The charm of surfing in Kesennuma and surf spots along the Sanriku coast

Experience surfing in Kesennuma!

Recommended 2022/07/14

Did you know that in addition to eating and seeing the bountiful sea of Kesennuma, you can also enjoy "diving" in it?
This time, we would like to introduce some tips and trial schools for surfing, which allows you to experience the Kesennuma ocean first-hand!

Surfing spots dotted along the ria coast

Kesennuma is blessed with a complex coastline, and there are many surfing spots.Beach Breakand the seabed is rocky.Reef BreakThe biggest attraction is being able to enjoy both different wave qualities. What all of these spots have in common is that the water in Kesennuma is beautiful!

Koizumi Coast River Mouth Point/Beach Break/For Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced

A beach break that even beginners can enjoy safely. It is also known as the "Holy Land of Surfing in Tohoku," and surfing competitions are held here several times a year. As it is at the mouth of a river, it can be affected by the river current, so be careful not to get swept away!
Parking: Koizumi Beach Parking Lot (paid during swimming season) *This is a public parking lot and is used by beachgoers and local residents.

Tomezawa Point/Reef Break/Intermediate to advanced

The ocean floor is rocky and the topography is almost unchanged, so the waves break at a fixed place at this point break. The waves form beautiful regular patterns, and when they are big enough, they can be powerful. It has even been chosen as one of the "100 Best Waves in Japan." The ocean floor is made up of rocks and boulders, so care must be taken when entering or exiting.
Parking: Temporary parking lot outside the seawall in the Tomezawa area

Oisehama Point/Beach Break/For Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced

The ocean bottom is sandy, so the point where the waves break varies, but the waves are relatively easy to break at. Even beginners can enjoy it with peace of mind. Be careful, as some debris from the Great East Japan Earthquake remains on the ocean bottom.
Parking: "Oisehama Minna no Hiroba" parking lot outside the seawall

Beginners are welcome at this experience school! Full-fledged boards and wetsuits are available for rental!

When I tell people that I'm the wife of a surf shop owner, they always say, "I've always wanted to try surfing!" I'm sure there are many people who have been interested, but worry about the expense of buying a surfboard and wetsuit, and feel it seems difficult. For those people, I would like to recommend the surfing experience school at Kabutomushi Surf Shop, located near Koizumi Beach in Kesennuma.
The experience costs ¥5,500, and includes a lecture and rental of all the necessary equipment such as a surfboard and wetsuit.
The female owner, who has 30 years of surfing experience, gives detailed instruction, so recently there have been more and more women trying out surfing alone!

A safe lesson starting with a lecture on land

The school starts with a lecture on land, followed by about two hours of practical training at sea.
1) Check-in Once you have checked in, you will be briefed on the day's sea conditions and important points to note.
2) Change into a wetsuit and head to the ocean
Choose a wetsuit that fits your body, change into it, and head to the ocean!
3) Beach training
After arriving at the beach and doing some thorough warm-up exercises and stretching, we got on the board and started land training on the sand. We checked the position of the board while lying on our stomachs, learned how to paddle on the water to catch up with the waves, and actually stood on the board and learned the image of "taking off" after paddling to ride the waves. Some people can already feel the movement of muscles that they don't normally use.

Let your imagination run wild and then head to the sea!!

Grab your board and head out to sea, then when you reach belly-deep water, lie flat on your stomach on the board and paddle out to sea. Your whole body will float along with the board, and you'll be able to feel the ocean on your skin.
The wave conditions vary from day to day, and the owner will assess them and call out, "It's almost here!" when a wave that looks rideable appears. Start paddling toward the shore, and when the wave catches up, the owner will support you by pushing the board from behind. When you feel the board being pushed forward by the wave, try to stand on the board quickly while imagining the take-off movement during land training.
Even if you can't stand up as you imagined at first, you'll surely feel something out of the ordinary as you engross yourself in chasing the waves and relax while waiting for them.

Enjoy the luxury of having nothing

COVID-19 has brought about major changes to our daily lives. While online and teleworking have made our lives more efficient and convenient, we can now be connected to anyone, anywhere. Many people may feel tired or burdened at times.
Now is the time to put down your computer and smartphone and experience the luxury of having nothing on the ocean.

Information on stores where you can experience surfing

Shop information: Kabutomushi Surf Shop
Address: 988-0331 Nakajima, Motoyoshi-cho, Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, 284-1
Reservation / inquiry: Phone: 0226-42-298
Email: mushi5b@yahoo.co.jp
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kabutomushisurfshop?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Experience fee: School instructor fee ¥3,000
Wetsuit rental ¥1,000
Board rental: ¥1,500 (¥2,000 for board rental only)
Belongings: Bath towel (poncho), beach sandals, swimsuit

Shop information: STAX SURF
Address: 2-12-8 Tanakamae, Kesennuma City
Reservation / inquiry: Phone: 080-6019-3955 (Kikuta)
Email: staxsurf@yahoo.co.jp
Experience fee: Surf lesson ¥4000~/2h
Board rental: ¥1000 (You can bring your own surfboard)
Wetsuit rental ¥1000
Warnings: Group lessons are limited to a maximum of 3 people.
For safety reasons, we do not rent out equipment only.
For more information, please visit:https://stax-surf-yoga.jimdofree.com/

Person who wrote this article

Kazumi

I'm Kazumi, a citizen writer! I'm originally from Shizuoka Prefecture, but I moved to Kesennuma after getting married. The family I married into was a surf shop, so I love being in the ocean, bodyboarding, surfing, and so on. And I love eating just as much as I love the ocean! I don't know much about Kesennuma yet, so I'd love to explore it and introduce you to the charms of the ocean and the delicious food. I'm also a mother raising two small children, so I'd like to tell you about places that families can enjoy and activities that children will enjoy♪ Thank you!

The information posted may be subject to change.
For the latest information, please contact the appropriate department.