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Outdoor Japan Windsurfing Primer

Any country surrounded by water must have places for windsurfers to catch some wind. Japan is no different. Omaezaki, in Shizuoka is arguably the country's most famous surf spot, with its big wind and enormous waves. However, Japan also features numerous lakes and countless beaches for windsurfers to enjoy.

Lake sailing

Lake water can be bracingly cold in the spring (requiring a dry suit and full hood/bootie/mittens ensemble), but quite refreshing in the summer. Besides windsurfing, mountain lakes offer a full range of outdoor activities, from snorkeling to trekking to cycling. Close to Tokyo, the Fuji Five Lakes area offers consistently good conditions for beginners at Lake Saiko, and for intermediates to experts at Lake Motosuko. Motosuko can get choppy and gusty, and sailors should not launch there unless they are proficient at staying upwind.

Lake Saiko is typically formula wind (light, steady breezes with flat water; Excellent for beginners), with occasional 6.5 slalom conditions. Motosuko can range from 5.5 bump-and-jump to a more typical 6.5-7.0 freeride and freestyle day. Look for a cap cloud over Mt Fuji and head to the lakes!

Wavesailing

Surfing is HUGE in Japan, as you might expect of an island nation. So the Japanese naturally have more wavesailing windsurfers per capita than anywhere else in the world, I believe.

Wavesailing is to windsurfing what off-road mountain biking is to cycling. It is a whole other dimension. It is exhausting, and self-policing, in that if you do not have the skills necessary, then you likely cannot even get off the beach. One should have a year or two of experience and be able to water-start in choppy water before attempting to wavesail.

Of course, one should be an absolutely competent swimmer since there is the possibility of losing one's gear and having to swim several hundred meters back to the beach. But if you are already a waverider, then Japan is a treat for you. Depending on the wind direction: (You can get a rough wind reading from following the links to the specific locality from Yahoo! Weather)

• Chiba coast Miura Peninsula Yokosuka area
• Izu Shirahama
• Omaezaki Shizunami coast

• Shonan area (Chigasaki/Kamakura/Zushi)
• Omaezaki (all the way from the cape west to Hamamatsu)

Winter sailing

Winter can be the best time for windsurfing on saltwater. On the Pacific coast of Japan, the water stays barefoot warm all year long. Of course, a good wetsuit and possibly a hood are necessities, just as a parka would be necessary for going snowboarding. Of course, there are no lift lines in windsurfing either! There should be no problem taking private instruction during the winter, even for complete beginners. For advanced riders, winter is the season of consistently good conditions in the world-famous Omaezaki area.

Access from Tokyo

Japan offers one the chance to become an avid windsurfer without even owning a car. Just try to do that in North America! Muri! Typically, the best locations for sailing have windsurf clubs and schools located on or adjacent to the beach, so one can take a train to the sailing venue, and shower at the club or school before taking the train home. Club memberships run about 7,000 yen/month and include gear storage.

From Tokyo, take the Yokosuka line to Kamakura or Miura. Kamakura and Zushi Bays, for instance, are almost perfect windsurfing sites; offering gentle breezes, flat water, and sandy bottoms on most days, developing into advanced wave sailing sites when the winds pick up.

Learning to Windsurf

Windsurfing is hard. A beginner is typically trying to simultaneously learn to balance on a board while holding the sail, and learn the actual skill of sailing a vessel. The information overload can be overwhelming and frustrating. Even after you have learned to windsurf, the right combination of weather and sea states need to be present to enjoy a safe day on the water. Having said that, modern gear has made learning much easier than it was a decade ago. Modern boards are wide and stable, for the most part erasing the challenge of just learning to balance on the damn thing. A student today is freed to learn the actual art of sailing. It is unadvisable to try to teach oneself to windsurf, even with a guidebook. A day of instruction costs about 7,000 yen with all gear included, and is well worth the investment.

One day of instruction will save you a month of trial and error, and also prevent the possibility you're getting into an unsafe situation. While being under the supervision of an instruction might seem counter to the freedom of being a windsurfer, remember you can enjoy that freedom after you have developed the requisite skills. Plan on buying a wearing a wetsuit. Even if it is warm, a wetsuit will protect you from bumps and bruises, and ward off the chill of being in the water for several hours.

A listing of schools is included in every Hi-Wind and Windsurf magazine. Alternately, go to your local beach and ask around. You just can't miss the schools in Kamakura and Zushi, for instance. Of course, if you can take instruction in Japanese then do so. But many pro windsurfers and instructors in Japan are fluent in English as well.

Buying Gear

People usually do not buy beginner gear. After a few days of time-on-the-water one is ready to start sailing intermediate-level light wind gear that is floaty and stable enough. This is a good thing, since you will not outgrow this light wind gear, and there always seems to be more light wind days than windy days! (One's perception of what is a windy day changes after one becomes a windsurfer!) I recommend that a first board be about 150 liters, and first sail about 5.5 to 6.0 square meters. Later, if you pursue the sport, you'll be gradually looking to buy smaller boards and bigger sails.

Windsurfing gear is constantly evolving, and there are always those sailors wanting the latest gear. Consequently, there is a steady stream of used equipment on the market. Even though new gear is arguably 'better', older gear, if undamaged, works just as well today as when it was new. And windsurfing gear depreciates in value slower than an obento but faster than a fruitcake. So you can buy a two-year old board, for instance, at 1/4 the price of a new one. One caution is to beware of buying used race boards and sails. Racing gear tends to be more fragile and difficult to handle.

Race boards are harder to turn, race sails are harder to pull out of the water. Race gear is not faster unless in skilled hands anyway. But since racers want the latest gear, ever-so-slightly obsolete used racing gear floods the market. But it is not the right choice for most intermediate sailors. Instead, look for gear marketed as 'free-ride'. Without sounding like a promotional ad, Freeride boards offer the right mix of speed and comfort, and freeride sails do not have 'cambers' which make rigging and maneuvering more technical. Continue to learn more about windsurfing, please visit Outdoor Japan.

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