Tainohama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring down the charts for our patch. Let me tell you, it's a weird one. We've got a slow, sleepy start, then a massive pulse of energy that's going to shake things up, but you've gotta be sharp about where you paddle out. Let me walk you through it.

Right off the bat, the first few days are pretty quiet. The surf on Monday the 6th is just a tiny 3ft SE swell, and the wind is messy. It’s not really worth getting wet.

Things start stirring on Tuesday the 7th though. Tuesday morning looks like the first real window. We’ve got a clean 4ft ESE swell with very light, cross-offshore winds from the NE. That’s a major positive for clean conditions. The energy in the water is moderate (854), and the water temp is sitting at a pretty normal 77°, so a spring suit will do. The standout here? It’s the only clean session for a few days, so make the most of it.

Then the real story unfolds. By Wednesday the 8th, the swell jumps to 7ft, and it’s coming from the SE with a long, juicy period of 15 seconds. The energy is already strong (3000). But here’s the catch – that S wind is blowing straight onshore. It’s gonna be a bumpy, choppy mess. This is strictly for the experts on a bigger board. By the afternoon it’s 8ft with the same onshore wind.

The size just keeps climbing. By Friday the 10th, we’re talking a solid 12ft to 13ft S swell with a very long period of 16 seconds. The combined energy is massive – we’re talking 11634 on Friday afternoon. That’s a huge, powerful, very long period groundswell. The problem is, for most of this run, the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore from the south. The waves will be big and unruly, and this kind of long period groundswell at a reef like Tainohama can close out and be a real handful. It’s only for experienced surfers who know the spot.

Saturday the 11th is the absolute peak of this pulse. We’re looking at a 13ft S swell at 17 seconds on Saturday morning, with only a light cross-onshore breeze from the S at 6 mph. The energy is still huge at 8661. This is the big one. The swell direction is S, which is close to the optimum S direction for Tainohama, so it should have some decent shape, but be careful – those long periods can make it suck a lot of water off the reef.

After that, it drops quickly. Sunday the 12th is still a solid 7ft but the energy is dropping fast, and the wind is onshore again. By Monday the 13th, it’s back down to 4ft and the quality is poor.

There’s a long, quiet gap for the rest of that week with tiny, poor quality surf and onshore winds. Then, just when you think it’s over, we get a little tease around the 19th and 20th. Sunday the 19th morning is glassy but tiny – just 2ft.

The real second act comes on Monday the 20th afternoon. Look at this: a clean 7ft ESE swell with a light, cross-offshore breeze from the NNE and the wave comment saying "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers". The energy is strong (1223) too. That’s the other standout. It’s not as big as the 13ft monster, but the conditions are much cleaner. Then Tuesday the 21st morning keeps that clean vibe with a 7ft ESE swell and glassy offshore winds from the NE. The period is only 10 seconds, so it’s a windswell or a smaller groundswell, but it’s clean and punchy.

Bottom line: The absolute best session is Saturday the 11th for the biggest, most powerful swell, but it's a beast. The cleanest, most surfable day for experienced surfers is Monday the 20th afternoon, with that excellent wind and a solid 7ft.

Stay safe out there.

- Rusty

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