Last updated 27 June 2026
SurfCheck.nz is run by Aotearoa Surf. This page explains, in plain English, what information we collect when you use the site, why, and what happens to it. We keep it lean and we do not sell your personal information.
When you chat with SurfGuru, we log the conversation so we can understand what people ask and keep improving it. For each message we store the question, SurfGuru's reply, a random session id (to group a conversation), the page you were on, a rough country, and usage counts. We do not store your exact location or your IP address.
SurfGuru's answers are generated using a trusted third-party AI service that operates overseas. To produce a reply, your message is sent to that provider and handled under their terms. Do not share anything in the chat you would not want processed that way, and never share passwords or payment details.
SurfGuru only uses your location if you tap the location button and your browser asks your permission. We use the coordinates in that moment to work out your nearest spots, and we do not store them. You can turn it off again at any time.
If you use the feedback button to report something, we keep the message and any name or email you choose to include, so we can act on it and reply. That is the only time we collect contact details, and only because you gave them to us.
Your saved spots and your open chat are kept in your own browser (local and session storage) so the site remembers them. That information stays on your device and is not sent to us.
We use web analytics to understand aggregate, anonymous traffic such as page views and rough regions, so we can keep improving the site. This includes Google Analytics, which sets first-party cookies (for example _ga) to count visits and measure how the site is used. Google Analytics anonymises IP addresses, and we do not use it to identify you personally. We also use a separate cookieless analytics service. You can opt out of Google Analytics through your browser settings or Google's opt-out browser add-on (tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout).
We rely on a small number of trusted third-party providers to run SurfCheck: an overseas AI provider that generates SurfGuru's answers from your messages, secure database and hosting providers that store the forecast data, feedback and chat logs, and content-delivery and analytics providers that serve the site and measure aggregate traffic. We share data with these providers only to run the service, never to sell it.
Under the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 you can ask us what we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it. Just get in touch and we will sort it.
Email [email protected] or call +64 9 431 5760.
This is a plain-English summary of how we handle your information, and we may update it as the site grows. Check back here for the latest version.