Teahupo’o Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s brewing for Teahupo’o over the next couple of weeks. The first few days are flat and messy, with small, jumbled swells and side-shore winds making a hash of things. The real highlight is lining up for Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th – that’s the window to aim for.

Wednesday 8th September starts off weak and grovelly. A 1.7m swell from the SSE with a short 8-second period and cross-shore winds from the ESE at 20 km/h creates lumpy, choppy surf (combined energy 815). By the afternoon it drops to 0.9m but picks up a long 15-second period from the SSW – cleaner, but still marginal and low on punch.

Thursday 9th serves up more of the same: waist-high 1.2m swells from the SW with periods around 16 to 17 seconds, but side-shore ESE winds at 20 km/h keep a cross-chop on the surface. Energy sits around 1070 in the morning, fading later. Not worth paddling out for.

Friday 10th and Saturday 11th stay tiny, around 0.9m to 1.1m, with light offshore winds offering clean moments, but the swell is weak and the period is all over the place. Combined energy stays below 600. There’s a little 0.5m spike on Saturday morning with a 22-second period, but that’s barely enough to wet your board.

Sunday 12th September shows a rise in swell energy, but it’s still only 1.2m to 1.4m. Winds go light and variable, with a glassy period on the Sunday arvo (ESE 5 km/h). Combined energy jumps to 1534, and the swell period holds at 19 seconds from the SW. This is where it starts looking good – clean, lined-up ground swell, but still just head-high at best.

Now, Monday 13th September is the real standout. The morning brings a clean 1.6m SW swell with a 17-second period and light SSE winds at 5 km/h (combined energy 1582). The wind state is described as “glassy” in the afternoon with barely a breath of air. This is pure ground swell perfection at Teahupo’o – long period, smooth surface, and proper energy. Expect a crowd, but it’s worth it. This is the best of the whole run, especially for experienced surfers.

After Monday, things get rough. Tuesday 14th still carries a 1.6m SW swell but winds swing onshore from the S at 15 km/h, spoiling the surface. From Wednesday 15th to Saturday 18th, we see bigger 2.0m to 2.3m swells from the SSW but with strong side-shore winds (25 to 30 km/h) and periods dropping to 14 to 17 seconds. Combined energy climbs past 2600, but the cross-chop and rain showers make it a slog. That’s big-wave territory and only for the keen.

Sunday 19th September hits a 1.4m SW swell with a 21-second period and a massive combined energy of 3717, but onshore SE winds at 35 km/h ruin the surface. Lumpy and cross-onshore isn’t Teahupo’o at its finest. Heading into Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd, swells sit around 2.0m to 2.5m but with lumpy side-shore chop and periods dropping under 10 seconds – mostly junk for paddle surfing. If the wind stays fierce, this could be better suited to kite surfing.

Bottom line: Sunday 13th and Monday 14th September are your best shots – clean, long-period ground swell and glassy wind. After that, the wind takes over and it’s a toss-up.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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