Shichirigahama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are pretty grim for a paddle on the Shichigahama stretch. We’ve got a solid 16-day window in front of us, but the surf is going to be a real struggle for most of it. There’s a long gap of quiet, small, and messy conditions from now until the morning of the 27th of July, with almost nothing worth getting wet for.

The first real flicker of life doesn’t show up until the morning of Monday, 27th July. Even then, it’s only just surfable with a small 2ft groundswell from the south, with a 14-second period, pushing a moderate wave energy of 170 – it’s weak, but at least the wind is glassy. It’s not a standout, just a sign that something is stirring.

The pick of the whole outlook comes on the morning of Tuesday, 28th July. Heads up for a clean window with a light east-northeasterly cross-offshore breeze that’s going to smooth things out nicely. The swell is a genuine 4ft from the south, and that long 14-second period means proper groundswell energy. The combined energy jumps to 517 – that’s moderate, solid for the area. This is the best on offer, and for a river break like this, that long-period S swell hitting the sandbanks could actually shape up pretty well. Just be aware, the crowds here are sometimes an issue, so pick your peak.

The morning of Wednesday, 29th July keeps the swell running, with 4ft from the south-southwest and a 14-second period, pushing energy up to 702 – that’s moderate-to-strong. But the wind is onshore from the south-southwest at 6 mph, so it’s not clean. It’s a marginal call, with a score that says questionable tide conditions, so don’t bank on it.

After that, the swell tries to hold but the wind turns nasty. By Thursday, 30th July, the morning shows 4ft from the south-southwest but with a 12 mph onshore wind, and the afternoon cranks up to 22 mph onshore – that’s fresh and lumpy. Not good for a paddle, but if you’ve got a kite, the setup on the beach-and-river system might actually be more interesting with that strong wind and messy waves.

The first week of August kicks off with a 5ft swell on the morning of Saturday, 1st August, but it’s cross-onshore at 16 mph and lumpy – that’s pushing into expert-only territory for size, but the wind ruins it. The energy is strong at 432, but it’s a mess.

The best chance in the second week actually looks like Monday morning, 3rd August. We’ve got 4ft from the southeast with a very long 18-second period, and the energy is strong at 838. The wind is a light cross-onshore at 6 mph, so it’s just about manageable. It’s a promising long-range call, but less certain this far out.

Water temp on the 19th was 79°, which is about normal for the time of year, so no dramas there.

Look, this stretch is a tough one. The river mouth can be inconsistent, and we’re seeing a lot of long gaps with no solid recommendations. It’s a bit of a write-off for the next week and a half. Keep an eye on that Tuesday 28th morning – that’s your one real standout. The rest, you’re better off staying dry.

Rusty.

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