Tahiti surf is headed by the beefiest wave going: Teahupo’o. but there’s WAY more than that slabby barrel. There are A-frames and river mouths, with options suited to total beginners up. Oh year, and it all happens in what can only be described as paradise!
An introduction to Tahiti surf
Tahiti has been thrust into the limelight in recent years thanks to the colossal slabs of Teahupo’o – now generally agreed to be the heaviest wave on the planet. But this group of over 100 isles in the depths of the South Pacific actually has a surfing heritage to match that of Hawaii. Polynesian, see: The clue’s in the name. European traders report observing surfcraft here as far back as the mid-1700s. It’s probably even older than that.
Well…it’s a good spot for it. Swells come from ALL directions. Groundswells from the SW and S pump up in the winter months to power the most iconic breaks. NE and E sets roll through in summer to set off hidden bars and reefs on the less-trodden north shores. The water is constantly warm (it never dips under 75F/25C). And it’s glass, glass, and more glass.
Don’t be fooled by shots of roaring Chup-o. It’s not the only thing to ride here. The variety is actually quite fantastic. Northern shores have curly, bowly beginner setups along a series of black-sand bays. In the south, there are all manner of reefs that work with any S direction swell, with rights and lefts and performance barrels thrown in.
Overall, we sum up the Tahiti surf as epic for the pros and downright fantastic for the intermediates. More than that, is there any more glorious a place to paddle out than this? You’ll be doing it under jungle-clad mountains and craggy volcanos, on pristine coral reefs that teem with life. It’s bucket-list fodder for sure!
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in French Polynesia
Tahiti surf at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Tahiti?
Where is Tahiti, exactly?
Tahiti is a part of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France that spreads through something like 3.5k square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean. The largest of the Windward group of islands, Tahiti is also the most-visited in the chain, largely because it’s home to the capital of Papeete and the main international, long-haul arrival airport.
Getting to Tahiti
Getting to Tahiti can be a chore but then you gotta’ work for paradise, my friends. Most people are looking at some serious two- or three-leg long-haul flights. They all arrive at the Faa’a International Airport (PPT) in the town of Papeete, which is located on Tahiti itself, so no need for any more transfers to other islands once you touchdown. From the US West Coast, you can jet in in about eight hours. Most European flights will connect through via Auckland, from where it’s five hours in the air.
Tahiti surf spots
Tahiti has one poster-boy surf spot backed up by countless other locations that are hardly known at all, though dedicated local crews and growing cohorts of international surfers are now padding out the line ups beyond Teahupo’o. A good way of dividing things up is north and south. The southern breaks are the more reliable, the heavier, and the ones that work in the main SW swell season (from May to October). The northern breaks are more varied and better for beginners and intermediates, largely because they switch on during the monsoon months between December and March.
Let’s take a look at the whole lot…
Taapuna
Drive south from Papeete and the first known break that you’ll get to is one of the OGs of the Tahiti surf scene. Before people were really willing to recognize that Teahupo’o was doable, this one was the barrel-hunting arena and it still shows the class that made it the name back in the day whenever good S-SW swells push through. Glassy as a glass factory, it’s a long, peeling left that oscillates between almond barrels and open shoulders over very shallow reef. Really only for the intermediates and up and is probably one of the few true breaks that has a localism on the island.
Papara
Papara isn’t all that far from the reef shelves that give the world Teahupo’o, but it’s a totally different sort of break. Known as the beginner playground of the Tahiti surf scene, it’s a uber-consistent break over sand. The bigger days of the peak season (May-October) can bring some size, when the crowd is usually made up of advanced local crews hotdogging from morning until night. Smaller days make it a really accessible break for all levels, with peeling, clean rights and lefts.
Teahupo’o
Teahupo’o (pronounced and sometimes called Chupo) is the wave everyone’s talking about. It’s almost singlehandedly responsible for thrusting French Polynesia into the spotlight in the last 20 years and the stomping ground of the Billabong Pro and the WCT events that come by these isles. That should offer just a hint to the sort of challenge that Teahupo’o presents – it’s a true expert wave that demands a lot. In it’s time, it’s known to have claimed at least one life and has caused more broken bones and snapped boards than it’s possible to count.
The Teahupo’o peak is right at the western end of a long flank of coral reef that runs the southwest side of the island of Tahiti. Boats come through a wide channel that opens to the west of the main point and then drop surfers at the take-off zone. It’s the shape and nature of the coral shelf itself that lends this one its credentials. As the strong SW-S swells collide with the outer reef, it hits a gap of less than 20 inches between the ocean surface and the corals. That pushes huge amounts of water skywards, bulging the wave into a very thick and slabby barrel in a matter of seconds.
The take off is straight into a super hollow face that’s almost perfectly tubular. If you can make the right angle or collect it with a good bottom turn, then you can hit the middle section and skim through what’s sure to be the barrel of your life. It lasts only seconds before you’ll be spat out to the left into a zone that’s usually peppered with jet skis and cameramen.
Papeno’o
Papeno’o is sort of like the polar opposite of Teahupo’o. This is a north-coast wave, set on a black-sand beach front about 25 minutes’ drive to the west of the capital in Papeete. It can be separated into two breaks: the outer rivermouth and the inner sandbar. The first is better for advanced surfers. It’s a shapely little number that loves E-NE swells in the monsoon. It can hold up to 8 foot and is usually better to the left, which can be hollow. The inner beach break is usually a couple of foot smaller and forms as an A-frame peak with nice rides for decent beginners and up.
Where to stay when surfing in Tahiti?
Choosing where to stay on this island is all important. Our main downside is access to the breaks. Well…you can negate that by doing the legwork when you travel to Tahiti and put the surf real close. All of the options below promise to do that with various breaks…
Manomano Lodge
There’s a little slice of heaven to be had for surfers who want to enjoy the all-level reefs of Papara. Cue Manomano Lodge. Score a bungalow here and you’ll stay under rainforest-clad peaks with a break on your doorstep. Nice.
Vanira Lodge
Many a surf A-lister has bed down in the Vanira Lodge. It’s basically the last stay on the way to Teahupo’o. It’s a nice place too, with treehouse-style rooms that poke out from the coastal jungles.
TAHITI – Fare Mitinui Surf Break
Our pick for the low-season (November-March) would be TAHITI – Fare Mitinui Surf Break. As the name explains, it’s three mins’ walk from the wave. Plus, it’s cozy and comfy, with enough space for up to six guests at once.
Step-by-step guide to planning your Tahiti surf trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the Tahiti surf…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Get insuranceThis is kinda’ important. Not just for surf trips but for any trips. SafetyWing is great for nomad travelers. They offer rolling contracts that cover amateur surfing.
Step four (optional): Rent a car If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
When to surf in Tahiti?
The main surf season in Tahiti has to be the dry-season months that run between May and October. That’s officially the winter in French Polynesia but it’s actually the time of the year with the best weather, and the best swell. Yup, the south and southwest channels are firing then, starting with something like 80% consistency in May and pushing 99% in June, when virtually every single day brings something worth riding to the south-facing reefs from Papara to Teahupo’o.
Don’t be totally put off by the prospect of a trip in the summer months between November and March. A 180-degree shift in the swell direction sees plenty of long-period groundswells originate in the north. They’ll feed the rivermouths and sandbars on the north side fo the island with plenty of rideable surf, usually in the 3-8-foot range. It’s the time to come if you’re a beginner but still want a taste of this paradise.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
