Surf Forecasts:
Papa Tangaroa surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 10,246 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 15s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Papa Tangaroa in the next 16 days are 4.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 10s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (-06) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Papa Tangaroa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get into it for the only game in town, Papa Tangaroa.
First off, the water temp is sitting at 69°, which is bang on average for this time of year – nothing to worry about there.
We've got a slow start, but there's some real potential hiding in the back half of the forecast. The first few days are a write-off, honestly. Friday the 21st has some small SW swell around 4ft with a 16-second period, and the wind is offshore from the North, but it's too gusty to really make it work. The combined energy is moderate (755), and the conditions are just marginal. Don't get your hopes up for Saturday or Sunday either – the wind swings cross-off and cranks up to 25-28 mph, making a mess of things. Monday the 24th is a no-go, with strong cross-onshore winds and a building swell that hits 10ft by afternoon, but it's a choppy, lumpy mess.
Now, here's where it gets interesting. Tuesday the 25th is the standout. The swell jumps to a solid 15ft out of the SW with a 16-second period, generating a strong combined energy of 8933. This is big, powerful groundswell. The wind is only a gentle cross-shore at 9 mph, so it's not blown out, but there's a slight cross-chop. This is expert territory only at that size. The long period and size mean it's going to be a beast – more suited to the reef setup here than a beach break. It's a proper, heavy session for the experienced crew.
After that, we get a solid run of big, clean swell, but the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, keeping the quality down for paddle surfing. The surf stays big through the end of August and into the first week of September, with plenty of 8ft to 12ft SW swell, but it's often blown out or lumpy.
The next real highlight comes on Saturday the 29th. The swell drops to a more manageable 4ft out of the SW, but the period is a beautiful 15 seconds. The wind goes absolutely glassy – zero mph out of the SE in the afternoon. This is a goldilocks window: clean, calm, and the combined energy is still a solid 1022. It's described as excellent for experienced surfers, and with that glassy surface, it's the best chance to get some clean, lined-up waves at Papa Tangaroa. The offshore wind direction is North, so this SE glass isn't the ideal offshore, but you can't argue with flat calm – it's a gift.
Looking at the long-range, the intermediate week is a mixed bag of big swell and poor winds. Tuesday the 3rd of September shows some promise again: 10ft SSW swell with a 14-second period and a clean cross-offshore breeze from the Northwest (9 mph). The combined energy is strong (3556), and it's flagged as excellent for experienced surfers. A solid option for the crew who can handle the size.
Overall, the best two windows are Tuesday the 25th for the big, raw power (experts only), and Saturday the 29th for the glassy, clean conditions on a smaller, still-powerful swell. Pick your poison.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 21°C on Fri night, min 19°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (moderate winds from the N on Fri afternoon, strong winds from the NW by Sun afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon morning, min 17°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 12 | W 11 | WSW 13 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
620 | 453 | 214 | 102 | 543 | 917 | 317 | 553 | 719 | 788 | 2590 | 9054 | 8933 | 4598 | 4561 | 3567 | 2825 | 2667 | 3668 | 4619 | 3149 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 2:04PM0.60m | 2:25AM0.82m | 2:29PM0.58m | 2:51AM0.81m | 2:52PM0.56m | 3:17AM0.79m | 3:15PM0.55m | 3:44AM0.77m | 3:42PM0.54m | 4:14AM0.74m | 4:14PM0.52m | 4:50AM0.70m | 4:56PM0.51m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:50PM0.16m | 8:55AM0.20m | 8:14PM0.16m | 9:22AM0.21m | 8:37PM0.17m | 9:48AM0.23m | 9:01PM0.19m | 10:16AM0.25m | 9:28PM0.20m | 10:49AM0.28m | 10:02PM0.23m | 11:28AM0.30m | 10:44PM0.27m | ||||||||
7:41 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | |
— | 6:59 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:01 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 14 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | NE 6 | WSW 12 | W 11 | WSW 13 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
620 | 453 | 214 | 91 | 543 | 917 | 317 | 553 | 719 | 788 | 2590 | 9054 | 8933 | 4598 | 4561 | 3567 | 2825 | 2667 | 3668 | 4619 | 3149 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 9 | NE 7 | SE 7 | SW 14 | SSE 8 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSE 12 | WSW 12 | NW 8 | SW 20 | WSW 18 | — | WSW 15 | — | — | — | — | NW 12 | SW 19 | SW 20 |
92 | 26 | 19 | 102 | 13 | 123 | 252 | 109 | 361 | 160 | 396 | 983 | — | 2951 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 15 | 60 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | SE 8 | NE 8 | WSW 14 | SW 19 | S 11 | SSE 13 | ENE 7 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | ENE 7 | W 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
43 | 35 | 20 | 76 | 57 | 10 | 96 | 19 | 44 | 20 | 10 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | NNE 4 | N 5 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 12 | WNW 8 | WSW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
84 | 29 | 80 | 206 | 319 | 182 | 820 | 1837 | 804 | 619 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3525 | 3541 | 3525 | 3562 | 3562 | 3577 | 3525 | 3525 | 3525 | 3635 | 3562 | 2 | 3588 | 3666 | 3637 | 3635 | 12 | 3588 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
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











