Staying Home Sucks, home

Motu Mahara

Surf spot · French Polynesia

Is it worth the trip?

22Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Tue 3: 4 ft swell at 11 s, onshore wind, 11 kn (21 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 32 out of 100

Swell
4 ft11 ssoft
Energy
262kJ
Wind
SSE 11 kn
Temp
25°C

Wed 4 · 14 out of 100

Swell
4 ft8 smushy
Energy
161kJ
Wind
SE 17 kn
Temp
25°C

Thu 5 · 9 out of 100

Swell
4 ft7 smushy
Energy
109kJ
Wind
SE 15 kn
Temp
26°C

Fri 6 · 23 out of 100

Swell
4 ft6 smushy
Energy
110kJ
Wind
ESE 13 kn
Temp
26°C

Sat 7 · 23 out of 100

Swell
3 ft12 smushy
Energy
281kJ
Wind
E 14 kn
Temp
27°C

Sun 8 · 17 out of 100

Swell
4 ft7 smushy
Energy
124kJ
Wind
E 15 kn
Temp
26°C

Mon 9 · 21 out of 100

Swell
4 ft8 smushy
Energy
181kJ
Wind
E 13 kn
Temp
27°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 9 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 241, poor
  2. Tue 332, poor
  3. Wed 414, poor
  4. Thu 59, poor
  5. Fri 623, poor
  6. Sat 723, poor
  7. Sun 817, poor
  8. Mon 921, poor
  9. Tue 1029, poor

The spot in five facts

  • Faces Etakes swell from the E
  • Offshore: Wwind from the land
  • Intermediate +who it suits
  • Works 3–10 ftof swell
  • Water 28 °Cno wetsuit

Full forecast

every day, every number

Motu Mahara does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Motu Mahara, each day
DayScorefor Inter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 2Nov41, poor3 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.)138kJwind from the east, 8 knots26°C
Tue 3Nov32, poor4 ft11 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.)262kJwind from the south-south-east, 11 knots25°C
Wed 4Nov14, poor4 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.)161kJwind from the south-east, 17 knots25°C
Thu 5Nov9, poor4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.)109kJwind from the south-east, 15 knots26°C
Fri 6Nov23, poor4 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.)110kJwind from the east-south-east, 13 knots26°C
Sat 7Nov23, poor3 ft12 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.)281kJwind from the east, 14 knots27°C
Sun 8Nov17, poor4 ft7 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.)124kJwind from the east, 15 knots26°C
Mon 9Nov21, poor4 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.)181kJwind from the east, 13 knots27°C
Tue 10Nov29, poor4 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.)152kJwind from the east, 12 knots27°C

Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More

Tide

  • Mon 2 NovLow 04:12 +0.0 mHigh 09:43 +0.0 mLow 16:21 −0.1 mHigh 22:58 +0.1 m
  • Tue 3 NovLow 04:13 −0.0 mHigh 10:13 +0.1 mLow 16:36 −0.1 mHigh 22:56 +0.1 m
  • Wed 4 NovLow 04:35 −0.1 mHigh 10:41 +0.1 mLow 16:56 −0.1 mHigh 23:07 +0.1 m

Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.

Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.

Map

the spot and its town

Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.

Surf spot

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About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Motu Mahara

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces E (69°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (249°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 850 m out (1 in 84). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 27°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in January, its warmest (no wetsuit). No town nearby. Nearest beds: Fare, 6 km (about 15 min by car). Nearest airport: Huahine-Fare Airport (HUH), 6 km. Within 5 km we also list 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).

Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,190–US$2,280 each

about US$1,190–US$2,280 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, food, board and wetsuit.

Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.

How we worked it out 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to PPT, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bagabout US$603–US$1,250
Hire car6 days, sharedabout US$154–US$255
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$636
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$87–US$141
Totalabout US$1,190–US$2,280

No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: nearest beds 6 km away

No town nearby

Nearest beds: Fare, 6 km (about 15 min by car). Nearest airport: Huahine-Fare Airport (HUH), 6 km.

See places to stay near Fare, 6 km away · Booking.com

Getting there: about 22h 50m

About 22h 50m door to door from Chicago

Fly MDW → PPT, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), then 3h 15m by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.