Ilbaritz - Bora Bora Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with you – the next couple of weeks at Ilbaritz - Bora Bora are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a real quiet start, then a bit of a pulse, but nothing that’s gonna have you phoning in sick. The water temp is sitting at 76°, which is a whopping 8° warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a real treat if you’re paddling out.

The first few days are pretty bleak. Friday the 10th is a write-off with tiny, weak swell and onshore wind. We're looking at a 2ft swell from the WNW with a short 9-second period, and the combined energy is a measly 68. That’s weak. Saturday the 11th isn’t much better, though the morning has a slight cross-offshore breeze that’ll clean it up a bit for the tiny 2ft waves. The energy nudges up to 102, but it’s still pretty ordinary. Sunday morning the 12th is the first real chance for a sneaky session. The wind goes glassy, which is a major positive, but the swell is still only 2ft and the energy has dropped back to 65. You’ll be scratching for scraps, but at least it’ll be clean.

From Monday the 13th through to Friday the 17th, it’s pretty much a dead zone. The swell drops right off, with heights barely cracking 2ft and periods as low as 4 to 5 seconds. The energy readings are in the teens, which is just pathetic. Onshore winds are a constant problem. This is a real gap in the action.

We finally get a pulse on Saturday the 18th. The morning looks promising – a 3ft swell from the WNW with a 7-second period, and the wind is glassy. The combined energy jumps to 118, which is moderate. That’s the best it’s been in a week. The afternoon gets a bit messy with a cross-shore breeze, but the swell builds to 4ft and energy hits 178. Sunday the 19th morning is also glassy with a 3ft swell, but the energy is back down to 90. These are really the only two standouts in the whole window, and they’re still just “surfable” rather than epic.

After that, it’s back to a long run of poor conditions. The swell picks up a bit towards the end of the month, with Thursday the 24th seeing a 6ft swell in the morning and 7ft in the afternoon from the WNW, with energy readings of 359 and 396. That’s serious energy, but it’s all coming with onshore or cross-onshore winds, so the quality will be blown out. The period is only 7 seconds, so it’s a messy windswell. For a reef break like this, that’s not great. This is really only for the experienced crew who don’t mind a battle. The 25th looks cleaner with a cross-offshore breeze and a 2ft NW swell, but the energy is still moderate at 168.

Overall, don’t get your hopes up. The best windows are the glassy mornings on the 12th, 18th, and 19th, but the swell is small. If you’re a beginner, the 6ft and 7ft days on the 24th are well over your head, and the wind makes it ugly anyway. For the experienced, the 24th afternoon might offer some power, but it’s a gamble.

Rusty.

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