Sakawa River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for the Sakawa River. The river mouth isn’t flashing any fireworks early on, but there’s some serious size lurking out there in the second week for those who know what they’re doing. The tide and wind windows will be everything.

The first few days are flat and forgettable. Sunday the 26th of July through to Tuesday the 29th serve up tiny 1ft to 2ft pulses from the SE with weak energy (80-102). Winds are mostly cross-onshore, apart from Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning when it goes glassy. That glassy spell on Tuesday the 28th morning might give you a clean little 2ft wave, but it’s ordinary at best. The water temp is sitting at 81°, pretty normal for this time of year.

We slog through a long gap from Thursday the 30th right through to Saturday the 1st of August with nothing worth paddling for – tiny swell, poor conditions, and energy dribbling down to 30. Then on Sunday the 2nd of August, we get a slight bump to 2ft from the ESE with a long 14-second period. The combined energy jumps to 186, but it’s cross-shore wind and still not clean. Not your day.

Now, Monday the 3rd of August morning is where things start to get interesting. The swell pumps up to 5ft from the ESE, 15-second period, and the energy hits 881. It’s marginal, but there’s a pulse. By the afternoon, it’s 5ft and the wind goes offshore, light from the SSE. That’s a standout moment – the first real offshore wind we’ve seen, and the river mouth could offer some clean lines. The swell is 5ft, coming from the ESE, and with that long period groundswell, it’s best at the river mouth where the current can shape it up. It’s not for beginners, but intermediates should be able to find a few. Crowds are possible here – it’s a fairly consistent spot that can get a few people on it.

Tuesday the 4th of August sees the swell climb to 7ft from the ESE, 16-second period, energy at 1987. Winds are cross from the NE, a bit messy. This is big, expert-level territory by Wednesday the 5th of August morning, when we hit 8ft from the ESE with a cross-offshore breeze from the NNE. That’s clean, powerful, and the energy is 3444 – a proper session for the brave. The period is 16 seconds, so it’s a long, grinding groundswell that will love the river mouth.

By Thursday the 6th of August, the swell explodes. 13ft from the SE, 17-second period, energy at 8812. The wind is light and cross-onshore, but the forecast notes the swell is too big for this break. That’s a hard pass – only absolute experts with a death wish, and even then, it’s likely closing out or washing over the bank. Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th are even bigger, peaking at 18ft on Saturday morning with glassy conditions (energy 17987). It’s a monster, but it’s out of control for paddle surfing at the river. If you’ve got a kite, the setup looks more interesting, but for a surfboard, it’s a no-go.

Sunday the 9th of August drops back to 8ft from the S, 11-second period, energy 2816. Winds are light cross-onshore – still big, but maybe manageable for the experienced. Monday the 10th of August finishes with 6ft from the ESE, 15-second period, energy 1524, but the wind is cross-onshore and choppy.

Best on offer? Monday the 3rd of August afternoon – 5ft ESE swell, offshore wind, clean conditions at the river mouth. That’s your window for a proper session. Wednesday the 5th of August morning is the standout for size and cleanliness – 8ft, cross-offshore wind, pure power – but it’s only for experts. Everything else is either too small, too messy, or too big.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty

Read more