Surf Forecasts:
Papa Tangaroa surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 1,626 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 16s 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 8s. 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 2.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 8s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (-06) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Papa Tangaroa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk tide charts and surf reports, because there ain’t much to get excited about for a while. The ocean is in a grumpy mood, and we’ve got a long stretch of blown-out, cross-onshore slop ahead. You’re gonna want to save your energy for later.
The first week is a total write-off. The 16th is a complete disaster with a near gale ripping at 55 km/h. There’s some swell, but you’ll be fighting a losing battle just to get out the back. The 17th has some more size, maybe shoulder to head-high, but the rain and wind make it a mess. Through the middle of the week, it’s all onshore and lumpy, not worth a second look.
We might see a tiny window on the 21st, but it’s just small and weak, with a clean-ish cross-offshore wind. It’s a marginal day for sure, not a real standout.
Now, the second week is where the size shows up, but it’s all going to come with that bad wind. Starting the 24th, we’ve got head-high SW swell, and it just keeps climbing. By the 25th, it’s 8-10ft, and the energy is cranking. We’re talking very strong conditions. But here’s the thing: the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy and difficult. This is where Papa Tangaroa (Tanga-Roa) could be a handful. It’s an exposed reef, so it can handle the size, but with this wind, it’s not going to be clean.
The best of the bunch looks like the 26th. The wind finally eases off to a light cross-onshore, and we still have a solid 7-8ft, long-period SW groundswell. The energy is still very strong. It’s still a heavy, powerful wave, strictly for experts. It's a long-range call, so we’ll see if it holds, but it’s the closest thing to a decent session in this whole stretch.
After that, it just gets blown out again to end the month, with some short-period windswell making an appearance on the 30th. That’s not even worth mentioning. The water is around 69°F, which is normal for the season. So, watch the horizon, and be ready to wait. This one’s gonna take some patience.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 47mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the N on Sun afternoon, moderate winds from the SSW by Mon night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri night, min 16°C on Wed afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Wed night, light winds from the E by Thu night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | ||||||||||||||
PM | 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 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | S 11 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | WSW 12 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 308 | 696 | 905 | 1349 | 1327 | 1216 | 1206 | 763 | 530 | 427 | 881 | 702 | 865 | 844 | 702 | 581 | 301 | 189 | 281 | 333 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 11:13PM0.68m | 11:26AM0.64m | 00:06AM0.74m | 12:18PM0.63m | 00:49AM0.78m | 1:00PM0.63m | 1:25AM0.81m | 1:35PM0.61m | 1:57AM0.82m | 2:04PM0.60m | 2:25AM0.82m | 2:29PM0.58m | 2:51AM0.81m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:44PM0.21m | 5:28AM0.25m | 5:36PM0.19m | 6:27AM0.21m | 6:18PM0.17m | 7:14AM0.19m | 6:54PM0.16m | 7:52AM0.18m | 7:24PM0.16m | 8:26AM0.19m | 7:50PM0.16m | 8:55AM0.20m | 8:14PM0.16m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | | | |  |  | |  | | |  | | |  | |
 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — |
 | 6:57 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 7:00 | — |
mm | — | 2 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 5 | — | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 10 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SW 14 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | WNW 7 |
| kJ | 308 | 696 | 914 | 1349 | 1327 | 1216 | 1206 | 763 | 530 | 383 | 808 | 702 | 865 | 203 | 187 | 182 | 301 | 189 | 281 | 135 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | W 12 | NNE 8 | W 10 | WNW 9 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | W 9 | E 6 | SW 19 | NE 7 | ENE 9 | SSW 10 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SE 8 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 12 |
| kJ | 129 | 461 | 599 | 431 | 493 | 99 | 67 | 96 | 97 | 427 | 28 | 62 | 179 | 844 | 702 | 581 | 95 | 97 | 125 | 333 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 15 | ESE 9 | SW 13 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | WNW 8 | W 9 | NE 7 | SW 19 | NE 7 | S 12 | SW 13 | NE 7 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | S 9 | S 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | N 6 |
| kJ | 38 | 8 | 905 | 238 | 142 | 114 | 81 | 55 | 296 | 36 | 43 | 45 | 25 | 188 | 90 | 41 | 37 | 21 | 21 | 74 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | — | — | — | SE 5 | S 6 | S 7 | S 11 | S 7 | SSE 7 | — | — | NE 7 | NNE 4 | N 4 | N 5 | — |
| kJ | 1020 | 1329 | 145 | 525 | — | — | — | 56 | 166 | 402 | 881 | 389 | 254 | — | — | 26 | 22 | 22 | 52 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3525 | 3525 | 3525 | 3525 | 12 | 3541 | 3541 | 3525 | 3525 | 3525 | 3525 | 3525 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 3525 | 3525 | 3577 | 3580 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Easter Island | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Chile | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Papa Tangaroa surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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
Nearest