Reef
right
Level 8/10

Pikinini

Kavieng, Papua New Guinea
🪸Sharp reef⚠️Shallow🏝️Remote

Pikinini is Papua New Guinea's most fearsome wave—a fast, heavy barreling right that explodes over extremely shallow reef near Kavieng. When northwest swells arrive from the North Pacific, Pikinini produces up to 200-meter rides that require precision, commitment, and reef booties. The wave jacks out of deep water and immediately hits the shallow shelf, creating thick barrels with zero margin for error. Part of the Kavieng surf management program, Pikinini represents frontier surfing at its most raw—empty lineups, world-class waves, and the kind of adventure that reminds you why you started surfing.

10-Day Forecast
Thu6
30
Poor
0.6m@15s
13km/h
Fri7
30
Poor
0.5m@13s
9km/h
Sat8
29
Poor
0.5m@14s
9km/h
Sun9
30
Poor
0.6m@13s
9km/h
Mon10
30
Poor
0.4m@12s
6km/h
Tue11
15
Poor
0.5m@12s
9km/h
Wed12
44
Poor
0.6m@15s
9km/h
Thu13
30
Poor
0.5m@15s
8km/h
Fri14
30
Poor
0.5m@13s
11km/h
Sat15
30
Poor
0.4m@12s
14km/h
5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: AfternoonAM 14 km/h · PM 10 km/h
Swell
0.6m
N(355°)
Score: 3/25
Period
15s
Long period groundswell
Score: 23/25
Wind
13km/h
SE(137°)
Score: 7/25
Weather
29°C
0.5mm54%
First light 5:32amSunrise 6:02amSunset 6:02pmLast light 6:32pm
Windswell0.1m@1sSecondary0.4mConfidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:32am–6:32pm · through lowIdeal tide: 0.3–1.0m
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
°C
27°
29°
30°
29°
26°
25°
28°
30°
28°
26°
25°
29°
30°
30°
27°
25°
29°
29°
27°
25°
25°
29°
28°
28°
26°
26°
29°
30°
30°
29°
26°
27°
28°
28°
27°
26°
28°
29°
29°
28°
26°
29°
30°
30°
29°
27°
30°
30°
30°
29°
2m1.0
sec
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
swell
windkm/h
15g30
14g34
13g33
11g31
8g21
9g16
9g25
10g28
10g26
8g18
3g11
8g21
10g26
10g28
9g20
7g11
9g27
8g32
13g36
11g33
6g14
6g19
5g23
4g25
8g22
7g10
10g25
8g30
9g29
8g26
9g21
8g29
8g30
10g27
10g24
2g23
7g23
9g25
10g26
11g26
7g31
13g32
14g34
11g36
11g33
18g37
18g39
15g42
10g46
9g39
tidem
9:15am0.3m
7:00pm0.8m
8:50am0.2m
8:30pm0.9m
8:42am0.1m
9:00am0.0m
12:54am1.1m
9:21am0.0m
5:30pm0.7m
1:20am1.1m
9:45am0.0m
5:30pm0.6m
2:00am1.1m
10:03am0.0m
5:30pm0.6m
2:30am1.1m
10:21am0.2m
4:50pm0.6m
2:55am1.1m
10:30am0.2m
4:30pm0.6m
8:50pm0.5m
3:18am1.0m
Ideal tideStrike windowDanger tideNight

Tide times today

9:15 am
Low tide - 0.30m
7:00 pm
High tide - 0.85m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

30
Poor
Components
Swell Direction2/25
Swell Size3/25
Swell Period23/25
Wind7/25
Raw Score35/100
Adjustments
🌊 Tide+5
💨 Gusty Wind-5
⚠️ Weak Component-5
🚫 Undersized Capmax 44
Adjusted Score30/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score30
🌊 Optimal tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to KVG, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
WNW (300°)
Direction range
270° - 340°
Size range
0.8m - 2.5m
Ideal size
2.0m
Height multiplier
0.97×
Ideal period
12s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
E (90°)
Offshore range
50° - 130°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
low to mid
Optimal range
0.3m - 1m
Danger below
0.2m

Water temp

29°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

8/10

Crowd level

1/10

Access: Boat from Kavieng. Part of surf management program.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Pikinini?

Pikinini works best on a low to mid tide, ideally between 0.3m and 1m on the local tide chart. The tide chart above shows today’s strike window. Below 0.2m it gets dangerously shallow.

What wind direction is offshore at Pikinini?

Offshore wind at Pikinini blows from the E (90°). Anything in the 50° to 130° range grooms the faces; outside it, expect chop or bumpy conditions.

What swell size and direction work best at Pikinini?

Pikinini wants WNW swell (270° to 340°) between 0.8m and 2.5m, with a period of 12s or more for quality waves.

When is the best time of year to surf Pikinini?

The main season at Pikinini is Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr. Nov-Apr season. NW swells from North Pacific.

How do I get to Pikinini?

Fly into KVG, then allow about 0 minutes by road, plus a boat transfer (around $100 USD). Boat from Kavieng. Part of surf management program.

What kind of wave is Pikinini?

Pikinini is a reef break, a right-hander. Difficulty is rated 8/10.

Best Season

Peak: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr

Nov-Apr season. NW swells from North Pacific.

Getting There

Airport
KVG
Drive time
0 min
Boat required
$100
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion