Tengan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Tengan.

First off, I gotta be straight with you — this is a rough stretch for the reef. The water’s sittin’ at 81°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so you might want an extra layer. But the real story is the surf: we’re looking at a long, dry spell. The whole first week, from Friday 17 July right through to the early morning of Monday 27 July, is a total write-off. Day after day of tiny, weak waves — generally around 0.7ft to 1ft — with weak energy readings (mostly single and low double digits, like 11 to 70). The wind is a mixed bag of cross-off, cross, and cross-on, but even when it goes glassy on the 23rd, there’s just no swell to work with. The consistency is "inconsistent" and breaks rarely, so don’t bother paddling out.

Now, things get a bit more interesting but also more dangerous. On Monday 27 July, the swell jumps up, but it’s a stormy mess. The morning shows an 8ft E swell with a 15-second period, but with storm-force cross-onshore winds (56 mph), it’s a total disaster. The energy is massive (2969), but for paddle surfing, you’d be a fool to go out. That afternoon, the wind swings cross-off and drops to 68 mph, but the swell is still 7ft — that’s expert-only territory, and even then, with the wind still howling, it’s a question of survival. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The standout window, if you can call it that, is Wednesday 29 July. The morning has a clean 6ft swell from the north with a 12-second period, and a fresh breeze from the southwest (19 mph) keeping it cross-off. The combined energy is strong (1113). That afternoon, it cleans up a bit more: 7ft, still from the north, 11-second period, moderate breeze, with a score that’s marginally better. For a break that’s rarely on, this is about as good as it’s going to get. But listen — this is a reef break, and the swell direction is N, while the optimum direction is NE. It’s not a perfect match, but with the wind offering a clean face, it’s your best bet. Just know that the swell is over 5ft, so it’s not for beginners. Also, the long period (12 seconds) means the waves will have good shape and energy, but at a beach break it might break a bit straight; on a reef like this, it should hold up.

After that, it drops off again. By Thursday 30 July, the swell is back down to 5ft, and by Friday 31 July, it’s tiny again. The last few days of the forecast into August are flat and weak.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a total gap with no surf. The only real chance is Wednesday 29 July, with Tengan offering a solid, clean wave that’s worth a look if you’ve got the experience. It’s not a classic, but it’s all we’ve got.

Rusty.

Read more