Sakawa River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s see what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the Sakawa River is looking pretty flat and uninspiring for the first week. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing from Monday the 17th of August all the way through to Sunday the 23rd. The swell is tiny, under 3ft, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, making for poor conditions. The water temperature is sitting at 81°, which is about average for this time of year. Honestly, you’d be better off finding a pool or a cold drink.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Monday the 24th of August. We’ve got a solid pulse of SSE groundswell arriving, with heights around 6ft in the morning, building to 7ft by the afternoon. The period is a very long 16 to 17 seconds, which means proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is strong (1976 in the morning, jumping to 2657 in the afternoon). The wind swings cross-offshore from the WSW in the afternoon, which is a major plus – it’ll keep things clean. This is a standout window for the intermediate surfer. The swell direction from the SSE matches the optimum for the break, so it should wrap in nicely. Keep in mind, with a period this long, the sets will be spaced out, and a river mouth like this can handle that kind of energy well.

Tuesday the 25th of August stays in the game, with similar swell around 6ft to 7ft, still from the SSE and S, with a 13 to 14 second period. The combined energy is still strong (1636 to 1667). The wind is light and cross-shore, so the waves should have some shape, but there’s a risk of thunderstorms, which might put a damper on the session. It’s still a decent option.

After that, the swell drops off a bit through the rest of the week, turning more cross-onshore and choppy, with conditions going downhill. The quality just isn’t there for most of those days.

Now, looking further out, Monday the 31st of August and Tuesday the 1st of September throw up some serious numbers. The swell is predicted to be massive – 23ft to 25ft, with a 17-second period, and combined energy readings going through the roof (34010 to 34659). The wind is light and cross-onshore, which would normally be a dream, but this is simply too big for the Sakawa River. It’s an expert-only scenario, and even then, it’s likely to be a washing machine. The forecast says it’s too big for this break, and I’d have to agree. It’s a spectacle, not a surf session.

So, to wrap it up: the clear standout is Monday the 24th of August, with the afternoon session looking particularly good with that clean cross-offshore wind. Tuesday the 25th is your backup. The rest of the window is either flat, poor quality, or way too big. Keep your eyes on that Monday.

Rusty

Read more