Shirahama
Surf spot · Japan
Is it worth the trip?
26Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: too small (2 ft swell at 9 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 90kJ
- Wind
- NE 9 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Wed 4 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 141kJ
- Wind
- NE 14 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 1,006kJ
- Wind
- NE 10 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 585kJ
- Wind
- W 13 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Sat 7 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 109kJ
- Wind
- ESE 3 kn
- Temp
- 16°C
Sun 8 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 81kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 15°C
Mon 9 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 63kJ
- Wind
- ENE 9 kn
- Temp
- 14°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 220, poor
- Tue 338, poor
- Wed 47, poor
- Thu 50, too big
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 720, poor
- Sun 843, too small
- Mon 929, too small
- Tue 1024, too small
- Wed 110, too big
The spot in five facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 3–11 ftof swell
- Water 23 °C2 mm shorty
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 20, poor | 3 ft9 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 127kJ | offshorewind from the west, 13 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 38, poor | 3 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 90kJ | wind from the north-east, 9 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 7, poor | 3 ft9 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 141kJ | wind from the north-east, 14 knots | 17°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, too big | 10 ft8 smushy11 ft at break (est.) | 1,006kJ | wind from the north-east, 10 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft10 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 585kJ | wind from the west, 13 knots | 23°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 20, poor | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 109kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 16°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 43, too small | 2 ft9 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 81kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 15°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 29, too small | 2 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 63kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 9 knots | 14°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 24, too small | 2 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 10 knots | 14°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 150kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 7 knots | 11°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 NovLow 04:07 −0.7 mHigh 12:22 +0.4 mLow 17:32 +0.1 mHigh 21:41 +0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:34 −0.5 mHigh 13:20 +0.4 mLow 19:14 −0.0 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:18 +0.2 mLow 06:56 −0.5 mHigh 14:01 +0.5 mLow 20:09 −0.2 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.
Map
the spot and its town
Shirahama 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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More surf near here
4 places
- Tadado Beach 5.7 km away
- Irita Hama 6.3 km away
- Kawazu 6.3 km away
- Ohama Beach 7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Shirahama
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces E (104°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (284°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 250 m out (1 in 26). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 17°C in March, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 27°C in August, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Kōchi, 2.9 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 23°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$1,290–US$2,470 each
about US$1,290–US$2,470 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 ORD to HND, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$657–US$1,370 |
| 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$1,290–US$2,470 |
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
about 5 min by car · 8 places to stay
about US$80/nightcountry average
About Kōchi its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Shimoda on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 62 places to stay
- Beds in Kawazu-ikadaba on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 16 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 19h 45m
About 19h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → HND, direct, then 2h 25m by road
Flights ORD → HND on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.