Teahupo’o Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for this stretch of water. We’ve got a solid run of swell on the cards, but it’s gonna take a few days to clean up. The real deal is that offshore wind window later in the week, and the heavy hitter is gonna be Thursday afternoon.

Right off the bat, the surf is messy. Sunday morning, July 19th, has a solid 10ft of SSW swell at Teahupo’o but that SSE wind at 15 mph is onshore and choppy, making it a real fight. The wave energy is strong though, coming in at 2815. It’s a write-off for paddle surfing unless you’re looking for a beating. That afternoon doesn’t get any better with the wind picking up to 19 mph from the SE. We’re looking at a couple of days of this cross-shore chop, with the swell hanging around 7ft to 8ft and the energy staying strong (up to 5655 on Monday), but the wind just isn't cooperating. It’s not clean.

Now, things start to turn a corner on Wednesday, July 22nd. The wind swings to the east, 19 mph, but it’s cross-offshore. The data says "clean" for both morning and afternoon sessions. The swell is still a meaty 8ft from the SSW, with a long period of 19 seconds in the morning. That’s proper groundswell, and with that period, it’s going to be pitching hard out there. The energy is very strong (4936). This is a step in the right direction, but it’s still a bit raw.

The absolute standout is Thursday, July 23rd. The morning has a clean 19 mph offshore wind from the NE, pushing into a 8ft SSW swell. The period is a very long 16 seconds, which means it’s going to be a proper freight train of energy (2798). By the afternoon, the wind eases slightly to 15 mph from the NNE, still offshore, and the swell drops a touch to 7ft. The data calls it "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers" with a score of 4. The energy is still strong (2149). This is the one to circle. The offshore wind will polish the face, and that long period is going to set up some heavy, deep-water barrels. It’s advanced territory for sure, but this is the best quality of the whole run.

From Friday, July 24th, through the weekend, the swell backs off a bit but the wind stays offshore. Friday morning has 5ft from the SSW with a 15-second period and a 15 mph offshore from the NNE. The energy drops to 980, which is moderate. The afternoons and into the weekend are looking at gentle offshore winds and a smaller, but still very clean, 4ft to 5ft of swell. It’s a great time for the intermediate crew to get a piece of the action, though the bite is off the big stuff.

The second week, from July 28th onward, the swell drops to around 3ft to 5ft, and the wind stays mostly cross-offshore from the east. The periods settle down to 12-15 seconds. The energy is moderate (mostly in the 600-1700 range). It’s clean, but it’s a lot smaller. The surf is consistent but mellow, with the best conditions still being those clean cross-offshore days. The last day on the books, Monday, August 3rd, is looking pretty small at 3ft from the SSW, so the run is definitely winding down by then.

So, to wrap it up: don’t bother with the first two days unless you’re a glutton for punishment. The big call is Thursday afternoon, July 23rd at Teahupo’o. That’s the gold. The rest of the first week has plenty of clean, mid-sized surf, and the second week is smaller but still rideable. The water temperature is about average for the season.

Rusty.

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