Kamogawa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty.

Alright, let’s be straight up – this forecast for Kamogawa is a tale of two halves. We’ve got a massive pulse of swell rolling in mid-week, but it’s gonna be way too big and messy for most of us. The real window for a decent paddle is a narrow one, and it’s going to take a bit of patience.

First off, the water temp is sitting at 82°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – feels like a tropical bath out there.

The action starts to build on Monday, August 3rd. The morning looks clean with a cross-offshore breeze and a 7ft SE swell (16-second period, 2471 combined energy). It’s a bit of a clean, long-period groundswell, but it’s already pushing into the size that’s not ideal for beginners. By Monday afternoon the wind goes cross-shore and lumpy, and the swell jumps to 8ft – not great.

Tuesday, August 4th, is where it gets interesting. The morning session is the standout of the whole period. You’ve got a 10ft SE swell with a 16-second period (4853 combined energy) and a cross-offshore NNE breeze. The surf is clean and powerful. But – and this is a big but – this is an expert-only proposition. 10ft is solid, and the long period means it’s going to be breaking with a lot of punch. Kamogawa is an exposed beach break, so those long-period SE swells are going to be dumping hard and closing out on the banks. It’s big, it’s raw, and it’s only for the very experienced. The wind is favourable, but the size is the gatekeeper.

From Tuesday afternoon through to Thursday, August 6th, the swell just keeps climbing. We’re talking 12ft, 13ft, even 15ft on Wednesday morning, with combined energy readings hitting five digits (10241 on Wednesday!). The wind is all cross-shore or cross-on, and the wave comment says it’s “too big for this break.” Honestly, it’s going to be a washing machine. For paddle surfing, it’s a no-go. For strong wind, massive swell, and a beach break setup, this is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Then the quality drops off a cliff. From Thursday afternoon through to the end of the first week, it’s a wall of east and southerly winds, with risk of thunderstorms and cross-onshore conditions. The swell remains big (8ft to 10ft) but it’s all choppy and poor. Not worth paddling out.

The second week sees a gradual drop in size and a change in wind. The mornings from August 10th to 12th look clean with cross-offshore breezes (NNE or N), but the swell is mixed – 7ft to 8ft from the SW and E, with moderate energy (around 2000-4000). The wave comment says “marginal” – the tide or conditions aren’t quite coming together. Still, a clean 7ft swell with a 16-second period on Monday morning, August 10th, is the best of a quieter week.

After that, it really fades. From August 13th onward, the swell drops below 4ft, the wind turns light and variable or onshore, and the energy readings fall to just a few hundred. There’s a blip on the 15th with an 8ft, 9-second period E swell, but that’s short-period and choppy. It’s a long, slow, flat finish.

So, to sum it up: the absolute best chance to get wet is Tuesday morning, August 4th at Kamogawa. That’s the cleanest, most powerful swell of the run, but you’d better be ready for 10ft faces and a very long-period groundswell that’s going to rip through the bank. For the rest of the month, it’s either too big and messy, or too small and clean. Pick your moment carefully.

Rusty.

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