Papa Tangaroa Surf Break

Lat Long: 27.17° S 109.38° W

Papa Tangaroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 17 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Papa Tangaroa sea temperature is
21.0° C
0.5° 

Papa Tangaroa surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Papa Tangaroa surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 7,178 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s 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 (Jul 18) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 11s. 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 3.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 10s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 6AM.

Wave TypeTime (-06) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6AM (Sat 18th Jul)5ft (1.6m) 9s
Best Surf12AM (Thu 23rd Jul)7ft (2.1m) 17s
Most Powerful12PM (Fri 24th Jul)11ft (3.5m) 17s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Papa Tangaroa over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a good look at what's coming up for Papa Tangaroa, that famous reef over at Tanga-Roa.

Right off the bat, we've got a solid pulse of energy in the water, but the wind is a bit of a bugger. The water's sitting at 70°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The immediate forecast is a bit of a write-off. Friday the 17th is a complete no-go with a fresh cross-onshore breeze making a mess of things. Saturday the 18th looks a little better, with a cleaner sky and a gentler breeze, but the surf is still only marginal. We're looking at about 5 ft of swell from the WSW with a period of 10 seconds.

The first real standout window is Monday the 20th. The morning has a nice cross-offshore breeze from the NNE, and the swell is a clean 4 ft from the WSW, with a period of 11 seconds. The afternoon gets even better: a solid offshore wind from the North, with the swell holding at 4 ft. It's not the biggest, but it'll be clean and fun. The combined energy is moderate (637-671), so you'll feel some push.

Now, for the week of the 21st, there's a huge spike in energy – we're talking very strong wave energy (1514-5030) – but the wind is mostly onshore or cross. The best chance in that window is the morning of Thursday the 23rd. The swell is a meaty 8 ft from the SW, with a period of 16 seconds. That's a long-period groundswell, perfect for this reef. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the NW, so it should be clean. This is a big swell though, over 8 ft, so this is one for the experts only. The combined energy is a powerful 4149, so you'll feel it.

The weekend of the 24th and 25th is a write-off again; the swell is huge (over 10 ft) and the cross-onshore wind is howling. It's a mess.

The next interesting window comes around Wednesday the 29th. The morning looks excellent. We've got a 8 ft swell from the WSW with a very long period of 16 seconds. The wind is light and off-shore from the NW. This is another big, clean swell best suited for experienced surfers. The combined energy is strong at 2528.

The very end of the forecast, on the 1st of August, throws up a massive swell of 13 ft to 15 ft from the West. The wind holds offshore, but it's a fresh to strong breeze. The energy is very strong again (2684-3723), but this is a massive, powerful wave. The period is only 10 seconds, which is shorter, so it might be a bit fat and crumbly in the face. It's a promising but less certain call this far out.

So, if I'm calling it, the top pick is the morning of Thursday the 23rd for the pure power and clean conditions, and the morning of Wednesday the 29th for another dose of that clean, long-period groundswell. Both are for the experienced crew.

Be safe, and don't be a hero in the big stuff.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 18°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Fri morning, light winds from the E by Sun night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Warm (max 21°C on Mon night, min 18°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Mon night, calm by Wed night).

Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
2
2
1
0
0
1
1
3
3
0
1
0
3
2
3
5
5
3
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.9
WSW
8
1.3
SSW
9
1.4
SW
9
1.6
SW
9
1.6
WSW
10
1.6
WSW
10
1.6
WSW
10
1.6
WSW
10
1.4
WSW
11
1.3
WSW
11
1.2
WSW
11
0.9
WSW
10
1
SW
24
1.6
SW
22
1.8
SW
20
2.1
SW
19
3
SW
18
2.1
SW
17
2.5
SW
16
2.4
SW
15
2.2
SW
18
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
419
270
328
397
460
510
500
500
495
387
308
195
1083
2266
2640
3072
4877
2471
3260
2594
3090
Wind (km/h)
30
WSW
25
WSW
10
W
15
WNW
15
W
20
SW
20
SSW
10
S
10
ESE
15
NNE
25
N
30
NW
30
W
20
WSW
15
W
15
SE
20
S
5
ENE
10
NW
20
WSW
25
SW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
on
glassy
cross-off
cross
cross-on
High Tide
9:12AM0.78m
10:18PM0.61m
10:24AM0.74m
11:27PM0.67m
11:29AM0.71m
00:24AM0.73m
12:25PM0.69m
1:13AM0.77m
1:14PM0.66m
1:55AM0.80m
1:55PM0.63m
2:31AM0.81m
2:30PM0.59m
Low Tide
4:06PM0.18m
4:02AM0.27m
5:05PM0.16m
5:22AM0.26m
5:57PM0.15m
6:30AM0.24m
6:41PM0.14m
7:27AM0.23m
7:20PM0.15m
8:16AM0.23m
7:53PM0.16m
8:58AM0.23m
8:22PM0.17m
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
light rain
part cloud
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
8:04
8:04
8:03
8:03
8:03
8:03
8:03
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:42
6:42
6:43
6:43
6:44
6:44
6:45
 mm
2
4
1
2
1
Temp °C
20
20
20
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
20
21
20
20
20
19
19
19
19
19
19
Feels °C
16
16
18
18
17
17
17
18
18
18
17
18
17
18
20
18
17
20
19
16
15
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Papa Tangaroa:

join our community of surf reporters

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 locationNearest