Surf Forecasts:
Papa Tangaroa surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 14s period, SW swell with 2,061 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 14s 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 14s period. 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 2.3m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 19) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (-06) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Papa Tangaroa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, let's have a look at what's on the cards for Papa Tangaroa over the next couple of weeks.
First thing to note is that this is an advanced-level reef break that's exposed to the south swell. The water temp is sittin' around 69°, pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothin' wild there.
We've got some solid energy comin' through, but the wind and conditions are gonna be a bit of a mixed bag, especially early on. There's a bit of a wait for the real magic. The best bet, and the standout of the whole run, is shaping up for Wednesday the 16th. We've got a clean 5ft SW swell with a good period, and the wind is swingin' cross-offshore. The combined energy is pumpin' (1243), and conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is your window. Tuesday afternoon the 15th is also lookin' real nice, with a clean 6ft SSW swell and light cross-off winds, but it's the Wednesday that has that little extra something.
Now, let's talk about the longer range. Towards the end of the run, on Friday the 25th, there's another promising session. We're lookin' at a 7ft SW/WSW swell with excellent conditions and clean, cross-off winds. It's a fair way out, so don't book your flights yet, but it's a definite one to keep an eye on.
The real downside for this break is the consistency. For a lot of this period, the wind is just a bit too strong or onshore, churnin' things up. The big, powerful swells (like the 10ft on Wednesday the 23rd) are ruined by a messy cross-onshore wind. And when the wind is light and clean, the swell can be a bit weaker or on the smaller side. For the days around the 17th to the 20th, the winds are howlin' offshore, which keeps it clean, but it's gonna be a battle to paddle into anything, especially with that fresh to strong breeze. That's more of a kite-surfing setup, to be honest.
So, in a nutshell: If you're an expert lookin' for clean, powerful reef waves, circle Wednesday the 16th and keep an eye on that Friday the 25th. The rest of the time, it's either too windy, too messy, or just not worth the paddle out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat morning, min 17°C on Sun afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Thu afternoon, min 17°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2544 | 2061 | 1285 | 1037 | 1266 | 1476 | 1524 | 1193 | 875 | 743 | 599 | 471 | 524 | 945 | 1052 | 1087 | 854 | 793 | 686 | 783 | 606 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 9:18PM0.59m | 9:58AM0.55m | 10:46PM0.64m | 11:22AM0.55m | 11:48PM0.69m | 12:20PM0.57m | 00:36AM0.74m | 1:04PM0.58m | 1:14AM0.78m | 1:39PM0.59m | 1:47AM0.80m | 2:08PM0.59m | 2:16AM0.80m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:44PM0.28m | 3:49AM0.29m | 4:08PM0.27m | 5:23AM0.26m | 5:16PM0.25m | 6:25AM0.21m | 6:06PM0.22m | 7:11AM0.17m | 6:47PM0.19m | 7:48AM0.15m | 7:20PM0.18m | 8:20AM0.14m | 7:49PM0.17m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  | | | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 8:18 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:11 | — | — |
 | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:10 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
Feels °C | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 9 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
| kJ | 2544 | 2061 | 1285 | 1037 | 1266 | 1476 | 1524 | 1193 | 875 | 743 | 599 | 471 | 524 | 452 | 1052 | 1087 | 854 | 793 | 356 | 783 | 606 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | S 12 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SSW 10 | WSW 11 | SW 10 | ENE 7 | SW 15 | S 10 | WSW 8 |
| kJ | 23 | 25 | 24 | 35 | 51 | 67 | 44 | 58 | 373 | 287 | 379 | 153 | 508 | 945 | 222 | 204 | 148 | 16 | 686 | 17 | 154 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 13 | NNW 12 | NNW 12 | NNW 12 | NNW 12 | SW 23 | SW 21 | SW 21 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SW 18 | SW 16 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | E 7 | E 7 | S 9 |
| kJ | 33 | 60 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 185 | 285 | 355 | 52 | 48 | 48 | 246 | 211 | 29 | 46 | 98 | 52 | 32 | 8 | 4 | 15 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | W 10 | — | W 9 | NNW 5 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 260 | — | 299 | 51 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 6 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3610 | 0 | 2 | 3666 | 3525 | 3525 | 3525 | 3525 |
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