Shichirigahama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's on the menu for Shichigahama, or Shichirigahama – this river mouth spot that can get some juice but is known for being a bit inconsistent. The window stretches out for over two weeks, but it's a real slow burner. The water's pushin' 83°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, something to keep in the back of your mind.

Kicking things off on Monday the 7th of September, we might actually have a decent afternoon. There's a solid 7ft swell running from the S with a period of 9 seconds and a combined energy of 679 (moderate wave energy). The wind is a light cross-off from the NW, which should clean it up nicely. This could be our one true standout early on – decent size, decent direction, and clean. It's a river mouth, so that long-ish period (9 secs) is a good sign for a bit of shape.

But don't get too attached to that idea. Tuesday the 8th morning starts glassy with a smaller 3ft SSW swell and a 10-second period, but a decent 275 combined energy. That window of clean, glassy surf won't last. By Tuesday afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the S at 19 mph and it's over. Then Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th get absolutely hammered by strong onshore winds up to 19 mph, making a mess of even the 6ft swell.

After that, we hit a long, flat spell. From Friday the 11th through to Monday the 21st of September, it's a massive gap of poor conditions. The swell drops to barely a ripple with combined energy in the double digits. There are some offshore winds in there, especially around the 10th and 11th, but with wave heights of only 2ft or less, there's just nothing to ride.

Now, look ahead to Monday the 21st of September – this is where it gets interesting but tricky. We see a pulse of long-period groundswell from the SE, with a period of 17 seconds and a combined energy of 753 (strong wave energy) by the afternoon. The wave height is 4ft, but the wind is howlin' offshore from the NNE at a solid 28 mph. That will make it absolutely heaving and clean on the face, but it's going to be a battle just to get out. This is expert territory, and arguably more of a kite-surfing session than a paddle session.

Then, Tuesday the 22nd of September morning shows a big jump in energy – 6ft SE swell with a very long 18-second period and a massive combined energy of 2302 (very strong wave energy). The wind is a cross-off from the NNW. It's got "marginal" written all over it, possibly due to tide or the fact that such a long period swell can be hard to handle at a river mouth. For the experienced surfer who knows this bank, it could be an absolute session, but it's not for the faint-hearted. The afternoon looks to get ruined by an onshore breeze.

So, the real highlight is that Monday afternoon on the 7th. After that, it's a desert until the final few days, which are for experts only. The river mouth can hold a gem, but you have to be patient and pick your windows.

Rusty.

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