Shichirigahama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, listen up. Let’s talk about Shichirigahama.

Straight up, this is a tough forecast. The first few days are a write-off for anything decent. You’ve got a solid pulse of Southern Ocean energy rolling in on the 10th and 11th—swell heights around 5ft to 7ft, with a long period 15-17 seconds and a combined energy reading that’s up there (2368 on the Saturday morning). That’s proper groundswell. But the wind is howling from the south and south-southwest, straight onshore, and it’s just destroying the surface. The water is sitting at 75°F which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so you might want a spring suit for comfort.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Sunday morning, July 12th. The swell drops a touch to 6ft, still from the SSW with a 16-second period, and the energy is still strong (1386). But the key change is the wind: a light northwesterly, 3 mph, blowing cross-offshore. That’s going to clean the face right up. The wave comment says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. At 6ft, it’s a bit punchy for beginners, but for the crew who know what they’re doing, Sunday morning is the standout. The crowd factor is “sometimes” here, so you might have a few others in the water, but with that quality, it’s worth it just be aware it’s a river mouth setup, so the long period swell might make it a bit straight at times, but the offshore wind will help.

After that, it’s a slow fade. Monday the 13th sees the swell drop to 3ft with a 12-second period, and the wind is offshore from the north at 6 mph. The surf is clean but small—just ordinary surfable waves. Tuesday the 14th morning is glassy, with 2ft of swell and a 11-second period, but the energy is low (102). From there, the swell just dies off. We get a string of tiny, onshore days from the 15th through to the 23rd. The winds are from the south and southeast, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is barely scraping 1ft to 2ft. There’s a period around the 15th where the swell jumps to 4ft, but with a 5-second period and moderate onshore wind, it’s just bumpy junk.

The second week is a long run of poor conditions. The 24th and 25th of July show a little flicker of life: a 2ft to 3ft SSW swell with a 12-second period, and a decent 16 mph north-northeasterly offshore wind on the 24th morning and 25th morning. The energy is moderate (140-223), and the conditions are clean. But it’s still small. The 24th morning is the best of that late run, but it’s not a classic.

Overall, the one true standout is Sunday morning, July 12th. That’s your window. After that, it’s a 10-day gap with nothing worth paddling out for until the 24th, but even then it’s small. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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