French Polynesia ยท Pacific Islands
Each location is refreshed once every three hours. The hourly view, 7-day forecast, luck factor and packing notes come from the same stored update.
We compare the 7-day forecast with the version-matched historical observations available for the same time of year at Teahupo'o. The delta shows whether conditions look better, worse or about the same as a typical late July.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
PeakWave scores are planning signals, not safety clearance. Check local authorities, official bulletins and on-site conditions before you go. Read our editorial policy.
Teahupo'o is a globally renowned, exceptionally dangerous left-hand reef break situated on the south-western coast of Tahiti in French Polynesia. The bathymetric topography comprises an incredibly unique, horseshoe-shaped live coral reef that drops off precipitously into deep ocean trenches. As massive, long-period south-westerly groundswells approach, they hit this sudden, near-vertical underwater cliff. Instead of a traditional wave face, the entire ocean volume surges and folds over itself, creating a thick, top-heavy lip that plunges below sea level. A north-easterly offshore wind is essential to keep the cavernous, cylindrical barrel open. The wave mechanics feature a highly critical, air-drop take-off into an immensely powerful tube that offers no workable wall for carving. Due to the extreme hydraulic force, the proximity of razor-sharp coral-often mere centimetres below the violent impact zone-and the lack of an exit channel on larger swells, the margin for error is virtually zero. It is universally classified as a life-threatening, expert-only domain demanding elite physical conditioning.
Heads up: jellyfish: peak season, and rocks exposed at low tide.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
The air here is 89% cleaner than the average comparison city right now.
Significantly cleaner air than a typical city. Ideal for outdoor exercise with minimal respiratory strain.
Not a pollutant. Ozone is naturally higher at altitude and near the coast, and lower in cities where traffic exhaust breaks it down. High readings here typically indicate clean air. Can cause short-term airway irritation during intense exercise but is not linked to the long-term health risks of particulate pollution.
Additive health score: each pollutant contributes points relative to its WHO 2021 guideline and long-term health impact (PM2.5 9, NOโ 5, Oโ 3, PM10 2, SOโ 1 at WHO limits). Data via Open-Meteo. City markers show live readings. Red line marks the WHO guideline. Updated 09:12
Crystal clear water: ~26m visibility
Daily scores over the last 12 months at Teahupo'o
Historical quality only. Safety is not reconstructed for this view.
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Create Profile โPartly. The model uses stored spot geometry, swell ranges and tide preferences where configured. It cannot see changing banks, crowds, access, closures or everything visible on a local cam, so treat it as a starting point.
The best week for surf at Teahupo'o is the week of 30 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
This guide was generated from conditions data. Know this spot? Submit your own tips below.
Teahupoo is surfing's most terrifying wave. A left-hand reef break on Tahiti that produces a barrel so thick and heavy it defies physics. The wave does not break in the conventional sense; the entire ocean volume folds over a near-vertical underwater cliff, creating a lip that plunges below sea level. The result is a cavernous, impossibly heavy tube that has maimed and nearly killed the world's best surfers. This is the absolute limit of what is humanly possible in the ocean.
South-westerly groundswells from April through October, generated in the Roaring Forties. The wave needs 4ft-plus to barrel and handles 15ft-plus on the most extreme days. North-easterly offshore winds hold the thick tube open. The wave breaks year-round but the biggest swells arrive in the Southern Hemisphere winter (June-August).
The take-off zone is over the reef pass where the horseshoe-shaped reef creates the depth transition. The peak is concentrated. You either air-drop into the barrel or you do not make the wave. There is no shoulder, no carving wall, no alternative. The deep channel adjacent to the reef provides safety and the paddle-out route.
Everything here can kill you. The lip weighs tonnes and breaks below sea level onto razor-sharp coral centimetres deep. Hold-downs pin surfers against the reef. The wave produces no exit on bigger days; you either make the barrel or you are in severe trouble. Multiple surfers have been critically injured here. Safety jet-skis are essential.
Access is by boat from the Teahupoo village dock (5-minute ride). The break sits in the channel off the reef pass. Boat hire is arranged through local operators. Accommodation in the village or nearby Papara. Tahiti is reached by international flights to Papeete.
Teahupoo is surfed by a small elite community. On moderate days (4-6ft), 10-20 experienced surfers paddle out. On bigger days, only a handful of the world's best attempt it, supported by jet-ski teams. The hierarchy is absolute. Do not paddle out unless you are genuinely prepared for the consequences.
Teahupoo requires years of preparation at lesser barrel venues before any consideration of paddling out. The wave is not comparable to anything else; no amount of experience at Pipeline or Cloudbreak fully prepares you for the unique mechanics here. If visiting to spectate, the boat channel provides extraordinary viewing of the wave from water level. The Tahitian community is warm and welcoming; respect their land and ocean.
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Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 29 days of logged conditions.
Based on historical weekly averages
Conditions at Teahupo'o tend to be best between 07:00 to 10:00 in July.
Average score during this window: 45/100
See timing scores, school holiday busyness, and lift pass pricing to find the best time to book.
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