Back to results

Vairao, French Polynesia

Stay in Teahupoo: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Teahupoo

Watch this spot We email you when Vairao is worth the trip.

About Vairao

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (242°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (62°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 4–14 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 11). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 26°C in September, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually December, with about 3 good days in 7; in June, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Teahupoo, 7.4 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 dive site.

Water about 27°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 20 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to PPT, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

    See flights MDW → PPT · Skyscanner from about £535 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 05 from the airport to Vairao.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in TeahupooAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Teahupoo · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Teahupoo · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Vairao on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct684 ft11 shollow448kJ29°C
Mon 19Oct243 ft6 shollow58kJ33°C
Tue 20Oct374 ft8 shollow224kJ27°C
Wed 21Oct07 ft9 shollow762kJ25°C
Thu 22Oct08 ft10 shollow1,058kJ25°C
Fri 23Oct07 ft10 shollow1,071kJ25°C
Sat 24Oct07 ft11 shollow1,245kJ26°C
Sun 25Oct08 ft10 shollow1,131kJ26°C
Mon 26Oct09 ft11 shollow1,793kJ25°C
Tue 27Oct011 ft12 shollow2,963kJ25°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

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly MDW to PPT, changing at LAX, then 1h 05 by road. About 20h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf te ava iti

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to PPT, changing at LAX, then 1h 05 by road. About 20h 35 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Teahupoo each day: te ava iti, Vairao.

The trip from Teahupoo, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,025–£1,965 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to PPT, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£535–£1,110
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£70–£115
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£165–£280
Food7 days eating out£155–£290
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£65–£105
Total£1,025–£1,965

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.