Surf Forecasts:
Taapuna surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 17s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, S swell with 6,823 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period with SSW 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 Wednesday (Sep 02) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Taapuna in the next 16 days are 3.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (-10) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Taapuna over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. The next 16 days are a mixed bag for Taapuna, but there’s some real promise if you’re patient. The water is sitting at 79°, which is about average for this time of year – nothing out of the ordinary.
We start off on Wednesday, 26th August, with a bit of a dud. Waves around 6 ft from the SE, but it’s a short period (7 seconds) and a strong cross-off breeze – not worth getting wet, honestly. Thursday and Friday, 27th and 28th, see the swell bump up to 7 ft from the SSW, but those winds are still fresh to near gale, making for messy, blown-out conditions. The energy is getting up there, with combined energy readings around 1500 to 2300, but it’s just not clean.
The weekend, 29th and 30th August, brings some serious size – 10 ft to 12 ft from the SSW and S, with combined energy spiking to over 7000. That’s powerful, but it’s also bang in the expert-only zone. The cross-off winds are strong, so it’s not total chaos, but it’s a big, demanding swell. If you’re a seasoned charger, you might find something, but it’s far from classic.
Early next week, 31st August to 1st September, the swell drops to 4 ft to 6 ft from the SSW, period of 12 to 14 seconds, and energy down to around 600 to 1600. Still, the wind remains a fresh cross-off, so it’s rideable but not special. The real standout begins to show up around 8th September. The morning of Tuesday, 8th, we get light offshore winds from the ENE, 16 mph, with 3 ft SSW swell, but a very long period of 18 seconds – that’s groundswell with real punch. By the afternoon, the wind drops to a gentle 9 mph offshore, swell picks up to 4 ft from the SSW, period 17 seconds. It’s clean, glassy offshore, and the conditions are described as “very good.” This is your best window. Taapuna is a reef break, and a long period swell from the SSW is exactly what it was designed for. The energy is moderate (832 to 952), but the quality will be there. Crowds are possible, but it’s worth it.
After that, 9th and 10th September, the wind swings around to cross-onshore and cross-shore, so it gets a bit bumpy, but there’s still 5 ft to 6 ft from the SSW with 14 to 16 second periods. It’s not the cleanest, but it’s still surfable.
So, the standout is Tuesday, 8th September – that morning and afternoon, with offshore winds and a long period SSW groundswell hitting Taapuna. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. The rest of the run is either too big, too windy, or too small, but that window is solid.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 24°C on Wed night, min 22°C on Thu night). Mainly strong winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 23°C on Sat night). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 16 | SSW 16 | S 15 | S 15 | SSW 14 | S 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
838 | 969 | 1147 | 1525 | 2077 | 1928 | 2637 | 4606 | 6823 | 4909 | 4253 | 3601 | 2167 | 1509 | 1179 | 811 | 454 | 365 | 269 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 00:24AM0.29m | 12:31PM0.33m | 00:41AM0.31m | 12:51PM0.34m | 00:57AM0.31m | 1:12PM0.34m | 1:13AM0.31m | 1:33PM0.32m | 1:29AM0.30m | 1:53PM0.30m | 1:44AM0.29m | 2:13PM0.27m | 1:58AM0.27m | ||||||
Low Tide | 6:25AM0.01m | 6:43PM0.01m | 6:43AM0.01m | 7:02PM0.01m | 7:02AM0.00m | 7:21PM0.03m | 7:24AM0.01m | 7:40PM0.05m | 7:45AM0.02m | 7:57PM0.07m | 8:08AM0.03m | 8:10PM0.09m | |||||||
— | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | |
5:50 | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | |
mm | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Temp °C | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 |
Feels °C | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 24 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 16 | SSW 16 | S 15 | S 15 | SSW 14 | S 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 13 |
838 | 969 | 1147 | 1525 | 2077 | 1928 | 2637 | 4606 | 6823 | 4909 | 4253 | 3601 | 2167 | 1509 | 1179 | 811 | 454 | 365 | 269 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 20 | NNW 11 | NNW 11 | NNW 12 | NNW 10 | NNW 11 | N 11 | — | N 10 | — | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 20 | S 16 | SE 7 | SSE 6 |
16 | 265 | 222 | 151 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 9 | — | 2 | — | 18 | 18 | 15 | 21 | 57 | 13 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 14 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | NNW 12 | — | N 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 10 | SSW 19 | ENE 8 | SW 18 |
8 | 14 | 28 | 14 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 37 | 7 | 81 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | NE 5 | E 5 |
440 | 231 | 144 | 148 | 279 | 389 | 331 | 303 | 637 | 287 | 21 | 16 | 199 | 81 | 122 | 77 | 149 | 16 | 73 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3422 | 3503 | 3379 | 3379 | 3379 | 3367 | 3904 | 3336 | 2581 | 2580 | 2580 | 1145 | 1145 | 181 | 182 | 1143 | 217 | 181 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Tahiti | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in French Polynesia | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











