Papara Beach Surf Guide

Papara Beach in Tahiti is an exposed beach and reef break that has pretty consitent surf. Winter is the optimum time of year for surfing here. The best wind direction is from the north. Tends to receive distant groundswells and the best swell direction is from the south. The beach break offers both left and right hand waves. Even when there are waves, it's not likley to be crowded. Take care of rocks, rips and sharks.

Papara Beach Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach and reef4fairly consistent
28.8°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Papara Beach:

The best conditions reported for surf at Papara Beach occur when a South swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the North.

What's the best time of year to surf Papara Beach (for consistent clean waves)?

aprilBest Season: summer
The best time of year for surfing Papara Beach with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Summer  and most often the month of April. Clean surfable waves are typically found 35% of the time in April while 64% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 1% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
35%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
64%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
1%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Papara Beach Location Map

Interactive Papara Beach surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The nearest passenger airport to Papara Beach is Temae (Moorea) Airport (MOZ) in French Polynesia, which is 41 km (25 miles) away (directly). The second closest airport to Papara Beach is Huahine Airport (HUH), also in French Polynesia, 201 km (125 miles) away.

  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Papara Beach Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Thursday, 7 May 2026, 01:16 Local Time
WedThursday 07
11PM2AM5AM8AM
Wave (m)
2.1
SE
2.4
SE
2.5
SE
2.5
SE
Period (s) 8 8 8 8
Wind (km/h)
35
40
45
45
Wind State cross cross cross cross

Swell History at Papara Beach

Surf stats for Papara Beach, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Wind History at Papara Beach

Wind stats for Papara Beach, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.


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