Ilbaritz - Bora Bora Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – we’re looking at a pretty flat, frustrating stretch ahead at Ilbaritz - Bora Bora. The first week and a half is a write-off for anything decent. You’ll see tiny, weak, short-period pulses that barely register, with combined wave energy sitting at a measly 78 on the opening morning, and it just gets worse from there. The wind is all over the shop, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, so the water’s gonna be choppy and messy. There’s a real gap of poor surf from the 16th right through to the morning of the 20th of August, with scores that don’t even get off the ground.

Thursday the 20th of August morning, we finally see a little flicker. The wind goes glassy, and the swell is a tiny 2 ft from the NW with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is still only 79. It’s surfable, but barely. That afternoon, the period jumps to 11 seconds – a proper long period groundswell – and the energy climbs to 129, but the wind swings cross-shore and messes it up. It’s frustrating because you can see the potential in the water, but the conditions just aren’t cooperating.

Now, here’s the standout. You need to mark your calendar for Friday the 21st of August morning. This is the only real window that gets me excited. We’ve got a 4 ft swell from the NW, period a solid 11 seconds, and combined energy hitting a strong 363. That’s the most push we see in the whole forecast. The wind is a light, cross-offshore breeze from the NE at 3 mph, so the waves are going to be clean and lined up. This is the morning to be out there. The afternoon drops off into poor cross-onshore junk, so don’t sleep on it.

After that, it’s back to mediocrity. The 22nd and 23rd of August offer small, glassy or offshore conditions with tiny 2 ft to 3 ft swells, but the energy is low – around 80 to 169. It’s surfable, but you’re working hard for little reward. From the 24th onwards, it gets ugly again with onshore winds, rain, and tiny, weak waves. There’s a brief tease on the 30th of August morning – a glassy 4 ft NW swell with 278 energy – but that’s 9 days out, and the afternoon turns to rubbish again.

The water temp at Ilbaritz is about average for this time of year, nothing wild to report there. Crowds are often an issue here, but honestly, with this kind of forecast, you might have the place to yourself more often than not. This is a reef break that’s exposed to the west, so it needs the right angle, and we’re just not getting it consistently.

This setup is more interesting for the kite crew than paddle surfers on most days, especially with the onshore wind and small, weak surf. Stick to Friday the 21st morning if you want to get wet. After that, keep an eye on the 30th, but don’t hold your breath.

Stay patient, Rusty.

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