Auckland councillor and Piha resident Sandra Coney said the show had raised awareness of the role of surf-lifesavers and generated sponsorship for lifesavers nationwide.
Assistant club captain Tom Jacka, 21, has been a lifeguard at Piha for seven years, and said the show had made the surf zone safer.
"It's done its job, because there are fewer rescues and incidents. When I first worked here I was off my feet all the time, we had [tourists] going in in jeans - you just don't get that now."
But he noted that in the time the show had been on air the number of beach-goers had dwindled, and he felt this could be due to Piha Rescue's portrayal of the beach as a death-trap.
"Piha is a really nice place, but all they really show is the bad parts about rips. I know people are not going to watch something that's not interesting, but it would be good to see something positive."
Lifeguards and surf instructors agreed that South Piha - the most popular end of the beach where the show was filmed - was safer than neighbouring spots.
The stretch of surf was usually well patrolled and isolated between two rock formations, and surfers felt its currents were easier to manage than those at Muriwai and North Piha.
Much of the conflict at the beach stems in part to community pride.
Piha Surf School founder Phil Wallis has been a resident for 26 years and was uncomfortable with interference by an outside group - especially people not familiar with the nuances of Piha's surf.
Mr Wallis said his criticism was aimed at the cameras, and over-dramatisation of events.
He said the reality show had real-life consequences - his surf school had been undermined by portraying him as a reckless teacher.
Josh Franklin, a shop assistant at Piha, said that in uneventful seasons Piha Rescue seemed to wring drama from harmless events.
