


Surfing is thus a hugely popular sport and the amazing diversity of surf breaks provide just the right setting for this sport. Since New Zealand is insular shaped, it enables people to switch between coasts quite conveniently. The North Island is home to as many as 260 surf spots and is divided into 10 subzones, as compared to the South which has only 87 surf spots and 5 subzones. Moreover, the warm temperature of the North Island waters is a great facilitating factor. The waters in the South are much colder and you will need neoprene cover to venture into them.
The history of surfing goes back to the time when Captain James Cook stopped at Hawaii on his way to the northwest coast of America. After he was killed due to a misadventure on his part, it was Lieutenant James King who took over as First Lieutenant of the Discovery ship and took upon himself the onerous task of completing the narrative part of Cook's journals. It was at this time that he described the sport of surfboard riding in two full pages. This was after he saw the locals engaged in this sport at Kealakekua Bay.
Let us look at the top five surf spots in this wonderful country.