CoarlHead, American Samoa
Also within 20 km of Tāfuna
- Pua Tree Surf spot · 3.1 km from Tāfuna
- Fatuuli (Black Rock) Surf spot · 4.4 km from Tāfuna
- Sliding Rock Surf spot · 7 km from Tāfuna
- Asili Surf spot · 7.9 km from Tāfuna
Watch this spot We email you when CoarlHead is worth the trip.
About CoarlHead
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SE (139°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (319°). It is exposed 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 100 m out (1 in 8). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 28°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in March, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, March, April and November, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Tāfuna, 4.3 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.
Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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Book the trip
From Chicago: about 22 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to PPG, changing at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL).
See flights ORD → PPG · Skyscanner from about £600 returnAdGetting there. 25 min from the airport to CoarlHead.
Accommodation.
Stay in TāfunaAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Tāfuna (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Tāfuna 8 min by car · rooms from £60 a night · 4 places to stay · where CoarlHead stays
Places to stay in Tāfuna · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Tāfuna · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Tāfuna · GetYourGuideAd
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Where it is
CoarlHead on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
CoarlHead does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 3, poor | 5 ft7 smushy | 258kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 20 knots | 26°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 3, poor | 6 ft9 smushy | 484kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 15 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 6, poor | 6 ft9 smushy | 459kJ | wind from the south-east, 16 knots | 25°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 13, poor | 4 ft7 smushy | 177kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 19 knots | 25°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 12, poor | 4 ft7 smushy | 168kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 14 knots | 26°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 13, poor | 4 ft11 smushy | 326kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 19 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 13, poor | 4 ft7 smushy | 183kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 19 knots | 26°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 7, poor | 4 ft7 smushy | 124kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 21 knots | 26°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 0, too big | 6 ft7 smushy | 338kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 19 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 6, poor | 6 ft7 smushy | 290kJ | wind from the south-east, 17 knots | 26°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly ORD to PPG, changing at HNL, then 25 min by road. About 22h 10 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 33 of 80.
- Wed 21 OctSurf Asili
Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 16 kn (30 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctSurf Asili
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, wind 13 kn (25 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 34 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 31 of 80.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to PPG, changing at HNL, then 25 min by road. About 22h 10 door to door
The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Tāfuna each day: Asili, CoarlHead, Fatuuli (Black Rock), Pua Tree, Sliding Rock.
Rough cost
About £1,035–£2,015 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to PPG, estimated from distance and season, changing at HNL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £600–£1,250 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £15–£25 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £165–£280 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £155–£290 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £65–£105 |
| Total | £1,035–£2,015 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Tāfuna
- Oasis RestaurantAsian · 0.5 km from the centre
- Manuia’s Korean RestaurantKorean · 0.6 km from the centre
- Triple C NoodleSushi · 0.6 km from the centre
- tropical pizzaPizza · 0.6 km from the centre
- Seafood RestaurantSeafood · 0.7 km from the centre
- Manaia RestaurantAsian · 1.2 km from the centre
Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits
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Where to stayAd
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