
Surf Forecasts:
Papa Tangaroa surf forecast from 30 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with 5,256 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Papa Tangaroa this week:
The surf forecast for Papa Tangaroa over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 30) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Papa Tangaroa in the next 16 days are 3.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 7s period and expected on Monday (Aug 03) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (-06) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Papa Tangaroa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a solid run of swell coming through for Papa Tangaroa, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag with the wind, so you’ve got to pick your moments.
The main event kicks off Thursday morning, 30 July. That’s when we see the first real window of opportunity. The swell is a clean 5 ft from the SW, with a 12-second period that’s got some proper groundswell energy behind it. The combined energy is a meaty 1048, which is moderate but solid. The wind is a light cross-offshore breeze from the WNW at 6 mph, which is going to leave the surface glassy. This is the standout for the week. Experienced surfers are going to have a good time here. The water temperature is sitting around average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Thursday afternoon, the wind picks up to 16 mph from the NW, and it’s still cross-off, but the quality drops off fast. The swell is the same size, but the breeze is stronger, making it less appealing. Don’t waste your afternoon.
Friday through Saturday, the swell builds to 7 ft – 8 ft from the WSW, but the wind is a fresh cross-offshore, blowing 19-22 mph. That’s stiff. The combined energy climbs into the 1200-1700 range, so there’s power, but the wind is going to mess with the surface. It’s still rideable for the experienced crew, but it won’t be as clean as Thursday morning.
Sunday, 2 August, the wind swings to a light cross-onshore from the SW, with the swell dropping back to 6 ft from the SSW. The period is still a solid 12 seconds, but the wind isn’t doing us any favours. It’s a marginal day.
Monday, 3 August, is a weird one. Monday morning is a write-off – 10 ft from the SSW with a 16-second period (very long period groundswell), but the wind is a strong cross-onshore from the SE at 19 mph. The combined energy is massive at 5393, but it’s going to be a lumpy, messy mess. However, Monday afternoon looks a lot better. The wind backs off to a moderate cross-offshore from the WNW at 12 mph, and the swell is still 10 ft with that 16-second period. The energy jumps to 6608. This is a big, powerful, clean wave for the experts. The long period means it’ll be a bit straight at the take-off, but at a reef break like Papa Tangaroa, it should groom into some proper barrels. This is the second standout of the outlook.
From Tuesday, 4 August, through to the end of the first week and into the second week, it’s a long stretch of poor conditions. The wind is onshore or strong cross-onshore from the SSE, SE, or ESE, blowing 19-28 mph. The swell varies from 4 ft to 10 ft, and the energy is strong, but the wind just ruins it. The 7th and 8th of August have some very long period SW groundswell (18-19 seconds), but with strong winds, you’re just looking at a washing machine. Get the kite out if you’re into that, because it’s not paddle-friendly.
We get a bit of a glimmer on Tuesday, 11 August, in the afternoon. The wind goes light cross-offshore from the NE at 6 mph, and the swell is 8 ft from the SSW with a 13-second period. The combined energy is 2881, and the report says excellent for experienced surfers. That’s a solid window if you can wait that long.
The rest of the second week, from 12 August onward, is mostly windy and messy again, with a few marginal moments but nothing that beats the Thursday morning or Monday afternoon of the first week.
So, if you’re picking your days, Thursday morning, 30 July, is your best bet for a clean, fun session. Monday afternoon, 3 August, is the big-wave day for the experts. Everything else is a gamble on the wind.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri morning, min 18°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Thu morning, fresh winds from the WNW by Sat morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 38mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 21°C on Sat night, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, near gales from the SSE by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
597 | 480 | 455 | 265 | 880 | 1192 | 1042 | 1046 | 1582 | 1402 | 795 | 776 | 886 | 5256 | 4531 | 3297 | 2281 | 1261 | 828 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:30AM0.70m | 6:58PM0.45m | 7:28AM0.66m | 8:33PM0.46m | 8:38AM0.63m | 10:01PM0.50m | 9:49AM0.61m | 11:01PM0.57m | 10:51AM0.60m | 11:46PM0.64m | 11:40AM0.60m | 00:24AM0.72m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:14PM0.29m | 1:46PM0.33m | 00:08AM0.33m | 2:52PM0.32m | 1:34AM0.37m | 3:52PM0.31m | 3:23AM0.37m | 4:39PM0.29m | 4:51AM0.35m | 5:16PM0.26m | 5:54AM0.30m | 5:50PM0.22m | |||||||
— | 7:58 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:56 | — | — | 7:56 | — | — | 7:56 | — | — | |
— | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:49 | — | — | 6:49 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:51 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 14 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 13 | SE 12 | WSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | S 12 |
597 | 480 | 455 | 265 | 125 | 1192 | 1042 | 196 | 139 | 1402 | 795 | 776 | 886 | 5256 | 4531 | 3297 | 2281 | 1167 | 736 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 12 | N 14 | SSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SSW 11 | SE 11 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | S 15 | SSW 14 | SW 13 |
492 | 439 | 303 | 123 | 21 | 20 | 8 | 96 | 14 | 545 | 755 | 494 | 286 | 76 | 80 | 8 | 688 | 684 | 828 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSE 10 | SW 15 | SW 12 | NNW 11 | SSE 10 | NNW 11 | NNW 10 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | WSW 11 | W 11 | WSW 11 | — | N 10 | NNE 8 | SW 18 |
132 | 129 | 38 | 107 | 23 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 132 | 134 | 125 | 290 | 61 | 23 | — | 8 | 6 | 12 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WNW 3 | WNW 5 | WSW 10 | — | — | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | — | — | SE 11 | NW 5 | NW 7 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 |
— | — | 3 | 98 | 880 | — | — | 1046 | 1582 | — | — | 320 | 117 | 342 | 2054 | 2128 | 1347 | 1261 | 619 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 12 | 0 | 3610 | 3635 | 3562 | 3635 | 3610 | 3610 | 3641 | 3610 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3525 | 4 | 3562 | 3588 | 3635 | 3541 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Easter Island | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Chile | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Papa Tangaroa Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Papa Tangaroa provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Papa Tangaroa can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Papa Tangaroa 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 (Papa Tangaroa) 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 Papa Tangaroa 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Easter Island? If you are looking for accommodation near Tanga Roa, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Easter Island, consider staying in Caleton which is 7 km (4 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in Easter Island which is 11 km (7 miles) away











