Papa Tangaroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, talking about the same spot, but I’ll give it to you in feet and degrees Fahrenheit.

We’re looking at Papa Tangaroa (Tanga-Roa). This is a heavy, advanced reef break, not for the faint of heart.

The water temp is sitting around 69°F, which is right on the money for this time of year, nothing unusual.

The first few days are a wash. Friday and Saturday the 4th and 5th have a solid 6ft to 7ft SW swell, but the wind is a cross-on from the ESE, making it choppy and messy. The energy is pumping (1659 to 1804), but the conditions are just poor. Stay on the beach.

Sunday the 6th sees the swell bump up to 8ft to 8ft from the SW, with a long 16-second period, and the wave energy cranks up big time (3078). The wind is still light cross-on, so it’s got little wind ripples. It’s not clean, but it’s getting there.

Monday the 7th is the real standout. The morning is glassy, with the wind barely a whisper from the SE at 3 mph, and the afternoon goes dead calm. The swell is a solid 7ft to 7ft from the SW, with a 14-second period. The energy is strong (1755 in the morning). This is *excellent* surf for experienced surfers. The glassy conditions will make this reef line up perfectly. If you’re advanced, get in the water.

Tuesday the 8th stays clean, with a light offshore/cross-off wind from the NW. The swell drops a touch to 5ft to 6ft, but it’s still a long-period SW groundswell. The energy is still moderate to strong (1095). This is a very good session, but the morning is the pick.

Wednesday the 9th gets weird. The wind goes offshore from the N, but it’s blowing 15 to 25 mph. The swell drops to 4ft in the morning and then a tiny 2ft in the afternoon. That afternoon wind is so strong it’s going to be hard to even paddle into the waves. It’s clean, but barely surfable.

Thursday the 10th is a write-off. A strong NW wind (28 mph) and a short-period W swell (10 seconds) create lumpy, cross-shore chop. The energy is moderate (1184), but the quality is poor.

Friday the 11th brings a nice pulse back. The swell is 6ft to 8ft from the SW, with a long 16-second period. The energy is very strong (2375 to 3145). The wind is light cross-on, so it’s not perfect, but this is a powerful, chunky day. It’s a marginal call, but worth a look for the experienced crew.

After that, from the 12th through the 16th, it’s a rough stretch. The wind is a steady cross-on or cross-shore from the SE and ESE, blowing 12 to 19 mph, creating choppy, lumpy conditions. The swell sticks around 6ft to 7ft, but the period drops to 11-14 seconds. The energy is still moderate to strong (over 1300), but the wind kills it. This is a poor run.

The 17th of September offers a glimmer. The wind shifts to a cross-off from the ENE at 15 mph, and the swell is a clean 5ft to 5ft from the SW with a 16-second period. The energy is moderate (1696). The conditions are clean, but it’s a marginal session.

The final few days, the 18th and 19th, see the swell fade to 3ft to 4ft. The wind is offshore or cross-off, making it clean, but there’s just not enough power for a heavy reef break like this. The energy drops to 240 to 905. It’s a weak end to the window.

The Bottom Line: The only two true standouts are Monday the 7th (glassy, 7ft to 7ft SW) and possibly Tuesday the 8th (clean, 5ft to 6ft). If you’re an advanced surfer, Monday morning is the absolute best on offer. The rest of the 16 days is either blown out or too small. This reef is a fickle beast.

Keep your eyes on the horizon, and don’t get too excited about the long-range stuff. I’ll be checking the tides.

Rusty.

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