Hanamizu River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's happening at Hanamizu River.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is a bit of a struggle. We've got a real flat spell setting in. From Tuesday the 25th all the way through to Thursday the 3rd of September, it's pretty much a write-off for any decent waves. The energy just isn't there, with combined swell energy numbers mostly below 200 (weak) through that stretch, and the wind is nearly always putting a chop on it. You'll see some tiny bumps, but trust me, it's not worth paddling out for.

Look towards Thursday morning the 4th of September as our first real chance to blow the cobwebs off. The wind goes glassy from the NNE, which is a huge plus for a river mouth setup. We're looking at a clean 3 ft of swell, coming from the S. The period is a short 7 seconds, so it'll be a bit weak and won't have much push – surfable, but very ordinary.

Then comes the standout window, if you're brave and skilled. Sunday the 6th of September is where things get interesting, but only for the experienced crew. Sunday morning, we get a solid 6 ft of S swell riding a much longer 14-second period. That's proper groundswell energy – you can feel the weight of it. The combined energy rockets up to 1595 (moderate to strong), but the wind is cross-onshore, making it lumpy and a bit of a battle. By Sunday afternoon, it's pumping 10 ft from the S. That's big, raw power – combined energy hits 4756 (very strong) – but with a strong cross-onshore wind at 16 mph, it'll be a washing machine. This is strictly for expert surfers on a big board or a gun, and even then, it'll be a challenge.

Monday the 7th holds onto that size but the wind gets nasty – risk of thunderstorms and 22 mph cross-onshore winds making it a complete mess for surfing. Honestly, with that much swell and that much wind, the setup at Hanamizu River starts looking more like a kite-surfing zone than a paddle-surfing wave.

There is one bright spot after the storm. Tuesday morning the 8th of September. The swell drops to a still-chunky 7 ft from the S, and the wind swings around to the NNE at 9 mph, giving us clean, cross-offshore conditions. The combined energy is still a solid 865 (moderate). That's your best chance at a clean session with some power, but only if you've got the experience for 7 ft waves on a beach/sandbar break. It's still a big day, so leave the foamie at home.

So the call: The whole first week is a bust. Your one potential highlight is the morning of Tuesday the 8th of September for the experienced guys. The big swell days on the 6th and 7th are a kite-surfing dream and a paddle-surfing nightmare.

Keep your eyes on the forecasts – it's been flat, so things can only get better.

Rusty.

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