Taapuna Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. We’ve got a classic Tahitian setup on the cards for the next couple of weeks. The main event is Taapuna, a solid reef break that’s a bit of a beast when the swell lines up. Right now, the water is sitting at a warm 79°, which is about bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The window kicks off on Wednesday the 19th of August. Wednesday morning is the standout. The swell is coming from the SSW at 4 ft with a long 17-second period, and the wind is a light 6 mph offshore from the NE. That’s clean, glassy conditions, and the wave energy is strong at 1208. This is the best surf you’ll see in the whole forecast—excellent for experienced surfers. Wednesday afternoon holds up nicely too, with a similar 4 ft SSW swell, a 16-second period, and a light cross-offshore breeze.

Thursday the 20th sees a bigger push of swell, hitting 8 ft from the SW with a 15-second period, but the wind turns onshore and makes things a bit messy. It’s not the same quality. Friday the 21st through Sunday the 22nd gets even worse with strong cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions, even though the swell height stays around 7–8 ft. The energy is still strong, but the wind is ruining it.

Now, Sunday the 23rd of August is where things get interesting again. The swell jumps to 8 ft from the S with a 15-second period, and the wind is a clean cross-offshore from the ESE at 19 mph. The wave energy is massive at 3574. This is solid, powerful surf, but at 8 ft, it’s expert territory only. The break is a reef, so it handles the size well, but that’s a big wave.

Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th have the wind cranking up to 25–28 mph, which trashes the quality despite the swell still being clean-looking. The wave energy drops off through the week, and by Wednesday the 26th, we’re looking at a short-period SE windswell of 5 ft with a 7-second period—weak and messy. That’s a dead zone.

We go through a long stretch of poor conditions from the 27th of August all the way to the 31st of August. The wind is howling at 28–31 mph from the ESE, and while the swell is still showing up, it’s not rideable. The wave energy is moderate to strong, but the wind is way too strong. There’s no surf worth paddling out for during this period.

Finally, we get a flicker of hope on the 1st of September. Tuesday afternoon looks promising with a 4 ft SSW swell, a 14-second period, and a light 6 mph cross-offshore breeze. The wave energy is 746, and the conditions are clean. It’s a solid option.

The real standout, though, is Wednesday the 2nd of September. The swell jumps to 8 ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, and the wind is light and offshore from the ESE. The wave energy is 3294 in the afternoon. That’s big, powerful, clean surf on a reef. It’s expert-only, but it’s the best looking session of the entire second week.

Thursday the 3rd of September brings a similar size swell but cross-onshore winds and a cross-chop, so it’s not as clean.

Overall, the best windows are Wednesday morning the 19th of August for the cleanest, most manageable waves, and Wednesday the 2nd of September for the biggest, most powerful groundswell. If you’re an expert, set your calendar for the 2nd. If you want a more manageable session, get out there on the 19th. The rest of the time, it’s either blown out or too small.

Rusty.

Read more