Kamakura Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Kamakura’s got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I’ll be straight with you – we’ve got a long, quiet stretch to get through. For the first week and a bit, from Monday the 20th of July right through to the end of the month, the surf is mostly flat or just plain poor. The swell is tiny, under 2 ft, and the wind is often onshore or cross-shore, messing up any chance of a decent wave. The combined energy is barely a whisper, in the single digits and low teens. There’s a brief moment on Wednesday morning the 22nd where it’s glassy, but the swell is only 0.3 ft, so it’s not worth paddling out for. Thursday the 23rd morning has a clean cross-offshore breeze, but again, the swell is just 0.3 ft. It’s a real frustrating start. We then drift through the rest of the week with nothing but poor conditions, and the energy stays weak.

Now, looking ahead, things start to get interesting right at the end of the month. We finally see a pulse of proper swell. On Tuesday the 28th of July, the morning bumps up to 5 ft from the south with a 14-second period. The combined energy jumps to 1092 (moderate), and the wind is light from the south, right onshore. It’s described as "marginal," but it’s a sign of life. The real standout, however, is shaping up for Friday the 31st of July. The morning is looking excellent for experienced surfers, with a 8 ft south-southwest swell, a 15-second period, and glassy conditions. The energy is a massive 2684 (strong). That’s a proper groundswell, and the offshore light wind will make it clean. But hold on to your board for the afternoon – it’s predicting a 15 ft south swell with a 16-second period. That’s a monster, with a combined energy of 11914 (very strong). The wind is light cross-shore, but the forecast warns the swell is going to be too big for the break. This is serious, expert-only territory, and even then, you’d want to be very careful. The 8 ft morning session is your best bet for a quality, heavy wave.

The following Saturday the 1st of August, the swell is still solid at 7 ft from the southwest, but a fresh 19 mph cross-offshore wind will make it messy and difficult. By Sunday the 2nd, it all drops off again, fading back to small, poor surf for the rest of the outlook.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The best window is the morning of Friday the 31st of July at Kamakura, with a strong, clean 8 ft south-southwest groundswell, but it’s for the experienced crew only. The big afternoon swell is a spectacle, but not for paddling. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, don’t get your hopes up for the next few days.

Rusty.

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