Sakawa River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, sit down and let’s talk about what’s coming. The only spot in the picture is the Sakawa River, and it’s a wild ride ahead.

The water is sitting at 82°, which is warmer than average for this time of year, so you’ll be comfy in a spring suit.

First surf shows up on Sunday afternoon, August 2nd. It’s a shaky start: a 4ft swell from the SE with a long 15-second period, and light onshore wind. The wave energy is moderate (517), but conditions are marginal. Not much to get fired up about.

Things start building Monday morning, August 3rd. We get a 5ft SE swell, period stretching to 16 seconds, and clean cross-offshore winds. The energy jumps to 1256 – solid. By Monday afternoon, it’s up to 6ft, still clean, with strong energy at 2082. Tuesday morning, August 4th, is the real standout: 8ft of SE swell, 16-second period, clean cross-off wind, and big energy at 3132. This is the best window for an intermediate surfer – it’s solid but still manageable.

Monday and Tuesday mornings are the picks for the first week. The long-period groundswell will give good shape, and the river mouth setup should handle it nicely. Crowds are possible, so get out early.

After Tuesday, it gets heavy. Tuesday afternoon, the swell hits 10ft and the wind goes cross-onshore and choppy – not worth it. Wednesday and Thursday mornings (5th and 6th) see a massive 12ft swell from the SSE, with energy readings over 6000 (very strong). The wind is favourable, but this is expert-only territory. At 12ft and a 16-second period, it’s going to be big, powerful, and only for the brave. The afternoons during this stretch are blown out.

Friday the 7th is still big at 12ft in the morning, with a gentle cross-shore breeze, but it’s still too big for most. The afternoon drops to 8ft but with onshore wind and rain – messy.

From Saturday the 8th onward, the swell starts to fade quickly. We get a 6ft SSW swell Saturday morning, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. By Sunday the 9th, it’s down to 5ft and the wind is poor. The second week (from August 10th) is a real lull. Swell drops to around 4ft or less, with weak energy in the low hundreds to mid hundreds. Winds are often clean, but the waves are small and ordinary. There’s a brief moment on Thursday the 13th morning with glassy conditions and 3ft SSW swell, but it’s tiny and weak. After that, it’s a long stretch of flat, poor surf through to the 17th.

So, the standout is definitely Tuesday morning, August 4th: 8ft SE swell, 16-second period, clean cross-off wind, and strong energy. Monday the 3rd is also a good one. After that, it’s a big, powerful week for experts only, then a long, slow fade-out.

Rusty.

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