Afuso- Miyuki Beach

N26°30.796' E127°53.943'

Overview

Afuso, or Miyuki beach as it is often called, can be found north of Onna-son village, just off the main road past Miyuki Beach Hotel. The access road is next to a school, and there is a car parking area at the end.

The beach is wide, beautiful and usually deserted. It is formed in a small bay with rocks at either end. Probably the best thing about this place is the waves- because the reef is close to the shore you can spend a lot of time playing in the break zone without fear of a long swim back if you have gear failure or whatever.

There are no facilities to speak of, except for a couple of the ubiquitous drink vending machines at the end of the road in front of the school. Best to bring a packed lunch with you as there aren't many shops around this area.

Conditions

Wind. The beach runs along the southwest/northeast axis and is most commonly used for kitesurfing when the wind is blowing from the northeast. These winds are prevalent towards the end of the year around October and November. Due to the landmass of Motobu peninsula to the north, the direction is fairly critical- slightly too northerly and the wind becomes really gusty.
No doubt this spot is also useable from southwest through to northwest, however in this case most kitesurfers will be at Nashiro beach as it is much closer to home!
Tides. Tides are not a problem here as the sandy beach shelves fairly quickly into deep water. The reef is very close to the beach, only 50 metres or so, but even at low water is is still usually deep enough to cross over into the open sea. Areas shallow enough to ding your board should be pretty obvious as the water is usually crystal clear.
Hazards.There are a load of protruding rocks to the right, which you should obviously avoid. Sometimes this is easier said than done when you are trying to tack upwind. Likewise, don't get too close to the rocky headland on the left (in front of the hotel). If you get swept around it there is no safe landing area for quite some distance.
Perhaps the biggest risk are the sudden gusts of wind that can catch you unawares- I personally had the biggest kitemare ever launching from here, when a huge gust lifted me straight out of the water then planted me at full speed into the beach 30 metres away. Best to keep your kite low and pointing seaward as much as possible. You have been warned!

Looking southwest towards Miyuki Beach Hotel.

Looking northeast towards Nago. Note the rocks.