By Daniel D’Ascenzo

Zach Gorecke

*Teahupoo Surf Break

*Geography

*Teahupoo is located in Tahiti, French Polynesia.

*Sits on the 17th parallel south

in the Pacific Ocean.

*Island formed by two

dormant volcanoes.

*Surrounded by reefs formed

by nutritious ocean water.

*Swell

*Consistent swell year round comes

primarily from the Roaring Forties.

* Most powerful swell is during the

winter months (May – October).

*Best swell is from S, SE, or SW

because of south facing reefs.

*Wave periods of greater than 16 seconds ideal for big waves.

*Receives some swell from Northern Hemisphere storms.

*Bathymetric Effects*Why aren’t all reef breaks like Teahupoo?

*Unique seamount configuration to the south

*Perfect depth for refracting long period swell(>16 s) so that it focuses on Teahupoo

* Deeper water following seamounts, allowing no energy loss

*Break*Teahupoo is a reef break that primarily breaks left.

*Waves break at the same point at a pass in the reef.

*Water depth changes from 100m to 10m almost instantly.

*Slope from reef to seafloor is about 1/6.

*Roughly equal to slightly less than the maximum slope a wave can endure before breaking.

*Teahupoo translates to “broken skulls”.

*Accessing the Surf Break

*Break is about 1 km offshore

*It is very difficult to paddle out to where the waves are breaking. For an experienced surfer it would take a solid 25 to 30 minutes of constant paddling.

*It is recommended to be taken out by boat or drug out by jet ski.

*The Wave

*Considered the world’s “heaviest” wave.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYQQtxb8wv0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfPYVYc0U3M

*Face often 10 times larger then the back.

*Greater wave heights caused by more powerful swell.

*Under 6 feet 95% of the time.

*Best wind direction is from the NNE(offshore)

*occurs 36% of the time.

*Weather Patterns

*Summer months: November thru April

*Increased: Temperatures, precipitation, and humidity

*Winter months: May thru October

*Decreased: Temperatures, precipitation, and humidity

*Average air temperatures: 77-85

*Average water temperatures: 77-84

*Weather Patterns (cont.)

*Seasonal Prevailing Winds

*NE trade winds dominate from January to April

*SE trade winds from May to August

*Easterlies from September to December

*Chance of hurricanes during summer

*Offshore winds do not coincide with winter

*Local weather patterns controlled by local

topography

*Rainier on windward side of islands

Yellow = NE tradesBrown=SE trades

*Travel Costs/Airlines• Easiest way to travel to Teahupoo is by plane.

The average time it takes would be about 15 hours on the plane and additional time spent waiting for connecting flights.

• Very Expensive

• US Airways flight out of Philadelphia to Tahiti totals $1,128 with stops in Charlotte and Los Angeles then finally arriving at Papeete, Tahiti.

• American Airlines flight out of Philadelphia to Tahiti totals $2,077 with stops in Chicago and Los Angeles then arriving at Papeete, Tahiti.

• Once in Papeete, Tahiti one must either rent a car or take public transportation to Teahupoo.

*Local Information*Friendly locals because tourism is a major component of French Polynesia’s economy and therefore provides many jobs.

*Local Languages

*French

*Tahitian

*Local currency is the CFP Franc

*1 dollar = 86 CFP Francs

*Local wildlife

*Tiger sharks

*Giant centipedes

*Competitions at Teahupoo

*Teahupoo is home to the annual

ASP Billabong Pro.

*Fifth stop on ASP World Tour

*This single event brings out some

of the worlds best surfers

*Former stop on bodybuilding world tour

*Type of board and other necessities for

riding Teahupoo waves

*It is recommended that you have a board that fits the curve at Teahupoo. No long boards because the curve will toss any rider with a long board. Around 6’9’’ is a good board size.

*It is also recommended to bring two spare boards. There is an increased chance of board breakage at Teahupoo.

*Bandages and power for reef cuts are also recommended. Since the break is on a reef, many people get cuts and scratches on the coral.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlzSy_lUUvc&feature=related

*Wave Models

Wave Period and Direction

Wave Height

*Wave Models

*Waves Models

Actual breaking wave heights corroborate to what would be expected.

Approximately what waves would look likeTeahupoo wind and swell statistics

*Works Cited

* "Teahupoo." GlobalSurfers an Online Surf Travel Resource, by Surfers for Surfers with Free Surf and Travel Guides. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.globalsurfers.com>.

* "Teahupoo Surf and Swell Size and Direction | SURFLINE.COM." SURFLINE.COM | Global Surf Reports, Surf Forecasts, Live Surf Cams and Coastal Weather. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. <http://www.surfline.com/surf-report/teahupoo-tahiti_8366/>.

* "Teahupoo Swell Statistics." Surf Report, Surf Forecast, Surfing. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.surf-forecast.com/charts/Teahupoo/surf/statistics/year>.

*Works Cited

* Wilson, Peter. "Kelly Slater Wins 2011 Billabong Pro Tahiti - ESPN." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. 30 Aug. 2011. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://espn.go.com/action/surfing/story/_/id/6908358/kelly-slater-wins-2011-billabong-pro-tahiti>.

* "Tahiti Surf Season, Surfing Conditions Tahiti- Waterways Travel." Surfing, Surf Charters, Surf Trips- Waterways Surf Adventures. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.waterwaystravel.com/surf_tahiti/tahiti_seasons.php

* "Search for Cheap Airline Tickets at Cheapoair.com." Cheap Flights, Airline Tickets, Cheap Plane Tickets, Cheap Airfare â CheapOair�� . Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.cheapoair.com/default.aspx?tabid=1682>.

* "Surfing Teahupoo – Tahiti | The Big Wave Blog." The Big Wave Blog: A Chronicle of Big Wave Surfing From Oahu's North Shore. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.thebigwaveblog.com/surf-spots/teahupoo-tahiti>.

*Works Cited

*National Weather Service: Environmental Moeling Center. NOAA, 31 Oct. 2011. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. <http://polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/viewer.shtml?-multi_1-latest-pacific-hs_sw1->.

* Stanley, David. "Tahiti Travel Guide." South Pacific Organizer. N.p., 2011. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.southpacific.org/guide/tahiti.html>.

*Waldie, Adam. "Teahupoo-Anatomy of a Monster." Tracks. Tracks Magazine, 24 Mar. 2010. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.tracksmag.com/Spotlight/Postcards/TEAHUPOO-–-ANATOMY-OF-A-MONSTER.html>.