Rutaki Passage Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Cook-Islands – Rarotonga)

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Rutaki Passage Surf Guide

Rutaki Passage in Raratonga is an exposed reef break that has quite reliable surf The best wind direction is from the northeast. Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the best swell direction is from the southwest. Reef breaks provide lefts and rights. Best around high tide when the tide is rising. Unlikely to be too crowded, even when the surf is up. Watch out for coral.

Rutaki Passage Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	3	fairly consistent	26.9°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Rutaki Passage:

The best conditions reported for surf at Rutaki Passage occur when a Southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Northeast.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

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

marchBest Season: autumn

The best time of year for surfing Rutaki Passage with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Autumn and most often the month of March. Clean surfable waves are typically found 41% of the time in March while 22% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 37% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

41%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

22%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

37%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Rutaki Passage Location Map

Interactive Rutaki Passage 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 Rutaki Passage is Rarotonga International (Avarua) Airport (RAR) in Cook Islands, which is 7 km (4 miles) away (directly). The second closest airport to Rutaki Passage is Aitutaki Airport (AIT), also in Cook Islands, 271 km (168 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)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Rutaki Passage Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Monday, 4 May 2026, 22:51 Local Time

m, °C	Mon	Tuesday 05
ft, °F	11PM	2AM	5AM	8AM
Wave (m)	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW
Period (s)	15	15	14	14
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross	cross- off	cross- off	cross- off

What does Rutaki Passage look like?

Latest photos from Rutaki Passage. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: james

Tides at Rutaki Passage

Current tide and informaton

For Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 8 km from Rutaki Passage.

Next High Water: 11:03pm | 0.4m

Next Low Water: 04:39am | 0.21m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Rutaki Passage Sea Temperature

Very warm in and out of the water temperature at Rutaki Passage today, but forecast to be overcast. With sea temperatures of 26.9 °C and a wind chill of 23.0 °C, most surfers will choose a shorty, boardshorts or a summer suit.

Today, many surfers would wear a shorty.

Current Temp*: 26.9°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite