A self-described "crap" wave-rider told a court he was not aware the surfboard he bought off a mate had been stolen. (File Photo)

A chance to snap up a cheap surfboard landed a man in trouble after he was accused of receiving stolen property.

Andrew John Te Pania gave evidence in his own defence against a charge of receiving an $800 surfboard. He previously pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The main issue at Monday's judge-alone trial in the New Plymouth District Court was whether Te Pania had recklessly bought the surfboard knowing it had been stolen.

Te Pania said after a win at the pokies at Sporty's Bar in Fitzroy, he left and saw his mate outside on the street.

"He just said do I wanna buy his friend's surfboard for a couple hundred dollars," Te Pania said.

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Te Pania bought the board as he hoped to have another crack at learning the craft.

"They [surfboards] are expensive to me so I thought it was a good, reasonable price."

But after trying it out, he decided to sell the board.

"I couldn't surf," he said.

The court heard how the surfboard had been stolen out of the victim's car on June 1.

On June 13, the victim's father went to the New Plymouth police station and informed officers he had seen his son's surfboard listed for sale on Facebook with a price tag of $200.

The post was made by Te Pania, using his profile.

Police then visited the accused at his Lemon St address and Te Pania confirmed he had listed the surfboard for sale.

He also allowed officers to come into his house to see the board, which was in a wardrobe. The victim's father, who attended the visit with police, then identified it as his son's.

Te Pania was arrested and when spoken to, said he got the surfboard from a friend but refused to provide the man's name.

Under cross-examination by prosecutor Jacob Bourke, Te Pania maintained he did not know it was stolen. He also said he did not think it was unusual to have struck a deal to buy the board out on the street.

Bourke maintained Te Pania had recklessly purchased the board and made no attempt to check whether it had been stolen.

He said there was an element of secrecy as well because Te Pania refused to provide police with the name of the man who sold him the stolen property.

When asked by Judge Sygrove if he had ever owned a surfboard before, Te Pania said he had, when he was 8-years-old.

The judge then asked how he rated himself on the waves.

"Crap. Oh sorry for the language, not good," Te Pania replied.

In his ruling, Judge Sygrove said Te Pania had purchased the surfboard off his friend and was not an "expert" on the equipment's true retail value.

He also said the deal took place in Fitzroy, on a street which leads to the beach, so it would not be completely out of context for a surfboard to be seen or sold there.

"I'm left in some doubt that you knew the property was stolen," Judge Sygrove told Te Pania.

Subsequently, the charge was dismissed.