Sakawa River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's see what we've got for the Sakawa River. The swell window is pretty limited here, so we're looking at a genuine waiting game for most of this forecast period.

Mate, the first week and a half is pretty grim. For the first few days, you're just gonna be staring at tiny, weak, and messy junk. Swell energy is pathetic, barely hitting triple digits on the 4th and 5th. Wind is mostly a problem, too – cross or cross-off and often fresh, making even the small waves a chore. We're talking a whole lot of nothing from Friday the 4th all the way through to Monday the 7th.

There's a flicker of hope on Tuesday morning, the 8th. That's when we get our first real standout. The swell picks up to 6ft with a solid 10-second period from the SSE. What makes this special is the wind – it's glass in the morning, so the surface will be perfect. The wave energy jumps massively, hitting 629. Keep in mind though, that 6ft is decent size and this is a river mouth, so it could be a bit punchy and might not be ideal for total beginners at that size. The morning is the only window as the wind turns cross-on and choppy in the afternoon.

Wednesday the 9th is a step up in size but a step down in quality. You'll see 6ft to 7ft from the S, with strong energy (818-862), but it's going to be a cross-shore chop fest. It's more of a kite surfing vibe that day, I reckon. Crowds are always possible here, especially when there's any hint of a wave.

Thursday the 10th looks like another clean morning to circle. We've got 7ft from the S again, and glassy conditions. That's right in the sweet spot for a river wave. The combined energy is a very solid 702. The swell direction is SE, which is right on the optimum for this spot, so the wave should have good shape as it hits the river mouth.

After that, it fades fast. Friday the 11th is back to tiny, weak junk, and we've got a long run of nothing in the second week. The 12th has a sniff of a very long period 14-second swell, but it's only 1ft and straight onshore – totally hopeless. From the 13th to the 19th of September, it's all poor surf, with energy levels dropping from 234 down to a pathetic 19. It's a dead zone.

So to sum it up: if you want decent waves, your best bets are Tuesday the 8th and Thursday the 10th of September, both in the morning. After that, the river goes flat for a long, long time.

- Rusty

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