
Surf Forecasts:
Papa Tangaroa surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 18s period, WSW swell with 4,373 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s period with W 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 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 8s. 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 2.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 11s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (-06) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Papa Tangaroa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Papa Tangaroa (Tanga-Roa). This is a reef break, so it needs the right direction and tide to work its magic. Fair warning: it’s a spot for the experienced crew only, and it doesn’t break all that often, but when it does, it can be special.
The water temp is sitting at 70°, which is pretty much spot on average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
Alright, the first few days? Honestly, there’s nothing to ride. Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th are a write-off – cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions, with the swell not doing us any favours. The combined energy for Wednesday morning is 393 (weak), and it climbs to 1940 (moderate) by Thursday morning, but the wind’s just ruining it. We’re looking at a gap of no decent surf until the following week.
Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th are still pretty ordinary. The wind is cross or cross-on, the swell is messy, and the scores are low. You’d be wasting your time.
Now, Sunday the 19th? Forget it. Onshore winds and poor conditions.
But then, Monday the 20th of July. This is the first real standout. We’ve got a clean morning with a light cross-offshore breeze from the NE, and the swell is a tidy 4 ft from the WSW with an 11-second period. The combined energy is 602 (moderate). The afternoon gets even better – a moderate offshore from the NNE, swell drops to 3 ft but the period stretches out to 16 seconds, which is a very long groundswell. That’s prime for a reef like this, giving you longer, more powerful waves. The wind is clean, and the conditions are calling for “very good surf.” This is your window. Crowds are rare here, so you might have it to yourself.
Tuesday the 21st? The swell picks up but the wind swings cross and fresh, so it’s lumpy again. Not worth it.
Wednesday the 22nd morning has a clean cross-offshore and a solid 7 ft swell from the SW at 19 seconds, with combined energy at 3872 (strong). The score is decent, but the afternoon goes south with a strong cross-onshore.
Now, Thursday the 23rd of July – this is the big one. Morning brings a gentle cross-offshore breeze, a 8 ft swell from the WSW at 16 seconds, and combined energy of 4406 (strong). The conditions are described as “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s a massive call. This is a serious, powerful swell hitting a reef break. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but for the experts, this is the best of the whole run. The wind is clean, the swell direction is right, and it’s a true standout.
Friday the 24th through to the end of the month? It’s mostly big, messy, and blown out. The swell gets huge – up to 20 ft by the 26th – but the wind is cross-on or onshore, making it a washing machine. Saturday the 27th has a moment: a 16 ft swell from the SSW with a 13-second period, and a moderate offshore wind in the afternoon. The combined energy is 9223 (very strong), and the score is high. But it’s a massive, powerful swell, and with that period, it might be a bit too straight for a beach break, but at a reef, it could be a freight train. Only for the very brave.
Overall, the best surf on offer is Monday the 20th for a clean, fun session, and Thursday the 23rd for the true expert-level, powerful, clean conditions. After that, it’s a lottery of wind and size.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Thu afternoon, min 19°C on Fri afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Thu afternoon, light winds from the SW by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 20°C on Sat night, min 18°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Sat morning, fresh winds from the NW by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 11 | WSW 12 | W 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | SSE 13 | W 12 | WSW 7 | SW 8 | W 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 16 | SW 26 | SW 24 | SW 22 | SW 20 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
193 | 217 | 690 | 745 | 1100 | 451 | 714 | 352 | 428 | 313 | 306 | 433 | 426 | 418 | 504 | 366 | 302 | 523 | 1083 | 2438 | 2660 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 7:30PM0.54m | 8:00AM0.82m | 8:56PM0.56m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:51PM0.20m | 1:06AM0.22m | 3:00PM0.20m | 2:32AM0.26m | 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 | ||||||||
8:04 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:03 | — | — | 8:03 | — | — | 8:03 | — | — | |
— | 6:40 | — | — | 6:40 | — | — | 6:42 | — | — | 6:42 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:44 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
Feels °C | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | W 8 | W 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | SSE 13 | SW 11 | SE 12 | SW 8 | W 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 24 | SW 22 | SW 20 |
586 | 286 | 690 | 745 | 1100 | 451 | 471 | 205 | 428 | 313 | 306 | 433 | 426 | 418 | 504 | 366 | 245 | 164 | 1083 | 2438 | 2660 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | WSW 12 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | WSW 12 | SSE 12 | WSW 12 | SE 11 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SE 10 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 10 | SE 8 |
193 | 217 | 672 | 581 | 572 | 361 | 304 | 179 | 128 | 193 | 98 | 47 | 93 | 85 | 190 | 203 | 302 | 169 | 167 | 379 | 48 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | SSE 11 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 12 | N 10 | SW 15 | W 11 | SE 11 | SSE 10 | SSW 11 | SE 9 | SW 17 | S 10 | SE 8 | S 9 | SW 26 | WSW 10 | SW 14 | WSW 13 |
170 | 154 | 504 | 614 | 526 | 341 | 2 | 104 | 116 | 94 | 69 | 40 | 42 | 100 | 50 | 33 | 42 | 523 | 82 | 125 | 120 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 5 | SW 6 | SW 6 | — | — | W 8 | W 12 | WSW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NNW 4 | W 7 | — | W 10 |
30 | 33 | 38 | — | — | 365 | 714 | 352 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 58 | 223 | — | 319 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3666 | 3684 | 3746 | 3562 | 3525 | 3525 | 3525 | 3525 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 3577 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3677 | 3754 | 3635 | 3610 |
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










