

There are many forms of success for top surfers.



Our leading instructor has won contests, surfed top breaks around the world, been tour guide or done lessons for major celebrities, but a favourite achievement, is getting a double page spread in a major surfing publication. These are the photos that young surfers put on their wall to inspire their own careers.

Nischa enjoying her lesson with Piha Surf School.

Winter in Piha is great for catching waves in the uncrowded surf.

At Piha Surf School we have warm wetsuits and our moderate climate ensures we have great surfing conditions all year round. We also hire surfboards and wetsuits, and can meet you at the beach to give guidance on where the best waves and safest area will be.

First time beginners can have great success.

Learn from top surfers who have decades of experience at Piha.

Piha Surf School has coached numerous surfers who have gone on to win National Titles and represent New Zealand. We are the original Piha based surf school and are both Surfing New Zealand and Water Safe NZ registered. We also know how to help beginners learn perfect technique as quickly as possible.

Gabi has won multiple National Surfing Titles.

Competition surfing ensures our instructors are at the top of their game.

Gabi grew up in Piha and rose up through the Junior ranks to be now one of the top surfers in New Zealand for both shortboard and longboarding.

At Piha Surf School our instructors are all champion surfers who know Piha Beach better than anyone.

Zen Wallis busting out of a wave.

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Zen Wallis grew up training with Piha Surf School and is now the leading instructor. He has topped the New Zealand Open Men's ratings for shortboard and longboard and has competed around the world at differing World Surfing Champs, in countries from France, USA, Japan, China, Peru, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama. He is also recognised as one of NZ's leading coaches.

Matt after 3 lessons catching his own waves.

Beginner lessons are conducted in an area of the beach that is free from rips and where you can stand up at all times.

Piha Surf School instructors are lifeguard qualified and know Piha Beach extremely well. Lessons are designed according to your ability using training techniques that will improve your surfing quickly. For more information please email: info@pihasurfschool.com

Our instructor, Gabi, winning at a Raglan contest.

To best coach surfing, instructors need to be highly trained.

At Piha Surf School our Instructors are qualified lifeguards and champion surfers who have won contests around New Zealand. Our approach is to teach beginners from their first lesson perfect technique so that they learn faster and stay safer.

Winter time can have perfect surf in Piha.

Piha Surf School is the only surf school operating daily through winter. Because we are in the water every day, we know the best times and places for learning to surf.

Piha is the safest and most sheltered beach on Auckland's west coast. It has a wide variety of breaks that can provide fun lesson conditions for surfers of all levels.

Piha Surf School instructors know perfect technique.

High tide on Friday will be at 10am, on Saturday at 10.45am, and Sunday at 10.30am.
The surf this weekend will be 1.5-2m with light winds. For intermediate and beginner surfers, the best time to train will be from dawn each morning through until 2pm each day. For advanced surfers the dead low tide will provide some world class waves. The forecast is good and we rate conditions 8/10.
Tip:Please check your legrope is in good order for the safety of yourself and other surfers.

Beginner surfer enjoying an inside reform wave.

High tides this weekend are Saturday (7am and 7.20pm) and Sunday (7.45am and 8.10pm).
We have a perfect surfing forecast for this weekend with 1 metre swells and light offshore winds. For beginners, the best time to surf will be from dawn until 10am each morning and from 3.30pm to dusk each evening. For intermediate and advanced surfers there will be great waves all day long if you know where to look.
Tip:Be extra careful with offshore winds that you cover your head correctly when you fall from your board to protect yourself if the wind blows it back onto you.

This Piha Surf School instructor at a local secret spot.

Piha Surf School instructors are some of the most experienced surfers at Piha and know how to improve your technique and wave knowledge quickly. Experience at Piha and knowing where to surf is vital to how fast you progress. We also can set up dry land training programs that ensure you have the strength and stamina you need to get the most from your surfing.
Contact us now to find out what we offer in our progressive surf lesson packages.

An afterschool lesson for sons, daughters, and mums.

High tide this Saturday is at 10.30am and Sunday at 11.10am.
The change in season has given us fun waves and favourable winds. This weekend there will be great training waves for beginner and intermediate surfers from dawn until 2pm. There will also be a chance to surf from 6.30pm to dark if you want to take in the sunset.
Tip:With daylight saving now in place you can finish work and get to Piha in time to enjoy one of the most refreshing and natural gymnasiums in the world. Contact our instructors for info on the best place to surf.

Beginner lessons can bring surprising success.

High tides will be at dawn and dusk.
We have more onshore wind this weekend so the inside reforms will be best for beginner and intermediate surfers to catch lots of waves and develop their technique. The best times to surf will be from dawn to 10am and then again from 2.30pm to dark.

Tip:As we transition out of the winter months, there are many exercises you can do on land between surfs that will improve your flexibility, and jump up or paddling fitness. Email us for more info.

2x World Champ, John John Florence shows some of his tricks.

The 2024 World Surfing Titles are about to be decided in Southern California.

The event is held at Trestles Point which is a premiere high performance venue where surfers get the chance to show all their aerial tricks to increase their heat scores. The top 5 women and top 5 men surfers will compete in the one day contest to decide who will reign supreme in 2024.

Tube riding is still the best surfing move.

We have mid day high tides this weekend.
With a 3 metre swell running, the waves will be best for beginner and intermediate surfers who are keen to improve their technique in the inside reforms. The best time to surf will be from 8am through until 3pm.

Tip:The best place to surf this weekend will be in front of the Piha Surf Club. Take markers on the beach so you are always aware of your position in the surf.

Perfect technique can be taught to 8 year olds.

High tide this Saturday 12th August is at 12.45pm and on Sunday 13th at 1.30pm
We have onshore wind this weekend which will suit beginner and intermediate surfers best from 9.30am to 4pm in the centre of Piha Beach.

Tip: During the late winter months using a swiss ball or going to the swimming pool can help you maintain your fitness. Please contact one of our instructors to learn our specific training excercises to give you a headstart for your spring surfing.

Good technique helps you find the fun part of a wave.

High tides: Saturday 5th - 8.15am Sunday 6th - 8.50am.
The forecast for this weekend is for great surf with a 1.5 metre swell and light offshore winds. The best times for beginner and intermediate surfers will be from dawn until midday and from 4.30pm to dusk, both days. With fine weather and a near full moon, surfing at Piha will be super fun.
Tip: To learn faster you must know the best part of the beach for your ability. Our instructors will show you what to look for when checking the surf at any beach.

Our instructor with French children at the World Champs.

High tide this Saturday is at 3.30pm and on Sunday at 4.30pm.
We have a 2 metre swell this weekend and a very good forecast for advanced surfers due to light offshore winds. The afternoon high tides mean the best times for beginner and intermediate surfers will be from 12 noon until dark both days. Please contact Piha Surf School to know the best places at the beach for your ability.
Tip:Winter is a great time to improve your technique. We have good quality wetsuits so that you stay warm during your lesson.

Reform waves are smaller fun waves in close to the beach.

High tides: Saturday 5.30pm and Sunday 6.17pm.

The swell will be large this weekend with southwest wind which isn't great for advanced surfers, but for beginner and intermediate surfers there will be great reform waves on the inside that are perfect for improving technique and getting long fun rides.

Tip:Piha Surf School instructors know Piha Beach well and will take you to an area where you can catch 30 waves and improve faster.

Zen surfing at Piha in the National Champs. Photo Cory Scott

Our leading instructor, Zen Wallis, is one of the most experienced surf coaches in New Zealand.

The International Surfing Association hold the World Surfing Champs each year at different top surf breaks around the world. Zen has been a constant member of differing New Zealand teams over the past 10 years placing inside the top 20 surfers on two occasions. Zen has also helped the New Zealand team gain a Copper Medal (4th place) in the relay event.

Cybelle (8 years) enjoying after school lessons.

For 24 years, Piha Surf School has consistently coached children and beginners to surf.
Our after school lessons teach beginners and intermediate surfers how to improve in a safe and fun environment bringing students together from schools across Auckland.
Tip:This is a good time of year to do some cross training. Either on land or in the swimming pool. Piha Surf School instructors have a range of exercises that will both strengthen and quicken your techniques so you improve faster next time you go surfing.

Hawaii's Billy Kemper winning with a 10 point ride.

The Big Wave world tour circuit travels to Hawaii and is often held in 30 foot (10 metre) waves.

Piha Surf School's senior instructors have surfed extensively in Hawaii and many other top breaks around the world. It is the experience in those waves and surfing alongside some of the best surfers in the world that we bring when coaching skills to students of all levels

Even when the surf is big in the outside bay, Piha Surf School will find you great waves to learn in.

High tides: Saturday 2pm and Sunday 2.55pm.

We have a 2 metre swell running and onshore winds this weekend so the best place to surf will be on the inside reforms between 10am and 5pm each day.

Tip:Contact a Piha Surf School instructor to find out where the best reforms are. Their daily knowledge of Piha Beach is second to none and they will help you improve your surfing quickly.

Get coached by a NZ champion surfer who knows Piha Beach.

The high tides are at 9.50am on Saturday and 10.30am on Sunday.
This weekend we have an increase in swell forecast which will reduce options for advanced surfers. For beginners and intermediates there will still be good reform waves from dawn until 1.30pm each day and from 6.30pm again in the evening. There will be a 2 metre swell with light southwest winds, which means Piha will be the most sheltered beach on Auckland's west coast.

Tip:For school children wanting to learn or improve their surfing, our lessons are at 4.30pm daily. Your instructor is highly experienced and knows where the best surf is for every ability.

Spring colours at Piha Beach.

This weekend's high tides are at 4pm on Saturday and 5.15pm on Sunday.
There will be light winds for both days tending southeast for a period on Sunday morning creating optimum conditons. For the early birds, the dawn surfs should be good but both afternoons will provide great opportunity as the tide comes in and the swell settles. There may even be some fun peaks at North Piha on Sunday afternoon.
Tip:To keep warm, run down the beach and run hard on the spot before you enter the water. After your surf, try a sprint up to the car park.

Learn how to catch good waves in a crowded lineup.

Piha Surf School instructors have competed at the highest level.
This means we can improve your surfing quickly whether you are a first time surfer or have surfed for 15 years. We are Piha's original surf school and have the experience to take you to the best part of the beach where you will learn the most and be the safest.
Tip:Be aware of surf schools that have inexperienced instructors or are not Surfing NZ or Watersafe NZ registered. To find out more go to the Piha Surf School Facebook page or email info@pihasurfschool.com

Piha Surf Instructor showing good technique.

High tides: Saturday 9am, Sunday 9.45am and Monday 10.30am.
With perfect light offshore winds and a 1.5 metre swell all weekend, there is good reason to celebrate the start of winter. For beginner and intermediate surfers the waves will be best from dawn through until 12 noon each day in the centre of Piha Beach. For advanced surfers the waves will be world class all day long just depending on whether you choose Piha or North Piha Beaches..
Tip:It might be a great weekend for advanced surfers to branch out and try Karekare Beach or Anawhata Beach. They are not as consistent as Piha but they can be a great option to avoid the crowds.

Our students enjoy small classes with top instructors.

Learn to surf quickly and with confidence in a small group or in a private lesson.

We have smaller numbers in our group lessons so that you are safer and learn more during your lesson. A smaller group means you catch more waves and can get more direct feedback from your instructor throughout your lesson. We have unique learning techniques that ensure you learn a perfect style and do not develop bad habits. Group lessons are run at Piha Beach daily.

Eleven times World Surfing Champ, Kelly Slater is still taking surfing to new levels.
USA's Kelly Slater has been consistently the best surfer in the world for 30 years and has taken the sport out of the world's oceans. In California he has helped develop a wave pool that is blowing other top surfers minds. His wave pool is opening pathways for surfing to feature in major future events like the X Games or even the Olympics. There have been several other wave pools built around the world but none are of the size or quality of what Kelly Slater has unvieled.

Children who attend our holiday programs can improve their surfing remarkably through video analysis.

Our instructors know how to teach perfect technique and how to take the right approach to a wave in a wide variety of conditions. Ask now for a program to help your child make the most progress possible through the winter months.

See our latest video here from the April school holidays.