Tengan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what we’ve got on the cards for Tengan.

Honestly, the first week and a half is pretty bleak. From Wednesday the 9th all the way through the morning of Thursday the 17th, there’s just nothing doing. The swell is weak, the wind is all wrong, and the wave comment keeps calling it poor. You’re better off leaving the boards in the car for that stretch. We’re talking about 8 or 9 days of flat to messy conditions.

Now, things start to look a little more interesting towards the back end of the second week, but we need to be patient. The first real shift comes around Friday the 18th – the swell period jumps up to 20-17 seconds, which is proper long-period groundswell. But the wind is onshore and the quality is still marked as poor. The combined energy climbs to 412 (moderate) by the afternoon, but it's not clean enough to get excited about.

The standouts in this 16-day window are definitely around Monday the 21st through to Wednesday the 23rd. On Monday the 21st, we’ve got big, powerful swell rolling in. The morning shows 16ft from the ESE with a 17-second period – that’s a huge groundswell, and the combined energy is a massive 19217 (very strong). The wind is a gale-force cross-offshore, which is clean but wild. By the afternoon, it’s 18ft from the same direction, and the energy hits 25569. The rating for that afternoon session is a perfect 11/10 for conditions, but the note says the swell is predicted to be *too big* for this break. This is expert-only territory – way too big for beginners. The period is 16 seconds, so it’ll be powerful and lined up, but at a reef break like Tengan (reef), that size and period could be dangerous and unpredictable.

If you want something you can actually paddle into, keep an eye on Tuesday the 22nd. The morning has 15ft from the N with a 14-second period, strong offshore wind from the WNW at 25 mph, and combined energy at 8177. It’s still massive for most, but the wind is straight offshore, making for clean, hollow faces. The afternoon jumps to a staggering 28ft from the NW with a 13-second period and energy at 23979 – again, the note says too big for this break, but the wind is cross-offshore. Only the most experienced chargers should even think about it.

Wednesday the 23rd morning might be the best compromise. You’ve got 13ft from the N, 14-second period, solid energy (10245), and a moderate cross-offshore breeze. The score is 7/10, and the wave comment says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions” but the wind is clean. By Thursday the 24th, the swell drops to a more manageable 7ft from the NNE, period drops to 11 seconds, and the wind is light cross-offshore. The morning has a score of 4/10 but calls it “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” The afternoon is the real gem: 6ft from the NNE, 10-second period, and glassy conditions with a slight air. That’s the cleanest window of the whole outlook – light offshore and glassy, smooth faces. Combined energy is 1063 (moderate). That’s the session to aim for if you want a proper, clean wave without wrestling a beast.

Water temp is sitting at 84°F with a normal anomaly, so it’s warm and average for this time of year at Tengan.

Keep in mind: Tengan is an inconsistent reef break, so it doesn’t fire often. When it does, it can be magic, but it’s also a spot where crowds are sometimes an issue, so don’t expect solitude. The optimum swell direction for Tengan is NE, and most of the bigger swells in the second week are from the SE or ESE, which is not ideal for this break. That’s a big reason why the quality is rated lower despite the size.

So, bottom line: the first 8-9 days are a write-off. The second week has some massive, clean, but dangerous swell for experts only, and the standout is definitely the afternoon of Thursday the 24th when it drops to 6ft and goes glassy. That’s your window.

Rusty.

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