Papa Tangaroa Surf Break

Lat Long: 27.17° S 109.38° W

Papa Tangaroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 pm 11 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Papa Tangaroa sea temperature is
20.5°C
0.7° 

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 11 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 11 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 4,777 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Papa Tangaroa in the next 16 days are 3.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 11) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Friday (Sep 18) at 7PM.

Wave TypeTime (-06) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Sat 12th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 16s
Best Surf 1AM (Sat 12th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 16s
Most Powerful10PM (Fri 11th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line.

Right out of the gate, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – these next few days are a write-off. From Friday the 11th right through to Tuesday the 15th, the surf at Papa Tangaroa is messy and confused. We’ve got solid swell in the water, with waves hitting 8 ft on Friday morning, but the wind is all over the shop – onshore or cross-on for most of it. That combined wave energy is huge, over 3000 (3220) on Friday morning, but the quality just isn’t there. You’d be fighting a losing battle.

Now, hold onto your board, because Wednesday the 16th is where it gets good. We get a proper change. The swell drops a bit to 3 ft in the morning, but the period jumps to a very long 21 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy. The wind turns offshore and light, making for clean conditions. The combined energy is still solid at 1215. This is a classic reef set-up, so that long period will wrap in beautifully, giving you long, peeling waves. This is the standout of the whole forecast – clean, lined-up, and sweet. Thursday the 17th keeps that run going with 5 ft swell and a clean offshore breeze from the north. It’s on. Papa Tangaroa is the spot for the second half of this week.

The weekend of the 20th and 21st takes a bit of a dip. The wind gets howling out of the north – fresh to strong breeze – which makes paddling hard. The swell drops and the combined energy falls away to under 800. It’s offshore, but it’s so strong it’s a battle. The following Monday and Tuesday the 22nd and 23rd are pretty poor with onshore winds and low scores. We then get a big pulse of swell again around the 24th and 25th, with waves over 7 ft and combined energy over 2000, but the wind stays cross-onshore or cross, keeping it choppy. That bigger stuff might actually be more interesting for kite surfing than a clean paddle session.

Looking further out, the last few days of the month have some size – 10 ft by Saturday the 26th – but again, cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions mean it’s not the clean, classic Papa Tangaroa we saw mid-week. The water temp is sitting at 69°F, which is about where you’d expect it for this time of year, no nasty surprises there.

So, to put it simply: the first half of the forecast is a bin fire. Don’t even bother. The absolute gem is Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th. Get out there then for the best of it.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
4
5
2
3
4
0
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.5
SW
12
2.1
SW
16
3
SW
16
2.5
SW
14
2.3
SW
14
1.9
SW
13
1.8
SW
13
2
SW
13
2.1
SW
12
2.3
SW
12
2.1
SW
12
1.9
SW
11
1.9
SSW
11
1.9
SSW
11
1.8
SSW
11
0.8
SW
21
1.1
SW
19
1.3
SW
18
1.4
SW
18
1.3
SW
16
1.4
SW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1870
2415
4301
2544
2061
1285
1053
1266
1276
1499
1193
875
860
862
745
599
945
1064
1201
955
967
Wind (km/h)
15
SSE
10
SSW
5
SSW
10
WSW
15
W
10
W
20
SW
20
S
10
S
15
SSW
15
S
10
SE
10
E
5
E
10
NNE
10
NE
15
NNE
15
N
15
N
25
N
25
NNW
Wind State
on
on
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross
cross
off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
High Tide
7:37PM0.57m
8:16AM0.58m
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
Low Tide
1:23PM0.26m
1:52AM0.29m
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
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
8:19
8:18
8:17
8:15
8:15
8:14
8:12
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:07
8:08
8:08
8:09
8:09
8:09
8:10
 mm
2
1
Temp °C
18
19
19
18
18
18
18
17
17
17
16
16
16
17
18
18
19
19
19
20
20
Feels °C
17
20
19
17
16
16
15
14
14
14
13
13
14
16
17
16
18
18
19
19
19
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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

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