Sakawa River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get straight into it for the local scene.

The outlook is a bit of a slow burner. We've got a solid run of small, weak surf kicking things off, but there's a real pulse of energy coming through mid-period that's got my attention. The water temperature is sitting at 82°, which is about a degree and a half warmer than usual for this time of year, so you can leave the steamer at home.

We start with a bit of a dud. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd are pretty much a write-off. The Sakawa River is showing tiny waves around 0.7ft to 4ft, with a light cross-onshore breeze making things messy. The combined energy is a measly 47 to 539, just weak stuff. Not worth paddling out for.

There's a glimmer on Monday the 3rd afternoon. The swell picks up to 6ft from the ESE, with a period of 16 seconds. That's a proper long-period groundswell, and the wind turns cross-offshore, cleaning the wave faces up nicely. The combined energy jumps to 1927, a moderate bump. It's a bit of a marginal call, but the right setup could see some fun runners.

Tuesday the 4th morning is the standout of the entire outlook. The swell is 8ft from the SE with that same 16-second period, giving us a combined energy of 3909. The wind is a clean cross-off from the NNE. This is prime for the river mouth. The waves will have great shape and power, but with that size, it's definitely for the crew who knows what they're doing. It will be too big for beginners. There's a chance of crowds, so get there early.

After that, it gets big and tricky. From Wednesday the 5th through to Thursday the 6th, the swell hits 12ft, with combined energy readings over 5800. That's a serious amount of water moving. The wind is mixed, and the forecast is clear that the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. Unless you're an expert on a big-wave gun, give it a miss. The setup might actually be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during this period.

We then see a slow drop-off through the rest of the first week and into the second. Friday the 7th morning has 8ft swell from the S, but the wind is cross-onshore, chopping it up. The following days are a mix of small, weak swells with periods dropping below 13 seconds, and mostly onshore or cross-shore winds. The energy levels drop back into the hundreds. It's a blank stretch, with the next slightly promising window not appearing until Monday the 10th morning. That morning has a clean 3ft swell from the ESE with a cross-offshore breeze, but it's small and weak (energy 507). Not really a highlight.

From the 11th of August onwards, it's all poor surf conditions with tiny waves and weak, short-period energy. The combined energy drops into the 100s and low 200s. Don't expect much.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet by a long shot is Tuesday the 4th of August morning. Get on it for some powerful, clean, long-period groundswell at the Sakawa River. After that, the window slams shut.

Rusty.

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