Ilbaritz - Bora Bora Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at the forecast for Ilbaritz - Bora Bora – a reef setup that’s exposed to the west and likes a good W swell.

We’re in for a proper rough patch, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. The first week and a half is pretty much a write-off for any decent paddle surfing. The water is sitting at 76°F right now, which is a good 5°F warmer than usual for this time of year – feels like a warm bath out there, but the surf just isn’t cooperating.

The first few days of August are tiny, with swell heights barely scraping 2ft, and the period is short, around 6 to 8 seconds. Winds are mostly cross-on or onshore, keeping things choppy and messy. The combined swell energy is weak, mostly in the 30 to 57 range, so there’s just no push. Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th have some glassy moments in the morning, but with swell only about 1ft, you’re just floating around. Not worth paddling out for.

The pattern stays poor through the first week. Thursday the 6th morning shows a tiny uptick to 3ft, and the energy jumps to 107 – still weak, but it’s something. The wind is a light cross-off though, so the surface is clean. That’s about the only window where you could get a few little reform waves, but it’s very ordinary.

We then hit a long, grinding stretch of nothing. From Friday the 7th all the way through to Saturday the 16th, the numbers are drab. Swell stays between 1ft and 4ft, but the quality is consistently poor. Winds are mostly cross-on or onshore, and the period rarely gets above 8 seconds. The energy finally climbs on Sunday the 9th to 158 and 163, but with onshore winds and rain showers, it’s a chop-fest. The biggest reading comes right at the end on Sunday the 16th morning – 4ft from the NNW with a 7-second period and 173 energy – but it’s onshore wind again. That’s a messy, blown-out wall. Not what you want.

There is a tiny glimmer early on Tuesday the 11th morning: glassy, calm, with a clean surface and 3ft of NNW swell. But the period is just 8 seconds, and the energy is only 75. It’s surfable, but not a standout. The rest of the 16-day window is just sitting there, empty.

To be honest, if you’ve got a kite, this setup over the weekends with the stronger onshore winds and bumpy water might be more your scene than paddle surfing. For the rest of us, it’s a waiting game. The forecast is poor, but it’s a dry spell – it tends not to stay this flat for long around here.

Rusty.

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