Teahupoʻo is a village on the south-west coast of the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia, southern Pacific Ocean. It is known for the surf break and heavy, glassy waves offshore, often reaching 2 to 3 m (7 to 10 ft) and up to 70 feet. It is the site of the annual Billabong Pro Tahiti surf competition, part of the World Championship Tour (WCT) of the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour surfing circuit and used to be one stop in the World Tour of the International Bodyboarding Association.
Teahupo’o is a reef break. The swells mainly break left, but the outer reef also creates right breaks that surfers must be cautious of when paddling out. Teahupo’o is also renowned for the consistent number of barrels it delivers. It is a rewarding location and is widely regarded as being on the ‘must-surf’ list of every enthusiastic surfer. However, only experienced surfers in peak physical condition should attempt Teahupo’o; heavy waves combined with a shallow shoreline can result in serious injuries and even death in a wipeout.
