Taapuna Surf Break

Lat Long: 17.59° S 149.60° W

Taapuna Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 16 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Taapuna sea temperature is
26.2° C
0.4° 

Taapuna surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Taapuna surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 18s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, SSW swell with 3,458 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period with SSE swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Taapuna this week:

The surf forecast for Taapuna over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Taapuna in the next 16 days are 2.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 8AM.

Wave TypeTime (-10) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Mon 17th Aug)4.5ft (1.3m) 12s
Best Surf 5AM (Tue 18th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 18s
Most Powerful 8AM (Sun 23rd Aug)8ft (2.5m) 17s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Taapuna over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s shaping up for Taapuna over the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a proper run of solid, long-period groundswell coming in from the SSW, and the wind looks friendly for a good chunk of it. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild there.

It actually gets going pretty quick. Monday the 17th is a write-off though – ragged, cross-off wind and messy chest-high S swell, not worth paddling out for the conditions. Blink and you’ll miss it.

The real story kicks off from Tuesday the 18th. That morning the swell drops to a knee-to-waist high 1.0ft from the SSW, but the period jumps to 18 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. It’s clean, calm wind, and the combined energy is already pumping at 1242 – solid wave energy. By Tuesday afternoon the swell bumps to 1ft from the SW with a 17-second period, and the wind turns offshore. Clean conditions, heaps of push. This is an excellent window for experienced surfers.

Wednesday the 19th is honestly the standout of the whole run. Morning brings a glassy 1ft from the SSW on a 17-second period – total low-wind conditions, the surface will be like a mirror. Combined energy sits at 1269 – that’s a solid, powerful wave for a reef setup. Afternoon stays glassy with a slight shift – it’s about as perfect as you’ll get for this break.

Thursday morning the 20th takes it up a notch: a 2ft SSW swell with a 15-second period, glassy calm wind, and the combined energy hits 1945 – moderate to strong. This is expert territory at that size, but the conditions are pristine. Glorious, powerful lines. The afternoon turns ugly though, with a cross-onshore wind ruining the shape, so make the morning session count.

Friday and Saturday (21st and 22nd) get blown out by fresh cross and cross-onshore winds. The swell stays solid at 2-2ft from the SSW but the surface gets lumpy and messy. Not worth the struggle.

Sunday the 23rd sees the wind swing cross-off again. The swell is a solid 3ft from the SSW with a 16-second period – big, powerful, groundswell. Combined energy around 3000 – that’s very strong. These are expert-only waves. The morning and afternoon are both clean, but watch for rain showers. The second week rolls through with more SSW swell, but it’s a mixed bag of cross-off winds and building cross-shore chop. Monday the 24th still has some solid 2ft clean waves in the morning, though energy starts dropping. Into Tuesday and Wednesday we see the swell drop back to waist-chest high, and the wind blows cross-off but fresh – it’s rideable but not the highlight.

Thursday the 27th through Saturday the 29th is mostly smaller or onshore, with periods of clean but small surf. Not bad for a longboard but nothing to get excited about. Keep an eye on Sunday the 30th though: the swell jumps back to 2ft from the SSW with a 17-second period, combined energy at 2256, and the wind is only light cross-shore. That’s a promising window at the tail end of the forecast, though the wind turns onshore by afternoon.

So to wrap it up: your absolute best bet is Wednesday the 19th – glassy, clean, chest-high + groundswell, beautiful conditions. The close second is Thursday morning the 20th for the bigger, glassy sets before the wind shift. The rest has moments but those two are the true standouts. This break is exposed and very consistent, so you can usually rely on it, and the crowds can show up sometimes – but with that quality, you won’t mind.

Stay safe out there.

– Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Tue morning, min 24°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ESE on Sun night, calm by Wed afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 25°C on Wed night, min 23°C on Fri afternoon). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the SE by Sat morning).

Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
1
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.8
SSE
13
1.5
S
12
1.5
S
12
0.7
SW
19
1.3
SSE
13
1.1
SW
17
1.2
SW
16
1.3
SSW
17
1.3
SSW
16
1.5
SW
16
2.1
SW
15
2.1
SW
14
2.1
SW
14
2.1
SSW
12
2
SSW
12
1.9
SSW
12
2.3
SSW
14
2.2
SSW
14
2.4
SSW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1057
683
617
390
541
679
757
952
907
1101
1850
1838
1519
1299
1138
984
2122
1922
2766
Wind (km/h)
30
E
25
ENE
30
ENE
20
NE
10
NNW
5
NNE
5
ESE
5
E
5
S
5
SSW
0
SSW
20
SSW
30
SSE
25
SSE
35
SSE
30
SE
35
SE
30
SE
25
ESE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
glassy
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
High Tide
2:15AM0.28m
2:43PM0.26m
2:26AM0.25m
2:51PM0.22m
2:24AM0.23m
2:35PM0.18m
1:54AM0.20m
1:20PM0.16m
00:51AM0.19m
11:21AM0.17m
11:52PM0.20m
11:02AM0.19m
11:37PM0.22m
Low Tide
8:26PM0.08m
8:35AM0.05m
8:38PM0.10m
8:54AM0.08m
8:38PM0.12m
9:04AM0.11m
7:59PM0.13m
8:39AM0.13m
5:59PM0.12m
6:19AM0.13m
5:27PM0.09m
5:46AM0.11m
5:29PM0.06m
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:16
6:15
6:15
6:13
6:13
6:11
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:47
5:47
5:49
5:49
5:49
5:49
5:49
 mm
1
1
Temp °C
24
24
24
25
26
26
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
24
24
23
23
23
24
Feels °C
20
21
22
25
27
27
27
28
29
28
29
26
24
23
23
20
20
20
22
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Taapuna Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Taapuna provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Taapuna can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Taapuna surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Taapuna) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Taapuna may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

Taapuna is 4 km (2 miles) from Papeete. If you plan a holiday in Tahiti, look for hotels and other accommodation in Papeete. Papeete has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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