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Suicide Cliffs 64.9

#2728 of 5756 surf spots in the world · 🇯🇵 Japan · Okinawa · near Naha

Works almost every day, wind is the enemy here, no off season.

Works all yearWarm waterRemoteIntermediate
Suicide Cliffs, Japan
Photo: kanesue · CC BY 3.0 · source
Surf score64.9 /100
Surfable days97% of the year
Clean days3% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell7% period 11 s+
Typical size1.3 m 4.4 ft median
Water26°C boardshorts

Best time to surf Suicide Cliffs

The best time to surf Suicide Cliffs is April, September, October. It rarely works. In September the water sits around 30°C, so pack boardshorts, and the typical wave is 1.4 m. The nearest airport is TPE (657 km) and the nearest town is Naha (14 km).

MonthSurfableCleanSizeWaterSuit
Jan100%5%1.4 m22°Cvest
Feb99%3%1.4 m22°C2mm
Mar100%3%1.3 m22°Cvest
Apr99%6%1.2 m24°Cvest
May99%1%1.1 m25°Cvest
Jun100%0%1.3 m27°Cboardies
Jul92%0%1.2 m29°Cboardies
Aug94%0%1.3 m29°Cboardies
Sep88%9%1.4 m30°Cboardies
Oct98%9%1.4 m30°Cboardies
Nov100%4%1.5 m27°Cboardies
Dec99%5%1.8 m24°Cvest

Why 64.9

Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and multiplied by its weight; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world scores 100. Wave quality and what the spot does on its best days carry more than half of it, which is what separates this from a ranking of where the water is warm.

Wave quality 34.7%
20.6
Best days 22.4%
13.0
Clean days 18.4%
1.1
Consistency 10.2%
10.2
Season spread 4.1%
4.1
Water comfort 6.1%
5.7
Access 4.1%
1.6

The detail

Faces 185° with 61% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 46% of days. Mean peak period 8.3 s. Days over 3 m: 4%. On its best tenth of days it reaches 2.5 m, with a peak period of 10 s. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 38%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates 26.079, 127.686 (OpenStreetMap).

What it costs to be here

Living here
€1,260/ month
typically €1,110 – €1,410
Rent, one bedroom€660
Groceries€264
Eating out€150
Getting around€88
Phone + internet€92
Renting by the month, cooking most days, local transport.
One month here
€2,450/ month
typically €2,150 – €2,740
Somewhere to stay€1,440
Eating out€515
Car, transfers, fuel€334
Data + extras€158
Short stays, eating out, a car or transfers.
49% cheaper if you live here instead of visiting

Remote spot, so the local estimate is 12% below the country average. Estimate: World Bank PPP price level for Japan (2025, United States = 1.00) applied to a fixed surfer basket, then adjusted for how remote the spot is. Your own number moves with the season and how you live.

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Spots nearby

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