Papa Tangaroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks. We're focusing on one spot here, and it's a proper reef setup that's gonna keep things interesting if you know what you're doing.

The week kicks off with a bit of a frustrating wait, to be honest. Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th have some swell around, but the wind's just not playing ball. It's a cross-off or cross-on, and it's lumpy. Not worth getting wet for.

Alright, now we're talking. Saturday the 18th is where it's at. We've got a glassy start to the morning at Papa Tangaroa, with the wind dropping right out – just a slight air. Swell's a solid 5 ft from the SW. The combined energy is moderate (565). It's not huge, but it'll be clean and fun for those who are comfortable on a reef. The afternoon stays clean with a light cross-off breeze.

Sunday the 19th is a write-off – onshore wind's gonna make a mess of it. That pattern holds through the early part of the week with onshore or cross-off winds and not much to get excited about.

But then, keep your eyes on Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd. Tuesday afternoon brings a pulse of very long-period groundswell. We're talking 5 ft from the SW with a period of 22 seconds – that's proper energy, strong wave energy (2934). That kind of period is a dream for a reef like Papa Tangaroa, giving long, lined-up waves. The wind is a gentle cross-off, keeping it clean. Wednesday afternoon pushes up to 7 ft from the SW with a 19-second period, and the combined energy is strong again (4255). The wind's a bit stronger, a moderate cross-off, but still clean. This is top-tier for experienced surfers.

Now, we hit a wall of pure power. From Thursday the 23rd through Saturday the 25th, the swell goes ballistic – up to 18 ft – but it's going to be a complete mess. Strong cross-off and cross-on winds, combined with that much energy, will make those waves treacherous. This is for experts only, and even then, conditions are poor. Actually, with these winds and that size, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Sunday the 26th offers some relief. The swell drops to a still-chunky 10 ft from the SW, but more importantly, the wind swings to a gentle cross-off. The energy is strong (3151). This is another standout window for experienced surfers who can handle a powerful, clean reef.

The following week from Monday the 28th onwards is a mixed bag. Monday the 28th has the right size (7 ft from the SW) and clean conditions, but that near-gale offshore wind at 31 mph will make paddling out a proper battle. Later in the week, Wednesday the 29th looks tidy again with a clean 7 ft SW swell and moderate offshore winds, perfect for a finetune session. It all starts to fade out after that, with smaller, choppier energy on the last few days of the month.

So, to sum it up: the absolute best on offer is Tuesday afternoon the 21st and all of Wednesday the 22nd. That's your window for long-period, clean, punchy reef waves. The second standout is Sunday afternoon the 26th for a big, clean power session. Get on it.

Rusty.

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