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Angus Thomson

@angus_a_thomson

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Not the hero Ashmore needed, but the hero Ashmore deserved.
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April 28th, 2026 a visibly nervous and sweaty man walks off a ferry at Tokashiki island ready to spend the next 6 months living there. A surfboard under his arm and no promise of wave potential except for theories he excitedly guessed about when looking at google maps. The oceanography of tokashiki is especially unique as for how protected the gin clear waters of the Kerama islands are, the variety of waves on offer shouldn’t be possible. Swells powerful enough to navigate between Okinawan island are only really possible during the months of May to October, typhoon season.

This year we saw very consistent storm patterns in terms of their direction, power, size and frequency most likely in relation to the El Niño event rising the water temperatures around 3° giving more opportunities for these systems to form. But don’t look at these little infographics I’ve made and start planning a surf trip to the island. These waves are by no means consistent.

It is possible for tokashiki to pick up any swell big enough to travel the distance in a 118° range with the optimal angle for it to track from east to west before making its way north from Taiwan. Typhoons predominately travel in the direction of the pacific trade winds so you can stop puckering as most storms will head in your direction. Whether or not they’ll be big enough or old enough to have produced strong enough swell is a different question.

Continued in comments… by @angus_a_thomson

The sea surface temperature must exceed 27° C in order for a typhoon to form. The heat from the ocean’s surface warms the air above it, causing the air to rise creating a low-pressure zone. As that air rises cooler air then rushes in to fill that void. The Pacific Ocean basin is currently in an El Niño cycle, meaning that the usual strong easterly trade winds that blow towards Asia and Australia weaken causing a massive pool of warm water to slosh about. The typhoon season has only really just started here in Japan and we’re currently experiencing our third. It’s so much fun to be able to see how these storms form and the secret waves that are created by these powerful systems. So far none of the typhoons that have hit us directly have exceeded the classification of a category 2 (meaning winds of 154-177 km/h) and yet the sheer strength of the wind as seen in the fourth slide has been amazing to witness. So far it’s been good fun, and its an incredibly lively reef to be able to surf and snorkel over, luckily, we got a bit more time to see what happens 👍 by @angus_a_thomson

Japan’s coastal access is interesting. You buy a surfboard for $200 a 5’8, 27L CI (starting to yellow, but still with life in it) from a second hand book store in Hitachi. Pair it with a 4x3mm wetsuit with double neck covers for some reason, I guess to stop the water getting in even more? The fins you buy from the only surf shop open this time of year in Ibaraki. White plastics but still firm enough that they’ll hold.

The first thing you realise about surfing in Japan is that they don’t prioritise access to the beach. There’s definitely multiple reasons for that. You spend hours on google maps scoping out different areas of beach and reef for potential swells, only to realise there’s parking or paths to 2% of these locations.

5 weeks after you dislocate your shoulder and 5 months since you’ve been in the water you’re hyped about waves as tall as a bees dick and howling onshore. You won’t lie, it was a tough first session barely able to get a turn, but fuck the novelty of even just standing on a wave in a foreign area is enough to put a smile on your face.

As you’re able to surf more you find more spots, from waves knee high to a cricket wedged between tetrapod barriers dwarfed by wind turbines on impossibly industrial coastlines to point breaks near infamous whaling zones. Your wetsuit begins to fall apart ripping on both your calves and on your right tit, in truth it’s kind of the perfect temperature as you edge further south and the air warms. But you score in some way, 5-6 turn waves and small tubes. You’re glad you found any at all. by @angus_a_thomson

If you put a tictac in water it grows arms and legs 👍 by @angus_a_thomson

Only posi posi setup by @angus_a_thomson

30 chicken nuggets please hello by @angus_a_thomson

Sony nex-7 by @angus_a_thomson

Awesome sauce ✅ by @angus_a_thomson

Katsuoji Temple, Osaka by @angus_a_thomson

Nico Nico nii by @angus_a_thomson

A couple nights in Nagoya seeing Korenkai gorge and trying to spot some autumn leaves by @angus_a_thomson

First couple nights in Tokyo by @angus_a_thomson