Sakawa River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s lining up for the Sakawa River.

To be honest, the first week or so is pretty grim. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing but tiny, poor surf from Wednesday the 22nd of July right through to the end of the month. The swell is barely a ripple, mostly around 0.7ft to 1ft, and the wind is consistently cross or cross-onshore, which just messes up what little is there. The energy is weak, barely tickling the 100 mark (combined energy in the 20-90 range). There’s a little window on Sunday the 26th of July morning where it goes glassy, but the swell is still only 1ft, so it’s just small, ordinary waves. Not worth getting wet for, really.

We do get a bit of a pulse around the 1st of August. Saturday morning August 1st has some clean, glassy conditions with a 2ft SE swell. The energy picks up to 147 (moderate), so it’s surfable but still very ordinary. Nothing to get excited about.

Now, the real news is the stand-out window that looks promising for Sunday the 2nd of August. The morning session is where it’s at. We’re looking at a 3ft ESE groundswell with a period of 15 seconds – that’s a long period, which means proper shape and energy. The wind is glassy, and the combined energy jumps to 614 (strong). It’s a river mouth, so that long period should wrap in nicely, offering some clean lines. This is your best bet of the whole run. It’s still a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it, but it looks tasty.

Monday the 3rd of August rolls in with a bigger swell, 7ft to 7ft from the south, with a very long period of 16 seconds. The energy is huge (2548), but it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The wind is onshore, which is a downer, and that size – over 7ft – is pushing into expert-only territory, especially at a river break. The tide conditions might also be a factor. It’s big and powerful, but not clean.

After that, Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th of August see the swell dropping back to 4ft to 6ft, but the wind turns nasty, with a strong offshore or cross-offshore flow (20-35 km/h). It’s clean in the morning on Wednesday, but the swell is dropping and the energy is fading. By Thursday the 6th of August, forget it – 55 km/h winds and heavy rain, just a write-off.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a blank. You’re waiting for that Sunday the 2nd of August morning. That’s the standout. The Sakawa River (Japan) should have some long-period, glassy, punchy waves. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual.

Stay patient, and that one day will be worth it.

Rusty

Read more