01Am I eligible to work in New Zealand?
If you hold a passport from one of these five countries, you can almost certainly do this.
| Country | Scheme | Age | How long | Money you must show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Capped, 15,000 places | 18 to 35 | 12, 23 or 36 months | NZ$350 per month of stay |
| Netherlands | Uncapped, open now | 18 to 30 | 12 months | NZ$4,200 in savings |
| United States | Uncapped, open now | 18 to 30 | 12 months | NZ$4,200 in savings |
| Canada | Uncapped, open now | 18 to 35 | 12 or 23 months | NZ$4,200 in savings |
| Australia | No visa needed at all | Any age | Indefinite | Nothing |
Your passport decides your own upper limit.
- UK, Canada, Australia: our full 22 to 35 range applies.
- Netherlands, USA: the visa stops at 30, so you need to be 22 to 30.
If you're 31 to 35 on a Dutch or US passport, we're sorry. That rule is New Zealand's, not ours.
The five facts
- Visa fee from NZ$770, and we refund it when you complete the season. Conditions are in section 05.
- 80% of applications are decided within about 1.5 weeks. It is faster than most people expect.
- No job offer needed. You can apply on your own, before you talk to us. Obviously having a visa already would be a significant advantage in your application.
- You need to show either a ticket out of New Zealand or enough money to buy one, on top of the living-cost funds. In practice it is usually cheaper to buy a return ticket and change the departure date closer to the time. The savings requirement is the government making sure you can look after yourself if something goes wrong.
- Medical insurance is required for everyone except the UK, which has reciprocal healthcare with New Zealand.
What it costs you
| Low | High | |
|---|---|---|
| Visa fee | 770 | 770 |
| Medical insurance (not UK) | 450 | 1,100 |
| One-way flight to Auckland | 735 | 2,600 |
| Cash out | 2,055 | 5,120 |
| Funds you must hold, not spend | 4,200 | 4,200 |
We can't do the visa part for you. But it is faster and simpler than most people expect.
02Who is Underground, and where are we?
Founded in 1997 by Nick Humphreys. Twenty nine years on, still independent, still one shop. You work directly with the owner, not a regional manager.
We are one of the biggest Foil Drive and Armstrong dealers in the world.
We have an amazing clientele base and extremely good knowledge of these brands. We are looking for people who would like to improve their skills with these brands.
The Armstrong head office is located several hundred meters away from us
- 306 Hibiscus Coast Highway, Orewa. The shop is across the road from the beach.
- Orewa is a beach town 30 minutes north of Auckland City.
Small surf, wind and flat water are all within walking distance.
Jump into Google Maps below and you'll see what an incredible area it is for water sports.
Surf Store location:
Foil Store Location:
- Armstrong premium demo centre and Foil-Drive premium demo centre. Over NZ$200,000 of demo equipment.
- World-class surf and foil breaks are an easy drive.
Days off go further than the shop doorstep. Piha and Muriwai are under an hour. Raglan is about two hours. Shipwreck Bay about four hours.
About Orewa. Orewa Beach is not a party town but it is a great vibe during summer. It's a very busy popular day side beach destination with lots of bars and restaurants. It's a safe fun place. Great skatepark and pump track.
Strong Surf Life Saving Clubs & Sailing Clubs if that is of interest to you.
While the surf is often on the small side Locally it produces very good foil and longboard waves and with bigger powerful surf only 50 minutes away on the west coast.
03What are the critical dates?
This is the part Is important, so read it properly.
- You must be available to work 1 November 2026 through to 31 March 2027.
- Ideally you start in October.
- Work may continue to the end of April 2027, by negotiation.
- For the right person there is a possibility of carrying on through the winter.
- No extended leave until at least mid-February 2027.
- Up to two weeks' holiday leave across the contract.
How it runs
- ApplyYou apply for the visa yourself. No job offer needed.
- About 1.5 weeks80% of visas are decided in that time.
- Book your flightNovember is a lot cheaper than December.
- October, ideallyYou land, get set up, and do a paid training week.
- Dec and JanPeak season. Flat out. That is the deal.
- 31 MarchSeason ends. Your visa still has months left on it.
- From AprilGo and see the country.
Fastest case is three to four weeks from decision to standing on our shop floor. Typical is six to eight. So applying in September means starting in October.
04What about accommodation?
A house about ten minutes' drive from the shop, shared with other staff. Beds and bedding provided. You'll need to pay for food and utilities.
- After the first month you can stay on in the house if the crew is getting on, or we'll help you find your own place.
- A room in the area typically runs NZ$200 to 400 a week, depending on the house and where it is.
- It is likely you will want your own car while living here. We can help you find a cheap car but we also do have some company vehicles you'll have access to.
05The role, the money, and the honest bits
Two roles, one to two people in each.
The ideal candidates can cover both of these areas comfortably
Foil & Wing Specialist, Sales & demos
Sell foils, wings, boards and wetsuits on the shop floor. Run demo days. Answer the hard technical questions. You need to wing foil at intermediate level or better, understand foil equipment, and have a retail or watersports school background.
Surf & Hardgoods, Sales & demos
Surfboards, wetsuits, leashes, fins, accessories. Fitting wetsuits and matching boards to people. You surf regularly, understand surf equipment, and have a retail or surf school background.
The package
| Pay | NZ$28.50 to $35 an hour, depending on experience |
| Tax | Taxed each payday at the NZ rate, roughly 30%. You get a significant refund when you leave the country. |
| Hours | 30 to 45 a week, guaranteed minimum |
| Contract | Fixed-term seasonal, Nov 2026 to Mar 2027 |
| Staff discount | Generally 40% off, less on certain hard goods |
| Demo gear | Free use of demo foils, wings, boards on your days off. Over $200k of it. |
| Accommodation | First month room rent covered. |
| Completion bonus | NZ$1,000 on finishing the full season |
| Visa fee refund | We refund your NZ$770 visa fee. Conditions: no written warnings during your employment, and you work out your full contracted term to the best of your ability. |
| Roster | Weekends and weekdays. Usually two days off in a row. Flexible: sometimes three days off after a six-day week, so you can take trips. |
| Training | All training paid at your normal hourly rate |
The honest bits
This is a full on busy retail and e-commerce job and it is highly varied. One moment it's shooting for social media, the next it is stock in and out, packing orders, retail sales, demos and lessons. We are a small team and everyone is a jack of all trades. We want people who work hard together, play hard together and get on well together.
The ideal person is dying to surf before work if it is good, works hard all day, then wants to wing after work and socialise with the local crew. We live the life we sell. All our retail staff need to be able to run private demos and coaching.
- You need NZ$4,200 in the bank plus a way out of the country before Immigration will grant your visa. We can't do that part for you.
- Orewa is quiet. Auckland nightlife means a commute.
- December and January are flat out. That is the deal. Work hard through summer, travel from March.
What we need from you
- Aged 22 to 35, capped at 30 on a Dutch or US passport. See section 01.
- You surf, wing foil or surf foil. Kiteboarding and windsurfing on their own do not count.
- Functional conversational English, including banter.
- Solid computer and technical skills, especially around AI.
- Available for the full window, and you understand the leave rules.