Surf Forecasts:
Papa Tangaroa surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 11 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 5,267 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 18s 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 18s 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 3.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 11) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 7s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (-06) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Papa Tangaroa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's break down what's coming.
This is a tricky outlook. The swell is there, but the wind is going to be a pain for most of it. The first chance to surf is Saturday the 5th, but it's going to be a bit of a mess. You're looking at a solid 7ft to 7ft SW groundswell (combined energy of 1643-1783), but that ESE wind is blowing cross-on, leaving it choppy. The water temp is 69°, which is pretty normal for the season.
If you're an advanced surfer looking for a challenge, Papa Tangaroa (Tanga-Roa) is the only spot on the menu. It's a reef break, fully exposed to the swell, and it breaks fairly consistently. Crowds are rare, so you'll have plenty of room. But it's an advanced-only wave, and with the wind staying cross or cross-on for most of the first week, the surface will be lumpy. The best of a bad bunch is Tuesday afternoon, the 8th, when the wind switches to a light cross-offshore from the ENE and the swell drops to a clean 5ft (combined energy 892). That's about as good as it gets for the first week.
The second week looks more promising but less certain. There's a big pulse of SW swell coming through around Friday the 11th and into the weekend of the 12th-13th. On Friday afternoon, the swell hits 7ft from the SW with a 16-second period, but the wind is cross-on again. The standout moment is Saturday morning, the 12th of September. The swell jumps to a solid 10ft from the SW (combined energy 3192), the wind is light and cross from the ESE, and the period is a juicy 14 seconds. That's a big, powerful groundswell, and with light wind, it could be firing. Just know that at 10ft, this is strictly for experts. The reef setup at Papa Tangaroa should handle that long-period swell well, but it's a beast.
From the 14th onward, the wind cranks up again, mostly cross-off from the NE, but the swell drops back to the 6ft to 7ft range. It's clean, but a bit blown out with fresh breezes. The last few days of the outlook (18th-20th September) look clean with 6ft to 7ft SW swell, but the wind is a solid 19-22 mph from the NE, so it's going to be a battle to get out there.
Bottom line: The best chance for a good session is that Saturday morning, the 12th, if you're an expert who can handle a big, powerful reef. Everything else is a compromise with the wind. Take it easy out there.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat night, min 16°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 49mm), heaviest during Thu morning. Warm (max 20°C on Wed night, min 17°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the N on Thu morning, light winds from the S by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 19 | SW 19 | WNW 10 | SW 18 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1616 | 1760 | 1288 | 3214 | 3058 | 2390 | 1728 | 1665 | 1228 | 940 | 718 | 503 | 344 | 202 | 234 | 446 | 0 | 679 | 1978 | 2349 | 4585 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 1:31PM0.62m | 1:56AM0.92m | 2:08PM0.63m | 2:36AM0.91m | 2:47PM0.63m | 3:17AM0.87m | 3:29PM0.62m | 4:01AM0.81m | 4:18PM0.61m | 4:51AM0.73m | 5:17PM0.59m | 5:52AM0.65m | 6:37PM0.57m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:18PM0.08m | 8:29AM0.11m | 7:57PM0.06m | 9:07AM0.12m | 8:39PM0.08m | 9:46AM0.15m | 9:24PM0.11m | 10:30AM0.18m | 10:16PM0.17m | 11:20AM0.22m | 11:20PM0.23m | 12:23PM0.26m | 00:52AM0.29m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | |  |  |  | | | |  | |
 | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — |
 | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 23 | 17 | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | E 7 | SW 19 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 15 |
| kJ | 1616 | 1760 | 1288 | 3214 | 3058 | 2390 | 1728 | 1665 | 1228 | 940 | 718 | 503 | 344 | 202 | 48 | 446 | 688 | 328 | 1978 | 1656 | 4585 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | S 7 | SW 18 | ENE 8 | E 7 | SE 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 8 | SW 18 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | SW 11 | W 12 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | SW 16 | SW 16 | NE 6 |
| kJ | 27 | 23 | 1112 | 6 | 38 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 19 | 42 | 154 | 56 | 55 | 51 | 92 | 98 | 173 | 176 | 1561 | 2349 | 31 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 12 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NNW 11 | NNE 10 | NNW 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | SW 18 | ESE 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 19 | SW 16 | NNW 8 | SW 18 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NNW 13 |
| kJ | 13 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 20 | 10 | 38 | 37 | 12 | 113 | 20 | 96 | 163 | 142 | 234 | 88 | 131 | 679 | 66 | 47 | 34 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 6 | ESE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | — | — | — | — | ENE 7 | ENE 4 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NNE 7 | N 7 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 26 | 45 | 35 | 48 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 13 | 71 | 185 | 363 | 495 | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 6 | 6 | 3525 | 6 | 3525 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 3525 | 3541 | 3525 | 3541 | 3562 | 3541 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Easter Island | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Chile | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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