Mount Maunganui surfer Alex Dive is timing his title tilt to perfection after a sublime run in clean conditions saw him force his way into the Open Men's Division final at the 2015 Billabong National Surfing Championships.

Two high-intensity rounds of the Open Men's Division whittled down the field of surfers to the final four at the end of day five at Piha Beach, Auckland.

Mount Maunganui's Matt-Lewis Hewitt fell out of contention in the Open Men's Division at the semifinal stage. Photo: PhotoCPL.

The surf had dropped overnight but was still 1m – 1.5m with clean surface conditions throughout the morning, followed by afternoon sea breezes.

Among the final quartet is Dive, after winning both his quarter-final and semi-final, putting him through to what will be his first national championships final.

In the quarter-finals Dive, 13.17, and Mount teammate Matt-Lewis Hewitt, 12.5, edged out Taranaki's Sean Kettle and Elliot Paerata Reid (Piha) as both progressed to the next round.

Dive's form continued into the semi-finals, accounting for not only Hewitt again but Whangamata's Dune Kennings and four-time national champion Maz Quinn.

He now faces Quinn, defending champion Billy Stairmand, and first-time finalist Tane Wallis, Piha, in tomorrow's final.

Dive placed seventh at the event in 2014, finishing his run in the semi-finals with his progression having him '100 per cent amped” for the final.

'This event is so prestigious,” he says, 'so to have a crack at winning it and getting my name on that trophy is amazing. I can't wait.”

Under the blistering summer sun, two of the event favourites, Quinn and Billy Stairmand took two different routes to the final.

The two surfers have seven national titles between them but this meant little to Quinn's opponents – Dive, Hewitt and Kennings – who had him on the ropes and facing elimination at the semi-final stage.

Quinn was sitting in third and in need of a score with less than a minute remaining, but he drew on all of his experience to find a wave with ten seconds remaining - a 7.17 which was enough to see him push into second place and advance behind Dive.

'I had a good heat, but struggled in the semis,” admits Quinn.

'I got one in the middle of the heat and one at the end and scraped through. The last time I made the final at Piha I progressed in much the same manner.

'I am stoked to be there though and I am looking forward to the weekend.”

The Open Men's Division will be contested tomorrow giving finalists a day off tomorrow.