Hotel Novotel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right now, there’s nothing to get excited about. We’re looking at a solid stretch of onshore and cross-shore easterly winds, lumpy chop, and short-period swell that’s all over the place. Honestly, it’s a bleak few days for a paddle. There’s a gap of a few days at the start where you’re better off just leaving the board in the car.

First real look at things is Wednesday the 9th through the weekend. Hotel Novotel (Tahiti) is the only game in town, and it’s not pretty. We’ve got around 6ft of short-period, 8-second windswell bumping straight out of the east, with a fresh 19 mph cross-shore breeze. The combined energy is moderate at best (452), but it’s messy, lumpy, and cross-chop is everywhere. That’s a beginner break with poor conditions – a waste of energy.

Thursday is much the same, easing slightly to 6ft, but still 16 mph easterly cross-shore winds and that same lumpy mess. Combined energy drops a touch (416). Nothing improves through Friday either. The swell drops to 5ft, but the wind stays on it, and the energy is fading (287).

Saturday the 12th brings a tiny bit of hope. Swell eases to 4ft and the wind backs off to 16 mph, but it goes cross-offshore, which cleans the surface right up. For a moment there, it could be rideable, but it’s still just 8-second chop and the energy is weak (201-205). It’s small and clean-ish but not really worth rushing out for. Sunday turns choppy again as it swings back onshore.

The middle of next week, from the 14th to the 15th, stays mediocre. Small 4-5ft bumps, cross-shore winds in the 12-16 mph range, and no push. Energy dips (194, 241). It’s dribble.

Now, here’s the one notable spike in the whole run: Wednesday the 16th. The swell jumps up to 8ft out of the ESE, with the combined energy hitting 619 – that’s the strongest push we see in this whole period. But it’s early, and it’s a mid-week call, so treat it as promising but not certain. The wind is a fresh 19 mph east cross-shore, and it’s raining. It’s going to be bumpy, lumpy, and probably stormy. For a beginner spot like Hotel Novotel, 8ft is getting properly big, and with that wind, it’s not going to be friendly. Honestly, at that size and with the cross-shore blow, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

After the 16th, it fades again. The 17th through the 19th drops back to 4ft to 5ft, with energy levels tanking from 297 down to as low as 102. The wind stays onshore or cross, and there’s nothing to recommend.

The last few days of the window, from the 20th to the 24th, stay small and weak. Swell hovers around 4ft to 5ft but the periods are short (7-8 seconds), and energy stays in the 95 to 310 range – mostly dead. The 22nd and 23rd see a slight bump back to 5-5ft, but it’s still just short-period slop. No good shape, no power, just messy.

For the whole 16-day stretch, there’s no standout session. The only real swell event is that 8ft pulse on the 16th, but it’s marred by wind and rain. For the rest, it’s a lot of small, weak, cross-shore windswell. For a beginner spot, it’s all too big or too grovelly. Keep the board in the bag for now. The water temp’s about what you’d expect this time of year, nothing weird going on there.

This one’s a miss, folks. Check back next week.

Rusty

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