The Tokyo Games are being held during typhoon season and the weather is a major talking point, with heat and humidity expected to be a major factor in many sports.

But it's the wind and waves that are of most importance for the surfers as their sport makes its Olympics debut next week.

Surfline, which is providing forecasts for the Games, predicts rising tropical cyclone surf starting on Sunday and continuing through next week, with a prolonged run of medium-sized waves during the eight-day competition window.

"There's going to be good waves, there's a strong typhoon here off the coast of Japan and we know that the waves are getting bigger," International Surfing Association president Fernando Aguerre said.

Australia's Owen Wright was among those welcoming the projected change.

"It's small but there is swell on the way! Let's go," wrote Australian surfer Owen Wright on Instagram following his first practice session at Tsurigasaki Surf Beach, where competition begins on Sunday.

Surfers had been worried Tsurigasaki's often tiny, weak waves would make it difficult to display their skills to a huge new audience.

"The waves have been a little bit small thus far, but there's a really good swell on the way, looking like some great winds for maybe Monday, so that should give us a good platform to showcase for the world what it's all about," New Zealand coach Matt Scorringe said.

Australian Associated Press