Papa Tangaroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's look at what's on the table for Tanga-Roa over the next couple of weeks.

First off, the water temp at Tanga-Roa is sittin’ at a warm 71°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year – nothin’ wild there.

Now, the outlook for the next few days is a bit of a mixed bag, and honestly, you’ve gotta be patient. We’ve got some serious size coming, but the wind is the villain for the first part of the week.

Sunday the 5th into Monday the 6th is a write-off. We’re talking 31 to 37 mph NW winds rippin’ across the face, churning up the 5.6 ft to 11.5 ft SSW/SW swell. That’s a “no-go” for a paddle board. The combined energy is huge (1311 to 4168), but it’s a mess. Kite gear would be the only way to have fun in that.

Tuesday the 7th starts to look a little more promising. The morning has a cross wind with 7.2 ft SSW swell (15s period, 2623 energy) – still a bit marginal. But Tuesday afternoon? That’s where it gets good. The wind swings around to a light ENE breeze, creating a clean cross-off. The swell holds at 8.2 ft from the SSW with a 14s period (2446 energy). That’s the first real window for experienced surfers. That’s a standout for the early week.

Wednesday the 8th is a step back with onshore S winds ruining the 6.6 ft SSW swell. Skip it.

Thursday the 9th is the sleeper hit. On Thursday morning we get glassy conditions – a light N breeze of just 3 mph. That’s a whisper. The swell drops to 4.6 ft from the SW (13s, 694 energy). It’s not huge, but it’ll be clean, smooth, and super fun. Thursday afternoon is also good with a light cross-off ENE breeze. If you want a manageable, clean session without getting pounded, Thursday is your day.

Friday the 10th and into the weekend (11th-12th) gets ugly again. Strong NW/WSW winds (28-31 mph) and building swell up to 16.4 ft (6985 energy) make it unsurfable, especially for paddle surfing. Kite gear again.

We then hit a quiet, marginal stretch from Monday the 13th through Wednesday the 15th. Swell is around 4.3 ft to 7.5 ft, but winds are either cross-on or cross-off and moderate, keeping things from being great.

Now, here’s the big promise – the true standout of the entire outlook. On Saturday the 18th of July, we’ve got a monster. The morning shows a 14.8 ft swell from the SW with a 15-second period and massive energy (9729). The wind is a moderate NW breeze, but it’s cross-off and clean. That is pure groundswell, and it wants a proper reef or point break to shine – which is exactly what Papa Tangaroa is. This is only for the experts – over 8 ft is expert territory, and 14.8 ft is serious. The afternoon holds at 13.1 ft with a gentler WNW breeze (9 mph). This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s far out, so keep an eye on it, but it’s the best on offer.

Sunday the 19th still has 9.8 ft SW swell and a light ENE cross-off in the morning – still solid, but the energy drops to 2884. That’s still a good session for experienced surfers. After that, the swell fades into the 20th with smaller 6.6 ft S swell and increasing wind.

So overall, the best windows: Thursday the 9th for clean, smaller waves, and then the big prize is Saturday the 18th for the true heavy-hitter.

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