Sotoura Beach

Sotoura Beach is an E-facing beach break in Shimoda, Shizuoka, Japan. It picks up swell from S to SW, and land, islands, reefs or shallow banks block about 67% of the directions it faces. Offshore wind here blows from the W: light winds or W breezes usually mean the cleanest surf, while E onshores chop it up.

Rare slot: an Izu Islands gap lets in swell from 132.8° (SE) and nothing either side. It only lines up when a storm sits in that exact direction, more than 40 km out. How slot swells work

Break

Beach

Faces

E (100°)

Best swell

S to SW (169°–216°) or SSE (159°–161°), 9 s or longer

Best wind

SW to NW offshore, or glassy

Best surf height

3–6 ft at the beach

Swell window

S to SW (169° to 215.5°)

Rare slot

Izu Islands gap, 132.8° SE

Offshore wind

W

Tide

Model estimate

Wave buoy

None within 250 km

Cams

1 (1 plays here)