Tainohama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright crew, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for Tainohama over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the first week is pretty flat. There’s small, clean surf right from Friday the 24th of July, but it’s tiny – we’re talking 0.3m to 0.5m SE swell, with very weak combined wave energy (82 to 174). The conditions are often glassy or light, which is nice, but there’s just not enough push to get excited about. It’s a real slow start, with a four-day stretch of just “surfable but very ordinary” conditions. Then from the 30th of July right through to the 3rd of August, it gets even worse – poor surf, with energy dropping to as low as 34. That’s a long, flat patch.

Now, hold on to your board, because things change in a big way. The standout window is the first week of August. Tuesday the 4th of August sees a solid pulse arrive: 1.8m of ESE groundswell, with a period of 16 seconds and a massive combined energy of 1767. That’s a powerful, long-period groundswell. Morning conditions are glassy, which is a major positive – clean faces for the experienced crew. By the afternoon, the swell bumps to 2.2m, but the wind goes cross-onshore, making it a bit messy. Still, the morning of the 4th is a top pick for advanced surfers.

Wednesday the 5th of August is another cracker in the morning: 2.1m ESE swell, 16-second period, glassy conditions, and energy at 2274. Again, that’s pure quality for those who know what they’re doing. The best of the whole run, though, could be Thursday the 6th of August. The morning has 2.4m ESE swell with a 16-second period, clean cross-offshore wind, and energy ramping up to 3011. Thursday afternoon is even bigger at 2.5m, with a 17-second period and energy hitting 3627 – still clean. This is proper, powerful groundswell, and at a reef break like Tainohama (Japan), it’ll be a sight to see. But remember, at over 2.5m, this is for experts only.

After that, the swell goes absolutely nuts, but it’s not for paddling. Friday the 7th of August has 3.5m to 4.0m ESE swell, but with gale-force winds (50-65 km/h) – that’s a total write-off for surfing, even if the energy is huge (up to 10847). And on Saturday the 8th of August, the swell is predicted to be 7.0m to 7.5m, with energy over 40000. The model itself says it’s too big for this break. At that size, with the wind onshore, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Water temp at the start is 28°C, which is about a touch warmer than normal for the time of year – nice and warm.

So, to sum it up: the first week and a half is a write-off. The real action is Tuesday the 4th, Wednesday the 5th, and Thursday the 6th of August. Thursday morning is the absolute standout: 2.4m, 16-second period, clean cross-offshore wind, and massive energy. That’s your window. It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but it looks promising.

Rusty, signing off.

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