Kite spot on water · French Polynesia

Taapuna

Name: Taapuna
Address: PF

Riders have kited it in SE–S.

Show on the map-17.5993, -149.6130

Works in: SE–S
Nearest airport: PPTFa'a'ā International Airport, 5 km

Forecast and webcams

Before you go

Forecasts often disagree. When Windguru, ALADIN and Windy agree, it is worth going.

Tips for this spot

Offshore wind carries you away from land. Do not ride it without a rescue boat.
When a storm is coming, get out of the water and land the kite at once. Gusts before a storm are violent and a kite overhead is the highest point around.
New spot: ask locals about shallows, currents and where people launch.

On site

Wind and riding area

worksno reports

Direction the wind blows from. Based on riders' experience, not a forecast.

Pparking

From riders

What you need to know

Who it suits: Very technical spot for kitesurfers due to wind shadow at the launch.
Watch out: Launch and landing zone is in a wind shadow.

Watch out for

Heavy boat traffic in the lagoon (jet skis, motorboats, small sailboats).community map
Launch and landing zone is in a wind shadow.community map

Where to launch

Grass and shade for rigging by the parking lot under the footbridge, but the launch and landing zone is wind-shadowed.community map

Parking

Parking at the base of the footbridge just past Taina marina.community map
Car park about 100 m from the spot.OpenStreetMap

Conditions

Ride in the lagoon or in the channel; the right-hand wave is almost unrideable due to the wind direction.community map

Riders' tips

If this spot is working, Sapinus is usually good too.community map

Facilities

Water rinse station by the parking lot.community map

In riders' own words

„Taapuna : (vent : Sud“
„Sud-Est swell : Sud“
„sud-ouest)“
„ce spot devient très technique pour les kite-surfer (zone de décollage/atterrissage déventé).“
„Le parking ,au pied de la passerelle piétonne, offre tous les avantages d’une mise à l’eau de qualité : gazon, ombre, jet d’eau,…“
„OpenStreetMap way/1116978515“
„OpenStreetMap way/1116978512“
„Jet ski, bateaux moteurs et petits voiliers se croisent dans cette partie du lagon“
„La navigation se fait soit dans le lagon (trafics maritimes importants) soit dans la passe. Le vent étant bâbord amure et la vague exploitable étant une droite“
„offre tous les avantages d’une mise à l’eau de qualité : gazon, ombre, jet d’eau“
„si les conditions sont pourtant au rendez-vous c’est alors que Sapinus doit être bon“

Wind by month

When it blows

Average wind speed 10 m above ground from NASA POWER (MERRA-2, 2001–2025). The model works on a grid of roughly 50 km; on hills and by the water the wind is often stronger and gustier.

10.3Jan5.3

10.5Feb5.4

9.3Mar4.8

9.3Apr4.8

10.1May5.2

10.8Jun5.6

11.3Jul5.8

10.7Aug5.5

11.8Sep6.1

10.8Oct5.6

10.1Nov5.2

9.6Dec4.9

windiest monthsaverage wind in knots, NASA POWER; below the month in m/s

Values by month

January	10.3 knots · 5.3 m/s
February	10.5 knots · 5.4 m/s
March	9.3 knots · 4.8 m/s
April	9.3 knots · 4.8 m/s
May	10.1 knots · 5.2 m/s
June	10.8 knots · 5.6 m/s
July	11.3 knots · 5.8 m/s
August	10.7 knots · 5.5 m/s
September	11.8 knots · 6.1 m/s
October	10.8 knots · 5.6 m/s
November	10.1 knots · 5.2 m/s
December	9.6 knots · 4.9 m/s

Nearby

More spots within 60 km

Been there?

Add what you know

Parking changed, a new ban, a new obstacle in the water? Tell us, we will check it and update the page.

Sources: Community map “spot de kitesurf école ffvl” (Google My Maps). Wind NASA POWER, airports OurAirports, photos Wikimedia Commons (author and licence with each photo). As of 17 October 2026. These are riders' reports; local rules change, so look around before you ride and follow local signs.