Ilbaritz - Bora Bora Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Bora Bora’s got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, this forecast is a tough one. For the vast majority of the 16-day window, the conditions just aren't cooperating. We’re looking at a long, frustrating stretch of small, weak swells and poor wind directions that are going to leave things messy. The one real shining light is right at the very end, and it’s a beauty if it comes together.

The first decent session in sight is Saturday morning, July 11th, at Ilbaritz - Bora Bora. It’s only a small 2ft NW swell, but the period is a solid 9 seconds, and the wind is glassy – dead calm from the north. The water is sitting at 76°, which is over 7° warmer than usual, so it feels like a bathtub. The combined wave energy is weak (112), so it won’t have much push, but for a small, clean wave on a reef, it’s your only shot that weekend. Expect crowds here as it’s often busy.

After that Saturday morning window, it’s a brutal run of poor surf. We get hit with onshore and cross-onshore winds for days on end. The swell drops right off, with heights barely scraping 2ft and periods all under 10 seconds. The energy readings are feeble, often below 100. This stretch from Sunday the 12th right through to Wednesday the 22nd of July is basically a write-off. The waves that do show up are going to be chopped up and weak.

Wait for it, though. There’s a big turnaround on the horizon. Friday morning, July 24th, is the standout. We’ve got a solid 5ft NW swell with a 9-second period, and the wind is glassy again from the west-northwest. The combined energy jumps up to 354, a massive step up from the doldrums. The morning of the 24th is the only session marked as “expect good surf conditions,” and that’s the one we’re all waiting for. The swell is just over that beginner-friendly size, so it’ll be a proper challenge for intermediates and a blast for experienced surfers on that exposed west-facing reef.

Sunday morning, July 26th, shows a pulse of even bigger energy (602) with 6ft NW swell and a longer 10-second period, but the wind is onshore from the west. That one is marked as marginal, likely due to the wind messing up that raw power. It looks more interesting for a kite session than a clean paddle.

So, the takeaway: the first week is a barren wasteland. The gold is that Friday morning, July 24th, at Ilbaritz with the glassy offshore wind and a proper swell. That’s the one to circle on the calendar.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

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