Ilbaritz - Bora Bora Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on offer for Bora Bora.

Alright, to be straight with you, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. The water temp is sitting at a very unusual 75°F (much warmer than normal for this time of year), but that’s about the only thing that’s pumping. We’ve got a long dry spell here. The first real surf recommendation doesn’t pop up until Saturday the 18th of July, so we’re talking a solid week and a half of small, messy, or onshore junk.

Let’s run through the options. It starts with Ilbaritz (Bora Bora). This spot is a reef break, fairly consistent, exposed to the west. For the first week of July, from Sunday the 5th right through to the end of the second week, it’s mostly poor surf conditions. We’re seeing tiny swell, often less than 2ft, coming from the NW or WNW, with periods all over the place but mostly short. The winds are mostly cross-on or straight onshore, with some cross-shore and even glassy moments on the morning of Saturday the 11th, but the swell is just too weak with combined energy in the 60-130 range. It’s just not worth paddling out.

We then get a few mornings with a bit more push, like Tuesday the 14th morning with clean wind (cross-off), but the swell is still only around 3ft and the period is a short 7 seconds. The energy is moderate (131), but the quality is still described as ordinary.

Now, the one standout. Keep your eyes on Saturday the 18th of July. The morning session at Ilbaritz is where it’s at. We’re looking at a clean 3ft swell from the NW with a solid 11-second period. That’s a proper groundswell. The wind is light and offshore from the east, meaning it’ll be glassy and clean. The combined energy is a solid 302, which is moderate-to-strong. This is the best of the bunch by a long shot – smaller but clean, and with that offshore wind, it should be proper. Expect crowds to be a factor, it's often busy there. This is a real window for intermediate surfers to have some fun.

Later that same afternoon, the wind swings cross-shore and jumps to 12 mph, the swell bumps up to 4ft, but the chop will ruin it. So, the morning is the only call.

After that, the models show a return to onshore winds and dropping quality through the 19th and 20th of July. So, there's a very narrow window on the 18th, but it’s about the only solid option in the whole 16-day run. It’s a bit of a wait, but it might just pay off.

Rusty.

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