Sakawa River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Sakawa River has on offer for the next couple of weeks. I’ve gotta be straight with you – it’s a slow start. The first solid chance of a wave that’s worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until the morning of Sunday, the 23rd of August. Before then, we’re looking at a solid nine-day stretch of tiny, weak dribble or messy onshore junk. You’ll see a bump in combined swell energy around the 16th and 17th, hitting 412 (moderate energy), but it’s all cross-onshore and the wave comment is poor. Not worth your time. The water temp is sitting at a warm 81.1°F for the first break we look at, and with an anomaly of only 0.4°F, that’s pretty much normal for this time of year. Nothing to complain about there.

The real story starts on Sunday the 23rd. The morning session is where it’s at. We’ve got a clean 5.9ft swell coming from the SSE, with a long period of 16 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy jumps to a whopping 1642 (strong wave energy). The wind is a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNE, which will keep the face clean. This is excellent for experienced surfers, and with a rating like that, it’s the standout of the whole window. The only thing is, it’s a river mouth, so a long-period swell like this can sometimes make things a bit straight, but the quality is there. The afternoon sees the same size but an onshore wind, which will mess it up.

Monday the 24th is still solid but not as clean. Morning has 6.2ft from the SSE (period 14 seconds) with a light cross-onshore breeze. It’s marginal. The energy is massive at 2714 (very strong), but the wind isn’t doing us any favours. It’s best left for the experts.

Tuesday the 25th morning is another potential cracker. Glassy conditions, 9.8ft of pure S swell with a 16-second period. The combined energy is through the roof at 4563. This is excellent for experienced surfers, but that size (over 8.2ft) means it’s strictly for the big-wave crew. Beginners, stay on the beach. The afternoon gets a cross-onshore wind, so grab that morning window.

Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th are too big. The forecast is showing swells from 11.5ft up to a massive 24.6ft. The energy numbers are insane – 5745, 7995, and even 38081. The wind and tide are good, but the wave comment says it’s too big for this break. Not a paddle-surfing option. Maybe the kite crew will have a field day.

By Friday the 28th, it’s all dropping off again. The swell fades to 3.6ft, period drops to 8 seconds, and the wind goes cross-onshore. Back to the small stuff.

So, to wrap it up: if you’ve got the skills, the morning of Sunday the 23rd is your best bet for a clean, powerful wave. Tuesday the 25th morning is also a standout for the brave. Everything else is either too small, too messy, or too big. Keep an eye on the forecasts for the second week, as those big days are promising but a long way out. Stay frothing.

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