Asakawa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

The next couple weeks are a bit of a slow burn, but there’s definitely a couple of windows worth circling on the calendar, especially into the first full week of September.

The start of the run, from Saturday the 29th through the 2nd, is pretty flat and messy. We’ve got small, grovely swell in the 2ft to 5ft range, but the wind is messy and it’s not doing us any favors. Saturday afternoon’s got a bit of push but it’s cross-on and choppy, so it’s a pass. Sunday morning’s got a tiny bit of clean glass, but at 4ft it’s not worth getting too excited about. We get a couple of small, short-period pulses through Monday and Tuesday, but they’re all cross-on or onshore and the wave comment is straight-up poor. It’s pretty much a wasteland until midweek.

Now, Wednesday the 3rd is when things start to get interesting. It’s still small early with a glassy 3ft from the south at 8 seconds, but the afternoon is the first real standout. Swell jumps to 6ft from the ESE with a 7-second period, and the wind is light and cross-off, cleaning it up nicely. The energy is still moderate at 494, but the conditions are looking good. This is the first time we can actually paddle out with some hope.

The 5th is another one to circle. Saturday morning is glassy but small at 3ft. Then the afternoon: boom. The swell is up to 8ft from the ESE with an 8-second period, energy jumps to 816, and we get a clean cross-off with barely any wind. That’s going to be proper fun at Asakawa (Point). Consistent enough to make it worth your while.

Then we get into the meaty part. Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th see the swell really fill in, but it gets big and a bit wild. We’re talking 10ft to 12ft from the ESE with moderate to fresh cross-shore winds. That’s expert territory, and it’s probably going to be a bit of a washing machine. The morning of the 7th is 12ft and cross-shore, but look at Monday afternoon – the wind drops to glassy, the swell eases to 10ft from the ESE at 11 seconds, and the energy is off the charts at 2329. That right there is the standout of the whole run. It’s big, but it’s clean and glassy, and if you’re experienced, you’ll be licking your lips.

Tuesday and Wednesday the 8th and 9th keep the good times rolling. Tuesday’s still solid at 8ft from the ESE with a 12 to 13-second period, but the wind is cross-shore to onshore. Wednesday morning, though, is another gem: glassy, 7ft from the ESE with a 13-second period, and the energy is still strong at 1799. Excellent conditions for those who know what they’re doing.

After that, we start to fade. From the 10th onwards, the size drops back under 7ft, and the wind gets up out of the north, turning everything cross-off and clean but cutting the energy. Thursday and Friday have some small, clean leftovers, but it’s getting marginal. By the weekend of the 12th and 13th, we’re down to tiny, short-period leftovers in the 2ft range, and the wind is howling 45 to 55 km/h out of the north. That’s not surfable for a paddle.

So, bottom line: the first few days are a write-off, then Wednesday the 3rd afternoon gives us a first taste, and then the real show is from Saturday the 5th afternoon through to Wednesday the 9th. If you can only make one session, make it Monday the 7th afternoon – that’s the jewel. Wednesday the 9th morning is a close second. After that, it’s time to hang up the wetsuit for a few days.

The water’s running a touch warmer than normal at 84°, so that’s nice, but the crowds at Asakawa can be a factor, so worth getting in early for those clean windows.

Rusty out.

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