Takanabe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, folks, Rusty here. We're looking at Takanabe for the next couple of weeks, and it's a bit of a tale of two halves. The early days are pretty flat and ordinary, but there's a big pulse of energy coming through mid-period that will only be for the brave, and then a lovely clean-up session to finish off.

The water's sitting at 78°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you might want a spring suit.

Let's start with this Saturday and Sunday (4th and 5th July). It's small and uninspiring. We're talking tiny 1 ft to 2 ft waves with weak energy (43 to 65 in the combined swell energy). The wind is light and cross or cross-off, so the surface will be clean, but there's just no power. The waves are there, but they're barely worth the paddle. The swell period is a short 5 to 9 seconds, so no grunt at all.

Then Monday (6th July) the swell period jumps to 16-18 seconds, which is proper groundswell, but the height is still under 3 ft. The combined energy climbs into the low to mid hundreds (191 to 297), which is moderate, but the quality is still marginal.

Tuesday (7th July) is where things start to ramp up. We get a 4 ft to 5 ft SE swell with that lovely long period of 13 to 16 seconds. The combined energy is now a strong 545 to 1296, so there's proper push behind it. The wind is light cross-on, so the surface will have a few ripples, but it's surfable for the intermediate crew. This is the first session that really has some juice.

Now, Wednesday through to Saturday (8th to 11th July) – this is the big stuff. The swell gets huge, hitting 10 ft to 15 ft with combined energy values in the thousands (5,514 to 12,098). The winds are cross or cross-off and light for the most part, which would be perfect conditions on a normal day. But these waves are over 8 ft and up to 15 ft, so only for experts. The break will be completely out of control for anyone else. Wind and tides are favourable, but the size is just too much for Takanabe. It's going to be a washing machine for anyone not in the top tier.

The highlight of the whole forecast, and the standout window, is Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13th of July. After that monster swell drops, we get a beautiful 4 ft to 6 ft S swell with a period of 11 to 12 seconds, which is proper groundswell with good shape. The combined energy is a moderate 370 to 1114, so enough power to get you into the wave but not scary. The wind on Sunday morning is glassy – zero wind from the SSE, and on Monday morning it's dead calm, glassy as a mirror. The conditions will be absolutely pristine. This is your window for clean, groomed waves that are a joy to surf. Get in the water for the Sunday morning or Monday morning session.

After that, from Tuesday the 14th onwards, the swell fades away into tiny 2 ft to 3 ft leftovers, with combined energy dropping below 150. The winds are mostly glassy in the mornings, but the waves just aren't there. It's a flat spell for over a week, all the way through to the end of the window, with only weak, small surf.

So, the call is simple: the only true standout is Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13th for clean, fun-sized waves before the energy fades out completely.

Rusty.

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