Ilbaritz - Bora Bora Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s comin’ down the pipe for Ilbaritz - Bora Bora over the next 16 days.

Right off the bat, I’ll be straight with you: it’s a pretty grim stretch. The first week and a half is basically a write-off, with only a few fleeting moments of surfable, but ordinary, waves. The good news is there’s a little puff of life in the second week.

We kick off on Saturday, 1st August with a glassy morning. The water is a balmy 76°F – that’s 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year, so it’s feeling like a bathtub out there. There’s a tiny 2ft NW swell with a short 8 second period, combined energy is weak at 59. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The offshore wind from the NE is glassy, so it’s clean, but there’s just no push. The afternoon gets messy with a cross-on shore.

The rest of the first week is a flat, choppy mess. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-on, and the swell dribbles along at 1.0ft to 2ft with poor conditions. There’s a clean morning on Thursday, 6th August with a 2ft NW swell, but again, it’s just small and weak. Crowds are often a thing here, but with waves this weak, you’ll be sitting alone.

The first real event pops up on Sunday, 9th August. We get a 4ft swell from the WNW with an 8 second period, and the combined energy jumps to a moderate 232. It’s not huge, but it’s the first real size we’ve seen. The morning has a light cross-on wind, so it’ll be a little bumpy, but it’s the standout of the whole forecast. This is a reef break, so the short period (8 seconds) won’t offer the best shape, but it’s the only window with some push. For a Sunday morning session, it’s the best on offer.

After that, it’s back to small stuff. Monday, 10th August has a glassy morning with 3ft NW swell and moderate energy at 119, but it’s still very ordinary. Wednesday, 12th August also has a glassy moment with 2ft and a longer 10 second period, energy at 125, but again, small.

The rest of the second week fades out. The swell never really gets above 4ft, and the wind is mostly onshore. The final day, Sunday, 16th August, has a 4ft NW swell with 7 second period and energy of 143, but it’s blown out by onshore wind.

So, my pick: Sunday, 9th August morning at Ilbaritz - Bora Bora. It’s the only day with a bump in size and the cleanest conditions of the whole run. Don’t expect a classic, but it’s the only game in town.

Stay patient, mate.

- Rusty

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