Shichirigahama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening at Shichirigahama (Shichigahama). This is a river mouth, and it’s inconsistent, so it’s not a spot you can just rock up to and expect waves. The 16-day outlook is a real mixed bag – mostly small and messy, but there are a couple of windows worth keeping an eye on.

The water temp is sitting at 81°F, which is just about normal for the time of year, so no wetsuit needed.

The first few days are a write-off. Friday afternoon is onshore and weak, and Saturday slides in with glassy 1ft waves on the morning, but the swell is tiny and the conditions are poor. That lasts through Sunday and Monday. Monday morning sees a long-period 20-second groundswell sneak in from the SSE, with a combined energy of 587 (moderate), but it’s still only 2ft – not enough to get excited about.

Things look a bit more promising on Tuesday, August 25th. The morning brings a 5ft S swell with a 14-second period, pushing the combined energy up to 1315 (strong). That’s a solid size for intermediates, but it’s onshore wind from the SSW, so it’ll be a bit bumpy. The afternoon gets bigger at 6ft, but the wind picks up to 15 mph from the south, making it lumpy. That’s expert-only territory if you’re brave, but the wind is a problem.

The real standout, and the one I’d pencil in, is the morning of Saturday, September 5th. The swell is 3ft from the S with a 12-second period, giving a combined energy of 267 (moderate). The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the ENE at 9 mph, so the waves will be clean and lined up. The forecast says “expect good surf conditions,” and for a river mouth that’s inconsistent, this is the best you’re going to get. It’s not huge, but it’ll be fun. Crowds are sometimes a factor here, so expect a few others. The afternoon has a 3ft S swell, but the wind goes cross-on, so the morning is the pick.

Between now and that Saturday, there’s a long gap of flat or poor conditions. You’ll be waiting nearly two weeks for that clean session. The Monday afternoon (August 31st) and Tuesday (September 1st) have some clean offshore wind, but the swell is tiny (2ft), so it’s not worth a special trip.

Bottom line: the best surf on offer is the morning of Saturday, September 5th. It’s a small, clean wave that’ll suit a longboard or a funboard. The rest of the window is either too small, too windy, or too messy. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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