Taapuna Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab your wettie. This is Rusty.

Alright, let’s talk. We’ve got a solid run coming up at Taapuna. This isn’t a messy, all-over-the-place forecast; it’s a focused window. The water is sitting at 79°F — about normal for the time of year, so just your standard tropical bathwater.

It’s going to be quiet for the first half of Monday. The first real shot is Tuesday morning, August 18th. That’s when it turns on. We’ve got a clean 3ft groundswell from the SSW with a very long 18 second period. That’s that deep ocean energy. At Taapuna, that long period is exactly what you want — it’ll wrap in nicely and give you those long, lined-up walls. Wind is light offshore from the NNE, so the surface will be clean as a whistle. The combined energy is solid (1219), and it’s set up for experienced surfers. That afternoon looks just as good: 4ft from the SW, light offshore from the NE, and even more energy (1259). Honestly, Tuesday is a standout.

Wednesday (August 19th) keeps the goods coming. Morning has a clean 4ft SSW swell with a 17 second period. Offshore wind from the NE again. The afternoon? Don’t even get me started. Glassy conditions with the wind dropping to nothing from the north, and the swell holding at 4ft from the SSW. That’s as good as it gets for a session.

Thursday morning, August 20th, might be the pick of the bunch for the bigger crew. The swell jumps to 7ft from the SW, with a 15 second period. Wind is absolutely dead — glass-off conditions. That’s a powerful, grinding wave (combined energy is 2166). It’s going to be a heavy, critical wave. This is expert territory, and if you’re not on your game, you’ll be eating reef. The crowd profile says "sometimes" busy, so there will be a few out, but on a wave like that, the lineup usually sorts itself out.

Thursday afternoon the wind swings onshore from the SW, which will mess up the surface. We get a bit of a lull for quality after that. Friday (August 21st) through the weekend is a write-off for clean conditions with strong cross/onshore winds making a mess of the swell.

We do get a reprieve on Sunday morning, August 23rd. The swell is still solid at 8ft from the SSW with a 15 second period, and the wind is a clean cross-off from the ESE. The energy is pumping (2992). It’s a big, powerful wave, so keep your wits about you.

After that, the wind stays strong out of the east for the whole second week. That means clean, cross-off conditions, but the swell is on the big side. It’s more of a windswell/groundswell mix that will be powerful but a bit raw. There’s a noticeable pulse on Monday morning, August 24th (8ft from the S, 3413 energy), and again on the 1st of September when the swell jumps back to 10ft, but that’s a shorter period (9 seconds), so it’s gonna be lumpy and less refined. This setup looks more interesting for a kite session than a clean paddle session as the wind stays strong.

If you’re a competent surfer, your window is Tuesday through Thursday morning next week. That’s the gold.

Rusty.

Read more