Ilbaritz - Bora Bora Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's talk about what's going on at Ilbaritz - Bora Bora. It's a reef break, exposed to the west, and it's fairly consistent, but man, the next couple weeks are a real mixed bag. For the first ten days or so, it's a struggle. The waves are small, the period is short, and the wind is often onshore or cross-onshore, making everything choppy. You're seeing a lot of weak energy, numbers like 72, 88, 43 – just no power.

There's a gap from Monday the 20th all the way through to Wednesday morning the 22nd where conditions are just poor. Then Wednesday morning the 22nd gives us clean conditions with a light cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is only 0.9m from the NNW. It's surfable but very ordinary, energy at 63. Not worth rushing out. Thursday the 23rd morning is the same story – clean, but tiny. Friday the 24th morning is glassy flat calm, but the swell is just 0.6m with a 6-second period, energy at 34. That's barely a ripple.

The real shift happens around Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th of July. Tuesday morning the 28th brings a 1.2m NW swell with a 9-second period, energy hitting 220 – now we're talking moderate power. Wind is cross-onshore, so not clean, but it's a step up. Wednesday the 29th morning has 2.0m from the NW, energy jumps to 748 – strong power. This is getting into intermediate territory, maybe too big for beginners, but for the experienced crew, it's interesting. The wind is onshore though, which is a bummer.

Thursday the 30th morning is your best bet. We've got 1.7m from the NW with an 11-second period – that's a long-period groundswell, more energy, better shape on a reef. The wind is light cross-shore, so it should be clean. Energy is 717 – strong. This is the one to aim for if you're experienced. The longer period means longer waits between sets, but when they come, they'll have punch. For those bigger days like 2.0m and 2.1m, it's expert-only.

After that, it drops off again. Friday the 31st through the start of August, the swell fades back to 1.0m or less, and the wind picks up, often onshore. There's a small window on Sunday morning the 2nd of August with a clean cross-offshore breeze and a 0.7m NW swell, but energy is only 108 – weak. It's a consolation.

Overall, this 16-day stretch is marginal. The first week is pretty much a write-off. The second week has a couple days with size and power, but the wind isn't cooperating fully. If I had to pick one day where it all lines up best, it's Thursday the 30th of July morning. That 1.7m groundswell with light cross-shore wind on a reef like this – that's your window. Crowds are often here, so expect company.

Hang in there. This stretch is a grind, but that one day has potential.

Rusty

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