Ishiwaki
Surf spot · Japan
Is it worth the trip?
30Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 4 ft swell at 6 s
Tue 3 · 44 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 28kJ
- Wind
- NNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 13kJ
- Wind
- ESE 5 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Thu 5 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 5kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 36kJ
- Wind
- WNW 23 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 530kJ
- Wind
- NW 18 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Sun 8 · 48 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 shollow
- Energy
- 130kJ
- Wind
- NNW 9 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Mon 9 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft5 shollow
- Energy
- 74kJ
- Wind
- ENE 10 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 215, too small
- Tue 344, too small
- Wed 415, too small
- Thu 512, too small
- Fri 67, too small
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 848, fair
- Mon 940, poor
- Tue 1011, too small
- Wed 1116, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 20 °C2 mm shorty
- Best Nov–Feb1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
Ishiwaki does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 15, too small | 2 ft6 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 23kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 44, too small | 3 ft5 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 28kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 15, too small | 2 ft5 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 12, too small | 1 ft5 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 3 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 7, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 36kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 23 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft8 smushy8 ft at break (est.) | 530kJ | wind from the north-west, 18 knots | 15°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 48, fair | 4 ft6 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 130kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 9 knots | 15°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 40, poor | 4 ft5 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 74kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 10 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 11, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 15kJ | wind from the north-east, 12 knots | 15°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 16, too small | 1 ft8 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 12kJ | wind from the north, 3 knots | 16°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:37 +0.1 mLow 14:55 −0.1 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:22 +0.1 mLow 02:44 +0.1 mHigh 07:18 +0.1 mLow 16:02 −0.1 mHigh 23:56 +0.1 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:14 +0.1 mHigh 09:21 +0.1 mLow 16:59 −0.0 mHigh 23:45 +0.1 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Nov–Feb
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
Ishiwaki on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Ishiwaki
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (339°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (159°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 12). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 13°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 27°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, November and December, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Matsuzaki, 7.3 km away (about 15 min by car).
Water about 20°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,310–US$2,510 each
about US$1,310–US$2,510 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to KIX, estimated from distance and season, changing at SFO, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$677–US$1,410 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$107–US$174 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$208–US$348 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$234–US$442 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$1,310–US$2,510 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 15 min by car · 15 places to stay
about US$80/nightcountry average
About Matsuzaki its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Misasa on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 28 places to stay
- Beds in Tottori-shi on Booking.com
about 45 min by car · 33 places to stay
About US$80 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 25h 40m
About 25h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → KIX, changing at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), then 3h 15m by road
Flights MDW → KIX on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.