Chiba Surf

Last week, 10-12 October, Akemi and I packed up our dogs and the surfboards and drove out to Chiba peninsula for a 2-day surf trip. We had a really great time. Akemi booked a lodge called Pochi House, a dog-friendly summer rental cottage only a block from the beach in an area called Kamagai. The lodge was actually big enough for 10-12 people (3 bedrooms), but since it's off-season now we got a really reasonable rate and we had it all to ourselves, and it included two dinners and two breakfasts prepared by the owner who is also a farmer. So we enjoyed the freshest local seafood and produce. Only down point was that the lodge had a small cockroach problem, so I affectionately dubbed it "Roachi House". The surf was great - it was like being back in Sandbridge, Virginia Beach - no waiting in traffic, no waiting for a parking spot, free parking, and no competition over waves. There were miles and miles of surf - more waves than anybody could ask for. The water was noticeably cleaner as well. That area is all sandy-bottom beach breaks, unlike Shonan area near us which is partial reef-break and has a lot of tannic acid in the water from all the seaweed. The surf was pretty choppy, but in the waist-to-shoulder size range with enough power and speed for a shortboard. I got to put my 6'2" board to good use for once. Here's a couple pics from the lodge. Sorry - no photos of the beach because we were busy surfing and keeping the chihuahuas out of trouble...