Ilbaritz - Bora Bora Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's talk surf.

First thing you'll notice is the water's running warm – a solid 24° feels a bit strange for the season, a good couple degrees above what you'd expect. We've got quite a warm spell on our hands.

Now, Ilbaritz - Bora Bora’s looking a bit of a mixed bag to start. The first few days are weak and soft. Thursday’s got a little bit of push but it's short-period, jumbly stuff and not much power behind it. Still, the morning is glassy, so if you're desperate you could catch a soft one. Friday brings in more onshore breeze and the surf just muddies up. Honestly, the first few days are pretty forgettable – a whole lot of nothing happening, energy wise.

Then Saturday the 29th, things switch on. The morning is the pick of the whole 16 days. Swell jumps to 1.9m, but more importantly, the energy is massive – 627 is a huge number. With a touch of offshore breeze and flat-calm conditions, it's going to be clean, lined-up reef waves with a bit of size. If you're an intermediate surfer, this is your window. Don't sleep on it.

Sunday morning is also workable, around 1.3m and cleaner, but the arvo wind spoils it. You'll want to be out early.

There's then a quiet spell with a few flat days around the middle of the week. Nothing to get excited about. The energy drops and the swell fades for a few days.

Then the second week gets interesting again. Saturday the 5th of September has 1.3m with a longer period – 11 seconds – and a clean offshore flow. That's proper groundswell, and it'll feel much better in the water. Sunday the 6th is even stronger at 1.6m, with a solid period and decent power. The morning is the time to go before the north-westerly kicks in and chops it up. If you're flexible, that Sunday morning is a close second to that first standout.

Monday the 7th morning also holds up well, with a clean glassy feel, but after that, the energy just bleeds away. It's back to small, weak, junky surf for the back half of the week.

So, if you only surf once in this stretch, make it the morning of Saturday the 29th. That’s the biggest, cleanest swell of the window. The other good one to keep firm in your mind is the morning of Sunday the 6th of September – similar conditions, just a bit less size, but still good fun.

Remember, this is a reef, and when it gets over 1.5m to 2m, it can get a bit heavier. For beginners, those bigger days might be a bit much. But for the average surfer, those mornings are exactly what you want.

Hope that helps you get your shaper out.

- Rusty

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