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.

3-Day Forecast
Today
30
29
Poor
0.6m
@16s
5km/h
Tue
31
20
Poor
0.6m
@15s
11km/h
Wed
1
17
Poor
0.6m
@14s
13km/h
+7
Unlock

Today's Conditions

Swell
0.6m
N(6°)
Score: 3/25
Period
16s
Long period groundswell
Score: 23/25
Wind
5km/h
WSW(245°)
Score: 18/25
Weather
29°C
0.0mm65%
Secondary Swell
0.2mWNW
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning
AM: 2 km/h WSW|PM: 6 km/h WSW
Similar wind — morning has better tide for this spot
Low tide at 7am (0.8m)

Location & Conditions

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0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
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Tide Times

3:20 am
High tide - 1.01m
7:54 am
Low tide - 0.81m
1:30 pm
High tide - 1.15m
8:30 pm
Low tide - 0.51m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

29
Poor
Components
Swell Direction0/25
Swell Size3/25
Swell Period23/25
Wind18/25
Raw Score44/100
Adjustments
⚠️ Weak Component-15
🚫 Undersized Capmax 44
Adjusted Score29/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score29

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
WNW (300°)
Direction range
270° - 340°
Size range
0.8m - 2.5m
Ideal size
2.1m
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.

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