Hanamizu River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surf’s been dead quiet for a while around Hanamizu River, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve got a pretty long stretch of tiny, weak, messy surf from now through the 23rd of August – nothing worth paddling out for. But hang tight, because late in the month, the ocean finally wakes up.

Water temp is sitting right around 82°F, which is pretty standard for this time of year – nothing to write home about.

First real hope comes in the morning of Monday the 24th. Swell is still small at 1 ft from the SE, but that period jumps to 13 seconds and the wind goes light cross-off. That’s clean for the first time in ages. The combined energy is still only moderate (104), but it’s surfable and way better than what we’ve been looking at.

The standout window is Tuesday the 25th through Thursday the 27th. Tuesday morning brings 3 ft SSE swell with a 15-second period, light cross-off wind, and the energy jumps to 419. That’s proper groundswell. This is the best quality on offer, and it’s clean. Wednesday morning the 26th is the real gem though – 3 ft SSE swell, 16-second period, glassy wind, and the energy is up at 728. That’s the one you want to clear your schedule for. Smooth, glassy, long-period groundswell. Perfect for a sandbar break like this, though the long period will mean longer waits between sets.

From the 27th into the 30th, the swell builds steadily, but so does the wind. We’re looking at 6 ft to 10 ft from the SSE and S, with periods still long at 15-16 seconds. But the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, and the waves get choppy or messy. This is pushing into expert territory – over 8 ft, only for the strong paddlers. The energy readings are off the charts (over 5000 by the 30th) but the conditions aren’t doing it justice.

By the 31st of August, the swell is enormous – 21 ft in the morning from the SSE with 16-second period. That’s massive, and the energy is 19071. But honestly, this break is just too exposed and too small for that kind of size. It’s going to be a washing machine. Cross-shore wind at 12 mph won’t help either. This is straight-up for experts only, and even then, it’s probably more of a kitesurfing setup than a paddle session.

So to wrap it up – your best bet is the morning of the 26th. That’s the standout: glassy, clean, 3 ft groundswell, long period, decent energy. Get out there early.

Rusty.

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