Sakawa River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

The next couple of weeks at the Sakawa River are going to test your patience, that’s for sure. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak surf with a lot of cross and onshore wind messing things up. The good news is there’s a brief window early on and a hint of something a bit more promising later, but you’ll have to be picky about when you paddle out.

The water temp is sitting right at 81°F, which is dead on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. You’ll be in boardies or a springsuit for sure.

We start the run on Sunday morning, August 9th. There's a 3ft ESE swell rolling in with a 13-second period, and the energy is moderate at 527. But the wind is a cross-onshore breeze at 3 mph, which puts a few ripples on it. It’s pretty marginal, honestly. The river mouth isn't handling it well, and it’s not really worth getting too excited about. That same day in the afternoon is more of the same, still around 3ft but the energy drops a touch to 490.

Monday the 10th keeps things small, around 3ft, but the wind goes glassy in the afternoon. The swell direction stays ESE with a 12-second period. This is your best early shout. The energy is moderate at 279, and while it’s not big, it will be clean. If you can sneak out for a session, this is the one to go for. The Sakawa River (Kanagawa) break works on this ESE swell, and with glassy conditions, it’ll be your cleanest option for the next while.

After that, it falls apart a bit. Tuesday through to the end of the first week sees the swell drop right down. We’re looking at 2ft or less, with shorter periods, and a mix of cross-offshore and choppy winds. The energy drops into the low hundreds or even below 100, which is weak. There are a few morning windows with clean conditions from the NNE cross-offshore winds, but there just isn't any power behind the waves to make it worthwhile. It’s a long, flat-feeling stretch.

The second week is more of the same struggle. There’s a slight pulse of SE energy around Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th, pushing back up to 3ft, but the wind is messy and it’s not offering much. The energy goes up a bit, reaching 338, but the period drops and the wind direction keeps it lumpy. Monday the 17th sees the biggest swell of the whole period, with 5ft from the east, but the period is a weak 9 seconds and there’s a cross-onshore breeze. It’s going to be a jumbled mess, more of a wrestling match than a surf. To be honest, with that onshore wind and how it will be breaking, that setup looks more interesting for the kite surfers than for us paddle surfers. It might be worth watching from the bank.

There is a tiny window on Thursday morning, August 20th, where it might be surfable. The swell is 3ft from the ESE with an 8-second period, but the wind is a clean cross-offshore. The energy is only 126, so it’s weak, but at least it’s not completely blown out. It’s a long shot and very ordinary, but if you’re desperate, it might be the only thing close to a wave that day.

Beyond that, the forecast fades again with a small SSW pulse arriving on Sunday the 23rd. The swell is back up to 3ft with a 12-second period and moderate energy at 326, but the wind is on it and the conditions get messy. There’s a more promising forecast for Monday the 24th with SW cross-offshore winds, but the swell has already started to taper off and it’s another near-miss.

Overall, the pick of the fortnight is Monday afternoon, August 10th. It’s not big, but the glassy conditions will make it the best quality surf you’ll find for a while. If you can’t make that, the second week is mostly about waiting out the wind and hoping the forecasts change. It’s a tough run, but that’s the river for you. Keep your expectations low and your timing right.

Rusty.

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