Yuki's Passion 1 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 damn, I bet Oki beach would be goin off right now BP...We need to Hansei for not waiting till a typhoon comes A few more will have to be drunk for that I dont think the Yoshino river ran anything bigger than a class 3 or 4 rapid. Im not an expert but in college we went rafting in W. Virginia and N.C. and there were some SICK rapids there...these were fun but nothing huge. Would def. be better in a kayak but Id drown going down that in one...tubing would be better Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted August 2, 2007 Author Share Posted August 2, 2007 Yeah, it certainly didn't seem anything all that huge eh CB. Fun as hell though. Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Nice TR guys! Hornet Boy, I mean CB - kinda reminds me of Waimea, jumping off the rocks! Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted August 4, 2007 Share Posted August 4, 2007 thats fun SJA, miss that. Random thing, in my drunken stupor last night I had a dream I was at Sandy's in 6 foot shore break skimmin it - throwing some huge flips/mctwists off the lip or gettin deep in the barrel fore being slammed... Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 I miss sandy's, but I got rocked there as well as Waimea more than once. It can get gnarly out there. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 Waimea, I've been pounded into the beach there many a times and I was just swimming!! I remember trying to crawl up the beach and struggling as the water was trying to suck me back in, my pockets were filling up with sand and falling down, not a comfortable position to be in. I eventually did pull myself free of the water though, thankfully!! Link to post Share on other sites
Mantas 3 Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 I snorkelled there with my 6 year old daughter, not a ripple in sight. Lot of turtles and fish though. Link to post Share on other sites
SirJibAlot 0 Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 It's amazing how that place goes from being flat as a pond in Summer to a screaming monster in the winter! Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 Thanks for the disk, BP! Haven't got around to opening the sake yet but I'm looking forward to it. I'm waiting for a some guests or a special occasion. I've been the only drinker around the house for about four months now so my consumption has dropped quite a bit too. .. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 yeah thanks bp...will hafta hansei that again. last weekend was a blast too Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted August 16, 2007 Author Share Posted August 16, 2007 no worries fellas! Let's Hansei Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 SJ gonna move this one over too then?? Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan 178 Posted December 10, 2007 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted December 10, 2007 Well this isn't a Snow TR and this part of the Forums is called "General Travel & Trip Reports - Japan", so I think it is best suited to be here, don't you think? Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 doh, my bad... Link to post Share on other sites
BigWillieStyles 0 Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 wow...that surfing looks amazing. I always say i want to go to Kochii for the surf but never get around to it. Im so close, living in Okayama. Im surprised that it looks so nice and clear. I have to get down there next summer. Ive done white water rafting with Happy Raft also, what a great day. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted December 24, 2007 Share Posted December 24, 2007 the beach is good and can handle some big waves - best just before typhoons Link to post Share on other sites
coolboarderguy 0 Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Man, where exactly is that wave, and is it consistent? Awesome pics!! Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 CBG、Check the bottom left peninsula Link to post Share on other sites
coolboarderguy 0 Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 Ok, so it's where you've put the underline. My GF is from Kagoshima, is that not far from there? She also surfs, so when we visit together, we're definitely checking that one out. Thanx again!! Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 actually didnt put that, but yes, that is where it is...bout halfway down the right side CBG. Eventhough BP is being a dikhead and moving back to Oz, Im going to try to make it out there again this summer. Love the place Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted February 7, 2008 Author Share Posted February 7, 2008 For better waves mate Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 *bump* I just saw this in the Japan Times and thought about the trip Bushpig and I did together this time last year: The rapid way to escape stress White-water rafting on the Yoshino River in Shikoku is full of thrills and spills By PERRIN LINDELAUF Special to The Japan Times Ahhhh! — that's the sound an overheated urbanite makes after cooling off in midsummer at Japan's finest whitewater rafting location, Tokushima Prefecture's Yoshino River. Its two gorges, the Oboke and Koboke, draw day-tripping beginners as well as more experienced enthusiasts, with their long stretches of cool, dark-green water lined with white limestone cliffs and large sections of frothy white-water action. I met Australian Mark Treston, operator of Happy Raft and 12-year resident of Japan, to learn about the area. "It's the best river in Japan by a long, long way," he said as we drove along winding roads high above the torrent. Multicultural rafting: Slovakian-Japanese Australian Michael Balazik gives bilingual instructions to a group of Swedes and Japanese on the Yoshino River. PERRIN LINDELAUF PHOTOS "We have a really good rainy season and the rapids here rival any in the world," said Treston — great praise indeed, considering his guiding experience in Nepal, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The river's headwaters are deep within Kochi Prefecture, held back by the Sameura dam, and while dams typically ruin rivers for rafting, Treston argued to the contrary. "The Sameura dam actually improved the river for rafting," he said, pointing out previous high-water marks as we drove along the river. "In the past it used to get really high or low, but now we have daily releases, which means we have guaranteed water all through the summer." Stable water levels also mean that the Yoshino River has consistent Class 3 and 4 rapids in the Oboke and Koboke gorges. Rapids classification varies by country, Treston explained, but on the Yoshino River, Class 3 basically means big waves, and Class 4 means big waves plus obstacles that should be avoided. The Koboke's more difficult rapids shouldn't deter beginners though, as each raft is led by a certified guide and customers are given thorough safety instructions. "Many people are interested in enjoying nature," said Satoshi Asano, one of Happy Raft's senior guides. "But if you don't know how to kayak or trek alone, it's difficult to start. That's why rafting tours are popular." Class 3 rapids attack My one-day Koboke gorge-tour group consisted of two boats of thirty- and fortysomething beginners. At the Happy Raft base camp, we were equipped with wet suits, helmets and life jackets, plus an extra fleece top to ward off the cold of June waters. Later in the season, customers can opt for short-sleeve wet suits or go without as water temperatures rise. A short drive later we arrived at the day's launch spot. Our large and colorful PVC rafts were waiting, pulled up against a small limestone landing at the confluence of the Yoshino River and a smaller creek. Once we had settled in, Treston went through safety and the different orders he would give to steer the raft. My group was all Japanese, so the orders were in Japanese, but it was pretty easy to remember the short equivalents for "forward," "back," "take the paddles out of the water," "get in the bottom of the raft," "lean left," "lean right," and "splash the people on the other raft." I hadn't expected to start off with a water fight, but silly games became the best part of the long smooth stretches of river. One game involved everyone standing on the rim of the raft, holding hands and trying to lean backward over the water, which ended when someone let go and everyone fell in. Another variant of "dump the rafters into the drink" was a balance game where we all sat in the back of the boat and tilted it as close to 90 degrees vertical as possible, although someone, most likely Treston, shifted the balance and spilled everyone into the river. Elsewhere, we jumped from 7-meter cliffs into the deep water below, or floated down minor rapids in our life jackets, bobbing like corks. The first time we came up spluttering and laughing from one of these games, some poor city-dweller remarked, "The water is delicious!" And while I wouldn't recommend swallowing great mouthfuls as there would be time for that in the rapids, the water was cool, clear and a stunning shade of green. Rafts pass under a bridge in Tokushima Prefecture. Game time was over when we hit the first serious rapids. The rock walls hemmed in close and our boat seemed to hesitate a moment at the edge of the smooth river before suddenly dropping and crashing through a huge white wave that blinded us with bubbly water. "Forward!" shouted Treston, and we paddled furiously to stay on course, splashing through another large swell in the river. "Get in!" came the next order, and we crouched low to slip past an intimidating boulder. Just as quickly we were back in calm water, turning to look at what we had gone through and giving each other paddle high-fives. A bend in the Yoshino River After running a few more rapids, we were ready for "surfing," a popular activity where two or three people paddle back up river with a guide and try to slip the raft into a "hole" — that is, a depression in the river where the current reverses and flows back upstream, halting, bucking and spinning any boat that is trapped within. The object is to stay there as long as possible, and though the raft often flips, guides stand by to throw ropes to the rafters before the current takes them too far downstream. Two young women had the best luck, riding the wave for about eight seconds before the raft tilted nearly vertical and flopped forward, launched out of the hole with a splash. When we tired of surfing, it was time for lunch: an all-you-can-eat fresh bagel-sandwich pig-out. Go easy though, as one of my companions ate several, then laughed weakly during the first patch of rough water after lunch, groaning, "The bagels are coming out!" Despite stuffed stomachs, we got back into our paddling rhythm and tackled the remaining rapids. Too soon the Yoshino River widened and slowed, and after 5 hours of alternating relaxation and exhilaration we hauled the rafts ashore, heading back to base cooled off, tired out, happy. Mark Treston's Happy Raft offers full-day courses for ¥12,500 (mid-season: July 1-18, September weekdays) and ¥15,000 (high season: July 18 till Aug. 31, September weekends). Half-day courses cost ¥6,500 (mid-season) and ¥7,500 (high season). Large groups should reserve as soon as possible, while individuals and pairs can sometimes fit in at short notice. Consult happyraft.com for more information. While Happy Raft has the only native English-speaking guides on the Yoshino River, other rafting companies have comparable rates and welcome foreigners. _________ If anybody in Kansai or W. Japan is looking for something fun to do, then head to Yoshino River, its good fun, and the crew at Happy Raft are top notch, had a great day with them! ...a few are actually patrol up in Hakuba too. Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 I want to do it in a Kayak. Want to feel the river a little more. I'd have to hone my skills a little, first.. Link to post Share on other sites
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