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| Ikumi Beach Toho Town Kochi |
| It could be said that the best place to surf in Tokushima is in Koichi. While not really true, since the point break at Tainohama probably gets those honors, Ikumi beach feels like it is in Tokushima rather than Kochi Prefecture. In fact, the tiny village of Toho is considering jumping ship and joining the neighboring towns of Shishikui and Kainan, which are both in Tokushima Prefecture. Still, this beach is in Koichi, a prefecture known for its natural beauty, and Ikumi is no exception. And while the lines between Tokushima and Kochi may seem to blur over ownership, the truth is that Ikumi has been made a provisional ward of Osaka-fu. For on any fine Sunday afternoon in summer Kansai area surfers dominant the surroundings. License plate numbers from Osaka and Kobe outnumber Tokushima and Kochi plates easily 50 to 1. In the convinence store in the center of town the dialect is pure Osaka-ben and that is why I've dubbed this point Little Osaka. But, there is, of course, a reason for Ikumi's far reaching popularity. It is, by any accounts, a great place to surf. For starters there is almost always a little bit of a wave. Even when the points to the north look like lakes, a surfer can usually find something rideable at Ikumi. Ikumi is best on East and Southeast swells, but South and North swells will produce rideable surf as well. The wave is more or less a typical beach break, with the better peaks shifting up and down the beach with the moving sands. In general the area near the center tends to have the best wave. Ikumi can't hold a really large wave and it tends to close out around double overhead. At head size getting out can be a chore. Ikumi is also extremely beautiful. It is surrounded by lush mountainsides to the west and bounded by rocky capes on the seaward side. The water is sparkling clean and quite warm. For some reason Ikumi seems to get warmed by the Kuroshio Current more than other points. Even points to the south in Nakamura and even far away Southern Miyazaki on Kyushu aren't as warm as Ikumi. In late winter the water is a reasonable 15 degrees and it is one of the first spots to hit 20 degrees in early spring. A seasoned surfer from colder waters could certainly go with a jacket and trunks on a sunny day in April. The major downside to Ikumi is the crowds. In July and August they are legion. On a nice Sunday afternoon with waist high waves there will be upwards of three hundred people in the water. Surfing rules are tossed aside and it becomes mostly a free for all. Many of the summertime surfers are your garden variety kooks and can't even take off on a single wave. A typhoon swell will lessen the numbers but it is still crowded and the kooks are gone. On a bigger swell those with poor paddling skills won't be taking off on many waves as the skill level of those in the water goes up dramatically. Ikumi beach has produced several pro surfers and on a good day there are some really talented people in the water. All in all though the vibe is mellow and friendly even it does get a bit kooky at times. Localism is mostly absent, but on the better peaks near the center the vibe can be quite competitive. Those with less skill or wishing for a mellower session should stay to the southern end of the beach. There are two parking areas, one on the north end of the beach and another behind the convinence store. Hot showers can be found at the northern lot. Lots of folks seem to sleep in there cars and a campground can be found about 5 minutes north at the Shirahama Swimming Beach. There is also a hotel at Shirahama and one on Ikumi beach. A small surf shop does rentals and sells used boards in the tiny village. Several small noodle shops and restaraunts can also be found, but the prefered lunch seems to be bento from the convinience store. |
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