Motutapu
Surf spot · Cook Islands
Is it worth the trip?
12Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 4 ft swell at 7 s, onshore wind, 13 kn (23 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 253kJ
- Wind
- SE 22 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 527kJ
- Wind
- ESE 17 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 65kJ
- Wind
- ESE 15 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Fri 6 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 140kJ
- Wind
- ESE 13 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sat 7 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 99kJ
- Wind
- ESE 18 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sun 8 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 228kJ
- Wind
- E 20 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 597kJ
- Wind
- ESE 21 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 20, too big
- Tue 313, poor
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 54, poor
- Fri 624, poor
- Sat 715, poor
- Sun 85, poor
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 104, poor
- Wed 1115, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 25 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft8 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 442kJ | wind from the south-east, 27 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 13, poor | 4 ft10 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 253kJ | wind from the south-east, 22 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 527kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 17 knots | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 4, poor | 3 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 65kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 15 knots | 23°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 24, poor | 4 ft7 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 140kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 13 knots | 23°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 15, poor | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 99kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 18 knots | 23°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 5, poor | 4 ft8 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 228kJ | wind from the east, 20 knots | 24°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft8 smushy7 ft at break (est.) | 597kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 21 knots | 23°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 4, poor | 5 ft8 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 268kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 21 knots | 23°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 15, poor | 5 ft7 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 196kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 19 knots | 22°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 NovHigh 01:38 +0.3 mLow 08:09 −0.3 mHigh 14:16 +0.2 mLow 20:33 −0.2 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:45 +0.3 mLow 09:14 −0.2 mHigh 15:25 +0.2 mLow 21:52 −0.2 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 04:02 +0.2 mLow 10:25 −0.2 mHigh 16:39 +0.2 mLow 23:11 −0.2 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
Motutapu on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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More surf near here
1 place
- Black Rock 11.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Motutapu
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (92°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (272°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 50 m out (1 in 5). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hard and thick, like a slab. The sea is about 25°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 28°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Muri, 1.2 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 dive sites.
Water about 25°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$2,300 each
about US$1,190–US$2,300 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to RAR, estimated from distance and season, changing at HNL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$658–US$1,380 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$40 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$201–US$329 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$221–US$416 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$1,190–US$2,300 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 min by car · 33 places to stay
About Muri its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Avarua on Booking.com
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- Beds in Nikao on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 13 places to stay
Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 23h
About 23h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → RAR, changing at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), then 30 min by road
Flights ORD → RAR on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.