Kugenuma Rivermouth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m lookin’ at the charts for the next couple of weeks, and honestly, it’s a bit of a slow dance for this stretch of coast. The swell just isn’t showin’ up with any real grunt, and the wind is gonna be a problem for most of it. We’ve got a long gap of nothin’ worth paddlin’ out for, so let’s get into it.

The first bit of hope is Monday morning, the 24th of August. We’re talkin’ about Kugenuma Rivermouth. It’s a beginner-friendly river mouth setup, and it’s fairly consistent, but it can get pretty crowded. The water’s sittin’ at 81°, which is about average for this time of year. Now, for a Monday morning, the stars almost align. We’ve got a 2ft SSE swell rollin’ in with a very long period of 18 seconds. That’s groundswell energy, and it’s packin’ a moderate punch with a combined energy of 477. The wind? Dead glassy, mate. 3 mph from the south, creatin’ a mirror finish. For a rivermouth, that long period stuff can be a bit straight, but with those conditions, it’ll be fun on the banks. This is the best on offer for the whole outlook, but it’s a small window.

Later that Monday afternoon, the wheels fall off. The wind swings around to the SSW at 12 mph, blowin’ straight onshore, and the swell starts to get a bit messy. That’s a hard pass.

From Tuesday, the 25th, all the way through to the end of August, it’s a write-off. The wind is mostly onshore and moderate, and the swell is small and weak. The energy drops off a cliff. There’s a small window of hope on Friday morning, the 28th, with a glassy 2ft swell, but that period is a shockin’ 6 seconds. That’s windswell junk, and it’s just not worth the drive. The combined energy is a weak 65. You’ll be bobbing around on nothin’.

The gap of poor conditions runs all the way until the 2nd of September. That’s a solid stretch of flatness.

Then, on Wednesday, the 2nd of September, we see a flicker of life. The afternoon shows a 3ft SSW swell with a proper 14-second period and a moderate combined energy of 361. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the east, so the waves will be clean. The score is good, but it’s still a small wave. It’s the second best day of the whole forecast, but it’s a far cry from pumpin’.

After that, the wind picks up again on the 3rd and 4th, blowin’ offshore, but the swell drops back into the weak stuff. The last week of the forecast is just a sad tale of small, weak swell and onshore winds. The 8th of September has a 19 mph onshore wind and a tiny 0.7ft swell. Just leave the board in the car.

Honestly, if you’re a beginner, that Monday morning (24th) is your only real shot at somethin’ clean. For anyone else, it’s a waitin’ game. The setup is better for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer on most of these days, especially when the wind is strong and onshore.

So, the pick of the litter is Kugenuma Rivermouth on Monday morning, the 24th of August. It’s not a day to call in sick for, but it’s the only glassy, clean, and rideable wave in the whole 16-day window.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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