Hanamizu River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright surfers, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a solid push of groundswell rolling in this Saturday morning, July 11th. Hanamizu River is the only spot on the radar, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The swell is a chunky 7ft from the SSW with a long 16 second period, and the water is sitting at 75°F – that’s a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so you might want a thicker spring suit. The energy is pumping, with a combined reading of 2368, which is strong. But here’s the catch: the wind is a light cross-onshore breeze, so it’s going to be a little bumpy and the tide might mess with the sandbar setup. It’s doable for someone who knows the river mouth, but it’s not a classic.

The real standout, no question, is Sunday morning, July 12th. This is the session to clear your calendar. The swell drops a touch to 6ft from the SSW, still a long 16 second period, and the wind goes dead calm – glassy as glass. That’s going to make Hanamizu River look like a dream. The energy is still strong at 1535, and while it’s a bit bigger, it’s in that sweet spot for experienced surfers. The river mouth should be handling that long period groundswell well. Get on it early.

By Sunday afternoon, the wind swings around and gets a bit cross-onshore again, and the swell is fading. Monday morning, July 13th, is worth a mention – we’re down to 3ft from the SSW, but it’s dead calm again. Glassy conditions, but the wave energy is weak (261), so you’ll be scratching for a ride. Still, for a longboard or a foiler, it might be a fun, quiet session.

After that, things get grim. From Monday afternoon, July 13th, all the way through to Saturday morning, July 25th, this place is basically flat. That’s nearly two weeks of very little to no surf. The swell drops to tiny 0.7ft to 2ft, wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the energy readings are in the dumps. It’s a proper lull, and honestly, for a beach/sandbar setup like this, a blank run is pretty normal when the swell window shuts down.

Now, there’s a flicker of hope late in the forecast. Saturday morning, July 25th, we get a glassy morning with a 2ft SSE swell and a 13 second period. The energy is a weak 113, so it’s not going to be pumping, but it’s clean. The best shot in the second week is Sunday morning, July 26th. The swell bumps up to 4ft from the SE with a very long 15 second period, and the energy is moderate at 639. But it’s cross-onshore again, and the tide could be a factor. It’s promising, but way out there, so don’t bank on it too hard.

Bottom line: if you want the best waves in the next 16 days, be at Hanamizu River on Sunday morning, July 12th. That’s the one. The rest is a whole lot of waiting.

- Rusty

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