Tainohama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. Tainohama is a reef break that demands respect, and right now, it’s a story of two very different halves across this 16-day window.

We kick things off on Wednesday, the 26th of August, with some energy, but the conditions just aren’t there. Wednesday morning has a solid 7ft south swell (1044 combined energy), but that cross-on wind from the SSW at 9 mph is chopping it up, making things rough. The water is a warm 84°, which is a touch above average for this time of year, but it doesn't save the surf. The afternoon gets even messier with choppier conditions. Thursday and the rest of that first week are a write-off – we're looking at lumpy, choppy seas with wind tearing through. There's a brief moment on Friday morning the 28th with a tiny 3ft south-southwest swell and glassy conditions, but it’s really weak, with only 195 combined energy. Not worth paddling out for.

The real story, and the best bet on offer, is a big, powerful, and very long-period south swell that arrives around the 1st of September. The standout session looks to be Tainohama on Tuesday morning, September 1st. That’s a serious 4ft south swell but with a period of 17 seconds – that’s groundswell with some serious grunt – and 1066 combined energy. It will be offering proper, lined-up reef waves. The catch is the cross-on wind from the ESE at 9 mph will still be messy, but the potential is there.

From the 2nd of September onwards, things go nuts. Wednesday the 2nd sees a massive 12ft to 13ft south-southeast swell, with wave energy peaking at a staggering 7907 on the afternoon. That is expert territory only, and the onshore wind will be howling. This kind of size and power carries right through to the 7th of September, with huge swells in the 10-13ft range, but the wind stays on-it throughout, which at this break will create ugly, dangerous conditions for anyone other than the most seasoned charger.

The window starts to clean up on Tuesday the 8th of September. That morning sees the swell drop to a manageable 5ft from the southeast (503 combined energy), and for the first time in a while, we get glassy conditions. This is your second highlight – a clean, fun-sized morning at Tainohama. It’s the best quality you’ll see in the whole run.

After the 8th, the energy fades fast. The 9th and 10th of September drop right back to tiny, weak surf with poor winds, signaling the end of the run.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a complete dud. The second week is where the action is, but it’s almost all big, raw, and wind-affected. The two true standouts are the long-period south swell on the morning of September 1st for size and power, and the clean, glassy morning on September 8th for quality. Don't bother before then.

Rusty.

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