Sakawa River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the Sakawa River (Japan) has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the first few days are a total write-off. We’re looking at tiny, weak swell with poor conditions for the first couple of days in August. Saturday the 1st is flat with glassy, clean conditions but the swell is just a pathetic 1 ft from the SSW, and the combined wave energy is a paltry 27. It’s not worth paddling out.

The first real chance to get wet shows up on Monday the 3rd of August. The morning surf is a bit messy with a moderate cross-shore wind and 5 ft swell from the SE (period 16s, so a nice long period groundswell), but the combined energy is already strong at 1257. The afternoon is more promising: the wind swings cross-offshore, the waves clean up to 6 ft from the ESE, and the energy jumps to 1728. This is solid, but the swell is getting big for a river mouth, so keep your wits about you.

The standout period is Tuesday the 4th, Wednesday the 5th, and Thursday the 6th of August. Tuesday morning brings 8 ft swell from the SE (period 17s, very long period) with clean, cross-offshore winds. The combined energy is a massive 3674. This is a powerful, long-period groundswell. The Sakawa River is a river break, so that long period will make the waves draw up nicely, but it also means the sets will be widely spaced. By Wednesday morning, the swell pumps up to 12 ft from the SE, with a colossal 6597 energy. The winds are still clean and cross-offshore. This is expert territory – the swell is over 8 ft, so it’s only for the experienced. The crowd factor is “sometimes” at this spot, so you might have it to yourself if you’re brave. The water temperature is 81°F, which is about 1°F above average for this time of year – nothing to write home about.

Into the second week, things drop off. By Sunday the 9th, the swell is down to 4 ft and the wind is picking up, making it choppy. From Monday the 10th onward, the energy fades into the low hundreds, with swell under 3 ft and mostly onshore or cross-onshore winds. The period drops below 10s, so it’s just windswell slop. The last half of the forecast window is a prolonged flat spell – from the 10th to the 16th, there’s nothing worth getting excited about. The energy dips to 99 on the 15th, which is barely a ripple.

So, to sum it up: the best bet is Wednesday the 5th of August for the big, clean, powerful swell, but it’s for experts only. The Monday afternoon (3rd) is a good backup for intermediates. After that, it’s a long wait for the next pulse.

Stay safe, and don’t be a hero if it’s too big.
Rusty.

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