Best time to charter a catamaran or yacht in French Polynesia
Best month to sail French Polynesia: cheapest January (€5,009/wk), sweet spot May, June and October, priciest July. Prices, temperature, wind by month.
Sweet spot (our rule)
May, June and October
Warm, not peak-priced; from €9,284/week
Sources: 12 Knots, NASA POWER, checked
The best-value months to charter a catamaran in French Polynesia are December, January and February: €5,009 per week in January against €10,592 in July, in 12 Knots' average asking prices (updated October 2026) (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). The best weather months are May to October, the dry season (Tahiti Tourisme, checked 27 Oct 2026), at 26–28 °C mean air temperature (our calculation from NASA POWER data at Raiatea (NASA POWER, checked 28 Oct 2026)); the sweet spots are May (€9,284, 28 °C), June (€9,450, 27 °C) and October (€9,777, 26 °C); July, August and September are the priciest months to avoid if price matters (from €10,209), and the cheapest months fall in the wet season (November to April) (Tahiti Tourisme, checked 27 Oct 2026).
Last checked: 27 Oct 2026 (prices) and 28 Oct 2026 (weather). Prices are average weekly asking prices for catamarans (bareboat and crewed mixed), before extras. "Best value", "best weather", "sweet spot" and "avoid" are our rules on the sourced figures (how we decide). Planning around a month instead? See where to sail by month.
French Polynesia month by month: price, temperature and wind
| Month | Avg. weekly price | vs cheapest month | Mean air temp | Mean wind | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | €5,009 | cheapest | 28 °C | 11 kn | Best value · Wet season |
| February | €5,811 | +16% | 28 °C | 11 kn | Best value · Wet season |
| March | €7,493 | +50% | 28 °C | 9 kn | Wet season |
| April | €9,399 | +88% | 28 °C | 9 kn | Wet season |
| May | €9,284 | +85% | 28 °C | 10 kn | Sweet spot |
| June | €9,450 | +89% | 27 °C | 11 kn | Sweet spot |
| July | €10,592 | +111% | 26 °C | 12 kn | Peak price · Warm |
| August | €10,317 | +106% | 26 °C | 12 kn | Peak price · Warm |
| September | €10,209 | +104% | 26 °C | 12 kn | Peak price · Warm |
| October | €9,777 | +95% | 26 °C | 11 kn | Sweet spot |
| November | €7,473 | +49% | 27 °C | 10 kn | Wet season |
| December | €6,773 | +35% | 27 °C | 10 kn | Best value · Wet season |
Bold prices are the three cheapest months. Prices: (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026). Air temp and wind: Air temp = NASA POWER monthly mean 2 m air temperature (T2M); wind = monthly mean 10 m wind speed (WS10M), converted from m/s to knots (kn) with 1 m/s = 3600/1852 kn. For each calendar month we average the 2016–2025 values (10 full years). POWER's meteorological grid is ½° latitude by ⅝° longitude (roughly 55 × 50 km at these latitudes), so one cell cannot show local sea breezes or coast-to-hill temperature differences. They are our calculation of average conditions, not a forecast, not gusts, and not sea conditions. Mean wind is lower than the peak winds you will feel on the water. Reference point: Raiatea. Weather data obtained from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center's Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) Project, funded through the NASA Earth Science Division (pulled 2026-10-28) (NASA POWER, checked 28 Oct 2026). We changed the data: we averaged the monthly values for 2016–2025 and converted wind from m/s to knots (our calculation).
When is the cheapest time to charter in French Polynesia?
The three cheapest months for a catamaran in French Polynesia are December, January and February (12 Knots, checked 27 Oct 2026):
- December: €6,773 per week, mean air temperature 27 °C, mean wind 10 kn (wet season).
- January: €5,009 per week, mean air temperature 28 °C, mean wind 11 kn (wet season).
- February: €5,811 per week, mean air temperature 28 °C, mean wind 11 kn (wet season).
The cheapest month costs 53% less than the priciest (€5,009 against €10,592; our arithmetic). All-in and per-person costs by month: French Polynesia catamaran cost.
When is the best weather for sailing in French Polynesia?
Our best-weather months for French Polynesia are May to October: mean air temperature of 20 °C or more at Raiatea, outside the wet season (our rule on 2016–2025 NASA POWER data (NASA POWER, checked 28 Oct 2026)). Of these, May, June and October are not among the three priciest months, which makes them our sweet spot: May €9,284 per week at 28 °C; June €9,450 per week at 27 °C; October €9,777 per week at 26 °C.
Tahiti Tourisme describes a dry season from May to October and a wet season from November to April (Tahiti Tourisme, checked 27 Oct 2026). Prices track it: the cheapest months are in the wet season.
Which months should you avoid in French Polynesia?
- On price: July, August and September, the three priciest months (July €10,592, August €10,317, September €10,209), unless those are the only weeks you can travel.
- On weather: November to April, the wet season (November to April) (Tahiti Tourisme, checked 27 Oct 2026).
Who should go when
- On a budget: go in December, January and February (from €5,009 per week). The cheapest best-weather month is May at €9,284 (28 °C).
- Families: the calmest best-weather months by mean wind are May (10 kn, 28 °C, €9,284), June (11 kn, 27 °C, €9,450), October (11 kn, 26 °C, €9,777). Our suggestion, not a source's: calmer, warm weeks suit children and first-time crews. A catamaran sails flatter than a monohull (catamaran vs monohull).
- Experienced sailors who want wind: the windiest months at Raiatea are July (12 kn, 26 °C), August (12 kn, 26 °C), September (12 kn, 26 °C). These are monthly mean wind speeds over a ~50 km grid cell: real afternoon breezes and gusts are stronger and vary by channel and coast.
See boats in French Polynesia
See catamarans for rent in French Polynesia on SamBoat
We may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you (disclosure). Listings and prices on SamBoat are SamBoat's own; the figures on this page come from the sources below.
How we decide "best"
- Best value: The 3 cheapest months of 12 Knots' monthly average weekly catamaran price (our ranking).
- Warm / cool: Mean air temperature of 20 °C or more at our reference point (our threshold). Cool: below 15 °C.
- Best weather: Warm (≥ 20 °C) and outside the Atlantic hurricane season (1 June–30 November, NOAA) or Tahiti's wet season (November–April, Tahiti Tourisme). Not given where we have no season or rainfall source.
- Sweet spot: Best-weather months that are not among the 3 priciest months (our rule).
- Avoid: The 3 priciest months (if price matters), plus August–October in hurricane areas (NOAA: most activity mid-August to mid-October) or the wet season in French Polynesia.
- Families: The calmest best-weather months by mean wind (our suggestion; mean wind is not gusts or sea state).
- Wind: The windiest months by mean wind speed at our reference point (our ranking).
These are our editorial thresholds applied to sourced figures, not the sources' own labels. Air temperature is not sea temperature, and mean wind is not gusts or sea state (sea temperature, waves, gusts and rainfall: not verified yet).
Sources
- 12 Knots: Catamaran charter in French Polynesia (Tahiti), checked 27 Oct 2026. Page states "Updated October 2026".
- NASA POWER: Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources: Monthly API (T2M, WS10M), checked 28 Oct 2026. Pulled 28 Oct 2026; 2016–2025 monthly means (our calculation).
- Tahiti Tourisme: Tahiti weather, checked 27 Oct 2026.
Price data for every destination: CSV. Method: methodology.
More on French Polynesia
- French Polynesia overview: prices, licence and sample route
- French Polynesia catamaran cost by month, all-in and per person
- Cheapest month across all destinations: where to sail in January · sweet spot: May, June, October
- Fishing in French Polynesia: licence, rules and best months by species
- Best time to charter, every destination compared
Frequently asked questions
What is the best month to charter a catamaran in French Polynesia?
On our rules, May, June and October (€9,284 per week, 28 °C; €9,450 per week, 27 °C; €9,777 per week, 26 °C): warm, in the dry season and not among the three priciest months. For the lowest price, January (€5,009 per week, 12 Knots, October 2026); for the warmest weather, May to October.
What is the cheapest month to sail in French Polynesia?
January, at €5,009 per week on 12 Knots' average catamaran asking price (updated October 2026). The three cheapest months are December, January and February.
When should you avoid chartering in French Polynesia?
On price, July, August and September: the three priciest months, up to €10,592 per week in July. On weather, November to April: the wet season (Tahiti Tourisme).
When is it windiest for sailing in French Polynesia?
At our reference point (Raiatea), the windiest months by mean wind speed are July (12 kn), August (12 kn), September (12 kn) and the calmest are March (9 kn), April (9 kn), December (10 kn) (our calculation from 2016–2025 NASA POWER data). Gusts and local breezes are stronger than these means.
When is the dry season in French Polynesia?
Tahiti Tourisme describes a dry season from May to October and a wet season from November to April.