UPDATED 7.17pm: The search for a missing teenager at Christchurch's Sumner beach is now a recovery operation.

The 14-year-old boy went missing in rough conditions yesterday afternoon and a subsequent search has failed to find any sign of him.

Superintendent Lane Todd says while police were assessing the next steps to take, they were now treating it as a recovery operation.

He says it's been a very difficult time for the young man's family and they are continuing to liaise closely with them.

The boy had been swimming with a friend, who managed to make it to shore.

Twenty volunteers and police staff spent today searching the water and shoreline between Sumner and Taylor's Mistake.

A local boat owner has taken the boy's nana, a family friend, and the boy's mate who he was swimming with yesterday to search the coastline south of the beach.

They motored around Scarborough Heads, to Taylor's Mistake, and as far round to Godley Heads, before heading across to Southshore in a desperate bid to find him.

Family and friends are angry that official search and rescue efforts were scaled back after 90 minutes yesterday.

"We don't understand, it's like they have given up on him," said one family friend.

Police say a search recommenced at first light this morning, with a shoreline search by police search and rescue staff and surf lifesaving volunteers on the water. The search is focused on the area between Sumner and Taylor's Mistake, police say.

"Activities were scaled back in the early evening after all search areas had been exhausted without success," a police statement said this morning.

"Police are liaising with the family of the missing boy and offering them support."

The boy's older sister searched the Scarborough shoreline all night.

"I'm not going home until he's home," she said.

Other friends of the family clambered over rocks around Scarborough Heads.

There has been no sign of the missing boy.

The family do not yet wish the boy's identity to be released.

One friend said locals also joined the search last night, which buoyed their hopes that people cared.

The local boat owner that took family and friends out on a search this morning got in touch after hearing the search was abandoned after 90 minutes yesterday.

He was frustrated that it did not continue between 6pm -9pm last night when the wind had dropped and there was still daylight.

"It's like they gave up on him," said the boat owner who did not want to be named.

"It's been mint all morning and there are no Coastguard boats out. It's pretty bad really."

Locals putting their boats and jet-skis into the water at the Scarborough boat ramp this morning are being asked by the boy's loved ones to keep an eye out for him.

Sea conditions are choppy and temperatures are much lower than yesterday but the family and friends haven't given up hope.

"We are staying positive. We have to," one friend said.