January 2014

Below is our archive of daily wave report photos from January 2014. December 2013 CLICK HERE

Friday 31st January 2014 - We have some pretty big seas out there this morning folks short period in the 6-7 second range and face size 4-6ft easy, basically very messy. The exception to this is Ibaraki and Shizuoka. Its a storm from the south so as the day moves on so should the storm and things should start to clean up somewhat. Looking ahead as well Saturday the swell switches to the east and cleans up a load so it could be good,Sunday then gets bigger but so do the winds and it will start howling from the South. No doubt though there is going to be a few waves around so well worth making the trip out there. Not so much snow in the mountains and looks like they will be waiting till midweek next week to finally get some solid new snow. But it will be a fun clear day for sure. Volcom Pipe line Pro has got underway with the first round of 96 watch it LIVE here- and dont forget Super Bowl this weekend as well. Enjoy!!

Thursday 30th January 2014 - Good morning to one and all if your out hunting already good on ya or if your like us today and finding it hard to drag yourself out from under the warm duvet good on ya too. Things surf wise today are a mixed bag the little swell we had from yesterday has all but gone and the south wind is back making a mess of many breaks especially the ones in Kanagawa. Up north the swell is little to nothing It really is a good time to grab your SUP and hit the flat water and get some serious paddle training in. As we come to the end of January the thought of spring enters our minds but we really know in the surf world this means we are about to enter the coldest month of the year. That is water temp wise and air temp wise. Volcom pro is on 4th straight lay day so no action there either. Get out there and enjoy if you can today we will see you tomorrow.

Wednesday 29th January 2014 - We have some fantastic swell out here today folks really good quality fun stuff in the 2-3ft range especially up north in Ioka Lines are pouring in on perfectly groomed sand bars. The wind is perfect light and off shore and there are not to many folks out so getting a few waves under your belt is not going to be a problem at all. The weather is a little warmer as well and we are due to get into low double digits which will be nice for sure. Some of the SIJ are still down in Okinawa catching some quality rides and hanging out with the locals which is great to see. We have an England trip on the cards next month as well where we will be off to Wales to hook up with some of the local pro,s so hope to have some stories from there soon as well. Enjoy your day

Tuesday 28th January 2014 - Morning to one and all, we have some waves out here today which is great and some of our crew are even down there in Okinawa getting some really really good waves. The pick of the places today for sure is Ibaraki as the wind is working well and blowing off shore nicely. Waves at time of writing currently in the shoulder high range. Kanagawa and Chiba are both slightly on shore making the waves a little bit messy but a few spots are still working. The sun is out and shining and that is good enough for many. Snow is back in the mountains yet again and the weekend up there is starting to look really good as well, so plenty of options all round. One more lei day in the Volcom Pipe pro today fingers crossed mother nature will sort herself out for tomorrow. Have a great day what ever you are up to.

Monday 27th January 2014 - Good morning to one and all, what a great weekend it was over here in Japan a real mixed bag of weather and waves to be honest. We had a fast moving low from the south come up and bring very windy conditions on Saturday night through Sunday but it did bring some waves with it. This morning we are left with the back swell from it as well only small but a few waves for sure. Check out the webcams page for details. But at time of writing Ioka and parts of Ibaraki were in the shoulder high range with nice clean off shore winds down south though in Kanagawa things are much smaller so north is the call for sure. Wrap up warm though as it is still brutal out there folks COLD COLD COLD. Action at pipeline in Hawaii kicks of again today and they are having an Epic season this year so it should big good. Have a great day whatever you get up to.

Friday 24th January 2014 - Ok then folks this morning straight into , there is little to no change on the wave front again here, things are in the 1-2ft face range. The good thing is the next few days things are going to warm up somewhat , highs today and Saturday are going to reach 15+ here in Tokyo and out of the Pacific coast. Sunday we should then see a large fast moving low move in which will also bring rain with it as well as wind. There should be some big seas as well but you are going to have to find the breaks that work well in these conditions such as Chikura or Taito. Mountains are looking good with a few clear days forecast and clear roads so some fun times to be had up there as well. Get out there and enjoy it if you can.

Thursday 23rd January 2014 - Good morning to one and all on yet another cold morning here in Tokyo, Brrr heater is on and a day in the office is looming, Dreaming of warm weather and waves right now. Straight into it then ,wave wise today similar to yesterday to be honest nothing more than 1-2ft anywhere mixed with light variable winds. Top of Chiba is looking best yet again with everywhere else looking really small. Head out on the lower tides to maybe score the best of the day. Mountains are looking amazing as well so plenty reasons to head up there to get some fun runs in. The party season starts now really in the mountains with many great ones kicking off in February. We will try and post a list for you in the next few days. Enjoy if your out in the water today.

Tuesday 21st January 2014 - Small amount of swll out there today folks and the best place to get waves in North Chiba, the breaks of Ioka and Notahamma are working well at time of writing , the sun is out as well and the air temps are mild compared to what it has been of late. The size should hang around for most of the day before backing off again tomorrow. Okinawa has been getting some really nice swells of late too and our good friends down at Happy Surfing have been very busy Guiding folks around the islands many breaks. Pictures above. News in from the mountains is that yesterday was one of the best days of the year with 60cm plus of fresh powder in many places and the sun coming out to play at times. Any way get out there and enjoy either or both if you can we will see you tomorrow. We made another little video over the weekend of our time out with Rusty one of SIJ little Groms and the owner of http://air-sup.com up in Naeba on a bluebird day. Click Here to watch.

Monday 20th January 2014 - Good morning to one and all, straight into it here then , wave wise things are still looking very small indeed with nothing more than 1-2ft anywhere really. If you are out hunting today our advice is head to the northern shallow breaks of Chiba and wait for the tide you may just be lucky enough to score a few small longboard waves. Tomorrow there is a small increase in the swell size but only for a short time before it back off again. In other news yesterday the mountains were hit by a brutal winter storm with massive amounts of snow being deposited and blizzard conditions on the roads, it meant here were some amazing action to be had on the slopes but the drive back for many was a nightmare. We heard m,any people got completely stuck or got stuck in traffic for over 4-5 hours. Remembering when heading up into the winter weather like the ocean make sure you are well prepared. We made another little video yesterday of our time out with Rusty one of SIJ little Groms and the owner of http://air-sup.com up in Naeba on a bluebird day. Click Here to watch.

Friday 17th January 2014 - Well folks we are back to the flats again this morning the swell of yesterday really only lasted a small amount of time. Also it is bitterly cold again with some grey sky's over head. A quick look through all the daily webcams and we could only find 3 surfers in the water trying to score some waves meaning it must be pretty grim. Anyway not to worry it the weekend should be nice and sunny along the coast but actually pretty snowy up in the mountains so lots to be doing if you have the time off. SIJ are opting for the mountains yet again and will be heading over to Naeba to grab some early bird lines in the morning, for those that did not know Kids ski for free here and there is also a free relax room that opens at 4.00am for those who arrive early. Enjoy what ever you get up to today.

Wednesday 16th January 2014 - Good morning to one and all on this very very cold morning, it has been so cold lately that even a few beach breaks had there first snow off the year Kamogawa especially getting a few cm. This morning wave wise we have a small little swell starting to appear in the 2-3ft range the northern breaks of Ioka and Kujikuri are already seeing it. The southern breaks should start to pick it up later on in the morning. The sun will be out in full force as well today so it should warm up nicely enough to get out there on the board and have some fun. The mountains should also have some good weather for the next few days before another storm rolls in at the weekend. The surf board shows and expo's all start to happen end of this month beginning of February so we will post some information regarding those as and when we receive it. Have a great day what ever you get up to.

Tuesday 14th January 2014 - Back to the flats then folks out here in Japan. But before we get into that we just wanted to let you know that we took a few groms up to the snow this weekend for a ski trip and stayed at Minakami Maple Lodge in Houdagi Minakami great place and well worth a visit if you are looking for a great place to stay for a few days. "Video Here" all about the groms. Back to today though and yes things are looking really small nothing more than a ripple at most of the breaks to be honest the only water craft taking out in our eyes are the SUP or Kayak's or do a spot of fishing as the fish are biting well of late. Apart from that stay wrapped up warm because it's cold yet again and hang out watching surf movies online. Have a great day whatever you get up too and fingers crossed we may get some waves later on in the week.

Friday 10th 2014 - Wow folks what a day yesterday we had down south, first real good solid swell of the 2014 season rolled in from the South with perfect off shore winds helping to crate some perfect conditions. Kanagawa was one of the best breaks on the coast line with all the reefs on fire and sets in the head and a half to sometimes double size. Loads of people out riding. There was also some great action down in Shizuoka as well and our good friends down there sent us through so great pictures. Back to today things have backed off a lot and we are back down into the 1/2ft range but there are still some bigger ones up north 2-4ft range. We have a 3 day weekend starting tonight so there is going to be a mad dash outta Tokyo for the mountains which is where Team SIJ are off to as well big amounts of snow expected so there should be some great riding in store for us. We will report as soon as we get internet connection. Lastly we have just finished uploading a new little video we shot in Kamogawa late last year check it out here. "Kamogawa Magic"

Thursday 9th 2014 - Its Pumping out there folks!! We have a perfect 187 - 200 degree south swell rolling into the bays early on this morning at around 9-10 second period with a almost perfect off shore wind. Winter surf does not get any better than this really. It wont last long though as it's due to start pushing more westerly. So our advice is get out there now and enjoy while it lasts. There should be some great pictures later when we get back. The breaks of Kanagawa look best but later as the storm moves away a little bit the breaks in Chiba will be become perfect as well. Tomorrow looks to be back to the flats then we will be looking at the long weekend where the snow and the mountains seem to be the btter of the options. Any how go get some if you can. Europe may have "Hercules" But Japan has what we call winter magic ! As we always say its all about "Know when to go" Lastly we have just finished uploading a new little video we shot in Kamogawa late last year check it out here. "Kamogawa Magic"

Wednesday 8th 2014 - Good morning folks, there is good news to start the day we have some South Swell arriving at the breaks of Japan. It is going to build over the next 12 hour as well all from the South. However by tomorrow it will have changed course and will be heading west again and we will be back with the Flats. So the call is if you can get out there right now or during the lower tide and get some. Kanagawa has some peaky A-frames coming in as do the breaks in Chiba that work on the South swell. Winds are going to be fine as well but just look out for the cold Brrrrr it is very very cold out there. Def into the 5/3mm now for the next 3 months or until mid April. Really the water is as cold as its going to get around mid March.Lastly we have just finished uploading a new little video we shot in Kamogawa late last year check it out here. "Kamogawa Magic"

Tuesday 7th 2014 - Well folks it's bitterly cold out there today and basically it's as flat as a tack. We dont often get days when we say they iss no surf anywhere but today is going to be one of them. All swell is being driven west away from Japan and out into the Pacific Ocean right now leaving us with Lake like conditions. Even the breaks of Ioka and parts of Ibaraki that pick up even the smallest of waves have nothing at time of writing this also has a lot to do with some of these super high tides we are having right now as well. Looking ahead things are going tto get better with swell forecast this weekend which will make lots of folks happy as we have a 3 day weekend. Lastly we have just finished uploading a new little video we shot in Kamogawa late last year check it out here. "Kamogawa Magic"

Thursday 2nd January 2014 - Good morning to one and all, we are back in the driving seat here at SIJ HQ after a nice long break with Family and Friends over the Christmas and New Year holidays. From today onwards it will be back to business as usual though with our daily reports and uploads to Face book on all things Surfing in Japan. We are hoping 2014 will be bigger and better than years gone past. To start of though we have small surf for the next few days but the weekend looks to be a bit better with possible storm coming across for the Japan Sea side. Which could bring us some good waves. Today though is small again but with good weather and fine winds. If your up in the mountains enjoying the snow have a good one. In other news England and Europe are getting a 50 year storm expect insane pictures from that neck of the woods soon. Lastly we have just finished uploading a new little video we shot in Kamogawa late last year check it out here. "Kamogawa Magic"

Thursday 2nd January 2014 - Happy New Year to all our readers / customers of Surfing in Japan. Firstly we would like to thank you for all the kind words and visits / Likes to Facebook you gave us in 2013 there were more than ever which means we must be doing something right. We hope you will continue to visit the site and check all our social media sites for all the latest updates on all things to do with Surfing In Japan. As many know we are just a small group of very passionate people that do this unfunded so your feedback is the real payment for us. 2014 is lining up to be another Epic Year here in Japan with a possible HQ change for SIJ office over to the main beach of Hebera, lots more link ups with other top locals / shops/ events etc and some off the beaten path surf trips lined up with a few pros and photographers in tow. But as we know we only have one person to thank for the conditions and that is mother nature herself so Team SIJ are off to the temple to ask her for some quality conditions this year. If its anything like last year we wont be disappointed. Again Happy New Year to one and all , See you in the water.