Shichirigahama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Shichirigahama. Gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window has a lot of flat spells, but there are a few moments that could be worth a paddle, especially if you’re an experienced surfer.

The overall pattern is a long, quiet start with a brief, powerful spike of energy around Monday the 7th of September, then a long drop-off into small, weak conditions. The standout is definitely that Monday afternoon, but it’s a big, serious wave.

We start off pretty dismal. Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th of September are a write-off. Tiny little 0.7ft to 2ft swells, choppy on Saturday, and even though Sunday has a fresh offshore wind, the swell is just too small to do anything with. You’re looking at combined energy as low as 14 (Sunday morning) – that’s barely a ripple.

Then things get interesting. Monday the 7th of September morning brings a jump to 8ft from the south, but it’s accompanied by heavy rain and a strong cross-off wind. The combined energy is 1806 (moderate wave energy), but the surf is called “poor” – likely lumpy and wind-affected.

The real standout is Monday afternoon. We get a jump to 13ft from the south, with a long period of 11 seconds. The wind goes glassy – zero wind – and the combined energy rockets to 4709 (strong to very strong wave energy). The file says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. This is a powerful, heavy groundswell with a long period. At 13ft, this is only for experts. The long period will make it wall up at this river break, so expect some big, clean lines. If you’re not solid in overhead-to-double-overhead surf, give this one a miss. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no shock there.

Tuesday the 8th of September morning is still solid, dropping to 6ft from the south with a period of 11 seconds and a gentle offshore wind from the NNE. Combined energy is 681 (moderate wave energy). The surf is rated as “very good.” This is the best option for strong intermediates – still a decent size, but much more manageable than Monday. The afternoon is a step down, with a marginal tide and a cross-off wind, so stick to the morning.

Wednesday the 9th of September morning is surfable but ordinary – 4ft, light wind, combined energy of 245 (weak to moderate). Not terrible, but nothing to get excited about.

From Thursday the 10th of September onward, it’s a long, slow fade. The swell drops below 3ft, and the combined energy sinks into the low hundreds, then down to single digits. We get a few clean mornings, like Thursday with a fresh offshore, but the swell is too small. There’s a long gap of poor-to-flat conditions from the 10th right through to the 20th of September. The only exception is a tiny glassy 1ft bump on the 18th, but with a period of just 4 seconds, it’s essentially windswell – not worth suiting up for.

To sum it up: if you’re an expert, Monday afternoon is the only real standout – a serious, powerful, glassy groundswell. For the rest of us, Tuesday morning is the pick of the week. After that, put the board away for a while.

Rusty.

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