Teahupo’o Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s going on with the deep blue water in front of us. The outlook is a slow burn, but there’s a serious window of opportunity coming up for those who know what they’re doing. Don’t get too excited about the first few days—there’s a bit of a wait.

The week starts off a bit rough. Thursday, September 3rd, we’ve got a moderate cross-shore chop at Teahupo’o with some lumpy conditions. The swell is there, around 6 ft to 7 ft from the SSW, but the wind is spoiling it. Not worth paddling out for. That trend continues into the weekend with cleaner conditions arriving, but the surf quality is still getting marked down due to tide issues. By Friday, September 4th, the wind swings more cross-offshore and the swell bumps up to 8 ft from the SSW with a long 16 second period. The combined energy is cranking at 3657, which is powerful. But the commentary says it’s marginal. It’s a classic case of a big, clean-looking swell that might be too tricky to handle unless you’re dialed in.

Saturday and Sunday improve slightly, with cleaner conditions and dropping swell sizes. Sunday afternoon, September 6th, stands out a little: the wind drops to a light breeze, the swell is 5 ft from the SSW, and the energy is still decent at 864. The water temperature is a very warm 78°, which is about normal for this time of year. For a short window, the waves might actually be fun, but it’s not the main event.

Now, the real star of the show is the second week. From Monday, September 14th, through Tuesday, September 15th, we’ve got a run of excellent conditions. The break itself is Teahupo’o (Tahiti), a reef slab that is very consistent and exposed to the south swell. It’s an advanced wave, and crowds are often an issue, so be ready for that. On Monday the 14th afternoon, the swell is 5 ft from the SW with a 17 second period, and we’re seeing clean conditions with a gentle breeze. The energy is strong at 1873. Then Tuesday, September 15th, is the standout. Morning has a gentle offshore wind from the NE, with a 7 ft SW swell. By the afternoon, it’s glassy—3 mph wind from the ENE, 7 ft SW swell, and an incredible 16 second period. The energy is pumping at 2175. This is the best on offer: clean, powerful, and lined up. It’s a groundswell with a long period, which is perfect for a reef like this but can be too straight for beach breaks. Not an issue here.

From Wednesday, September 16th, the wind starts to turn on us again, with cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions as the swell stays big but messy. By Thursday and Friday, it’s a write-off with fresh cross-onshore winds. So, the window is tight. The best call is Tuesday, September 15th, especially the afternoon glass-off. If you can only get one session, that’s it.

The combined swell energy for the Tuesday standout is 2175, which is strong and will pack a serious punch. Any swell over 8 ft is for experts only, and this is just under that, so it’s still a big, heavy wave. Periods over 15 seconds are very long, meaning the sets will be powerful with long gaps. That makes paddling out easier between sets, but you better be in the right spot when they come.

If you’re a beginner, this is not the wave for you. It’s reef, it’s heavy, and the crowds will be there. For the experienced, this is a world-class window.

Rusty out.

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