Ilbaritz - Bora Bora Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty checkin’ in from the shores of Bora Bora. Let’s be real for a sec – the next week or so is gonna test your patience. The surf is tiny, the winds are messy, and there’s really nothing that gets the heart pumpin’ until we get past this first hump.

The water is a warm 75.6°, which is a solid 4.7° warmer than average for this time of year, so you’re not gonna need anything more than a spring suit if you even need that.

We kick off today, Tuesday the 25th of August, with just a weak 1.9ft WNW swell at a short period of 4 seconds – that’s barely a ripple and the wave energy is weak (25). The wind is onshore at 9 mph, so it’s a write-off. Wednesday the 26th isn’t much better – a tiny 1.3ft NW swell but the wind goes offshore from the east in the morning at 3 mph, making for a glassy surface. Still, the swell is just too small and weak to bother paddling out for. We see a little bump on Thursday the 27th morning with no wind at all – glassy as a mirror – but the swell is only 1.3ft and the energy is weak (29). You’d be sitting there doing nothing.

The first real chance for a surf comes on Friday the 28th of August, but that’s a double-edged sword. The swell jumps to 5.6ft from the WNW with moderate energy (365), but the wind is a nasty cross-onshore at 9 mph, making it choppy and ugly. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than anything you’d want to paddle into.

Saturday the 29th of August morning is the first genuine standout in this outlook. We’ve got a clean 5.2ft NW swell with an offshore breeze from the east at 3 mph – that means smooth, clean faces. The energy is solid (388) and the wave comment is actually good. For an intermediate, this is your window. The swell is a little punchy but not too big.

After that, we slide back into mediocrity. Sunday the 30th has a dropping 4.3ft WNW swell with an onshore wind. Monday the 31st is the same story – tiny and chopped out.

Now, lookin’ into early September, Tuesday the 1st of September morning is your other real highlight. The swell holds at 5.6ft from the NW with a 10-second period, and we’ve got clean offshore wind from the east at 6 mph. The wave energy is strong (628) and the forecast is for very good surf. This is a solid day for the experienced intermediate surfer – great shape, good power, just a nice clean wave.

After that, it’s back to onshore junk through the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of September. The swell fades out to 1.6ft by Friday the 4th afternoon.

We get a bit of a glassy morning on Saturday the 5th of September – 2.6ft with no wind – but the swell is too small to really get excited about. The real beast shows up on Tuesday the 8th of September morning. This is a long-range prospect, so keep your fingers crossed, but if it hits, holy moly – 13.1ft of WNW groundswell with a 10-second period. The wave energy is enormous (3476). This is expert territory; way too big for beginners. The wind is light offshore from the east-northeast at 3 mph, so the setup could be absolutely firing at Ilbaritz - Bora Bora (a reef break that’s fairly consistent and exposed to west swells). Crowds will be likely here. Just know that a long-period NW swell can run a bit straight on a beach break, but at a reef like this, it’s going to pack a serious punch.

So, the two standouts to circle on your calendar are Saturday the 29th of August morning and Tuesday the 1st of September morning for clean, fun waves. Keep Tuesday the 8th of September on your watch list for the big boys.

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