28 Jun 10
Recent comments by West Coast surfers near Auckland suggest that the popular Piha reform (ditch) has almost completely disappeared. The local community is working on this issue but this popular beach seems to have lost one of it's more colourful breaks.
The Piha reform, at the southern corner of South Piha Beach has
for decades been popular with the local and Auckland surfing
communities for it's showing at full tide and particularly for
giving us a rideable wave in otherwise maxed out conditions.
There has been much debate, particularly in the last ten years,
about the management of sand, particularly at South Piha. The
debate is based on whether man made influences (eg. sand dunes and
the artificial creek) have been responsible for the reduction in
recyled sand ending up in the right areas to maintain or enhance
the surfing banks and Bar at South Piha.
Let's hope a blend of Local Council and Piha surfing community
initiatives can come up with a solution to bring the previous South
Piha quality back to life.