TODAI

Still waiting for the recently installed camera to go Live - The local council controls the process so might be today or might be next year.........

LEFT:

More of a longboarders wave, or said another way is popular with longboarders. Still a good fun wave about 400 meters off the beach, a little bit fickle and even though it breaks in all sorts of conditions because the bottom is reef it only get good in certain tides, swell directions and winds. The line up is quite difficult to navigate and to mark the take off zone and there is always a lot of water moving around.

Paddle out from the beach just in front of the carpark and paddle back in the same way. Usually if it is working there will be people out there surfing it.

Full moon low tides expose the reef in lots of places - be warned - better mid tide incoming.

Right:

When I think of Todai Light house in Hitachi Ibaraki this is the wave I think of. When its working you will always see the same crew surfing it and these are the locals, not unfriendly but serious about getting their share of waves.

This is even further out than the LEFT and hence the line ups are even more difficult to get wired.

The wave breaks on a reef that juts straight out from the headland. There are seaweed covered rock piles in the line up which form massive boils as the swells hit. This reef can hold swells 4 x overhead and if you get a SE swell with a decent long period then the rides can be epic.

An early June 2010 session had a direct 2.5 - 3m East swell of 10 seconds (quite long for Japan) and the reef was on fire, solid double overhead drops and 100m walling rides out to a deep channel.

Hazzards: The impact zone is usually a whirl pool of currents sweeping you round and round, If you're lucky you'll get pushed towards the bay to the North. And anyway this is where You've got to try and get to to get out of the Impact Zone.

Surf Check: On the main road there is a light house and the road to this offers multiple viewing points

Spring Low Tides: the reefs goes almost dry and the locals go our seaweed harvesting for the pot, getting in from the main reef can take a long time and you'll usually take home some sea urchin spines in your feet as a parting gift.

Spring Session: NE ~ NNE Swell 10 Second Period, around 1.5m Wind was NNW at around 8m/s Incoming tide 50cm up to 120cm - Very very good on the right hander.

Access: By car take the Joban out to the Hitachi Minami OIta interchange and head out to the coastal road route 245, turn north and haed for the light house. To get to the parking from here you need to drop down under the light house so head back South and down a big hill then turn into the Port at the first signal and follow the road around to a big free carpark almost directly under the light house. This is the access point for both the left and the right.

Round trip from Tokyo: About an hour & 40min (early) and ¥2,000 in tolls on a weekend.

Above 2 videos taken on a not so perfect day but its a good start for you to see what we are talking about

Photos (photos from around this area)

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