MapJapanOkinawa (Uruma City)Katsuren PeninsulaOkinawa (Uruma City)

Katsuren Peninsula

Okinawa Prefecture · Okinawa (Uruma City) · Uruma / Yonashiro

also known as Kaichu Doro Beach, Uruma, Oasis Hama, 海中道路カイトビーチ, オアシス浜

Part of Okinawa (Uruma City) →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

beginner-friendlymedium crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Jan–Dec

Months riders and schools name

How windy

9.5-11.5 kt

Character: mixed

Room to launch

access rules on record, below

Water

mixed

29 °C in summer

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

medium crowds · busy Apr May Jun Jul

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

75 min

Naha Airport (OKA)

When it fills in

No onset time is published for this spot.

Katsuren Peninsula has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it, and none other in Okinawa (Uruma City). straight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Miyakojima
Miibaru Beachno page yet
Igei Beachno page yet
Momenbaru Beachno page yet
Miyuki Beachno page yet
Torii Station Beachno page yet

The spot

The kite beach here is not the Road Park beach in the middle of the causeway but Kaichu Doro Kite Beach, also called Oasis Hama, near the west entrance. It sits on the Katsuren/Yonashiro side of Okinawa's east coast, where the shallow sea around the causeway gives sandy flats, lagoon chop and the odd small wave.

Wind season

NW through E is the usable direction range, and the cool-season northerlies from about November through April are what you book a trip around. Shallow water and sand make this the friendliest launch on the coast, and the schools work here, but the coral, the rocks and the seawall edges are still there, and the tide changes the beach through the day.

Tidal conditions

At low to mid tide you rig on open sand; at high tide everyone moves up to the grass, where the trees have already eaten beginner kites. The zoning matters as much as the wind: Oasis Hama is the kite area, and the two Umi-no-Eki beaches either side are kite-prohibited.

Getting there

Take a rental car from Naha. Public transport is slow and the launch you want is across the road from Yonashiro Athletic Park parking.

The wind

locals call it winter northerlies / frontal wind; early-summer Kachibe south-southwest seasonal wind is possible but is not the preferred direction for this launch

Direction

cross-on

Direction to shore

cross-on

Dominant direction

NW through NE for the main kite season, tightening to N and NE on the strongest frontal days. Summer turns lighter and more southerly, which is why the season here reads as a winter one.

Kite sizes

678910111213141516

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

8-14 m; 12 m was reported as right-sized in a June session. Larger kites may be needed in light southerly summer sea-breeze conditions.

Character

mixed

Average strength

10-12

Typical strength

Monthly mean wind measured on the causeway itself runs 4.9-6.0 m/s, about 9.5-11.5 kt, across the 2008-2020 record. October is the windiest month at 6.0 m/s, November and December sit at 5.8-5.9, January through March hold 5.5, and May is the flattest at 4.9. Means include the calm hours, so rideable days are well above that: winter northerlies are reported regularly up to 30 kt, and rideable 12-18 kt is the common working range.

Best on NW through E winds. NW can be gusty; offshore/southerly directions are less suitable at this specific launch. Wind near the Kaichu Doro bridge can be stronger and turbulent.

NW, N, NE and E are the usable directions; southerly and offshore days belong to other beaches on the island. Measured monthly means on the causeway barely move through the year - 4.9 to 6.0 m/s - but the shape is clear enough: October is the windiest month, November through March holds 5.5-5.9 m/s, and May is the weakest at 4.9.

When to book

So the cool-season northerly pattern is what to book, and late spring is the flattest window despite sitting inside most published best-month ranges.

Wind reliability

A stable, fairly strong south wind called Kachibe arrives around June; it is not a direction this launch wants.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

14 ktJan22°
14 ktFeb22°
13 ktMar22°
12 ktApr23°
11 ktMay24°
11 ktJun27°
11 ktJul28°
11 ktAug29°
12 ktSep28°
14 ktOct27°
14 ktNov25°
14 ktDec24°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Modelled monthly averages. Highlighted: the months riders and schools name (Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar).

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (~30-yr modeled reanalysis (exact span not shown on page)), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds.

Every figure, month by monthKnots · Wind from · Air · Water

Month	Knots	Wind from	Air	Water
Jan	14.1 kt	N	19.4 °C	22.2 °C
Feb	13.6 kt	N	19.4 °C	21.7 °C
Mar	12.8 kt	N	21.7 °C	21.7 °C
Apr	11.6 kt	E	23.9 °C	22.8 °C
May	10.7 kt	E	26.7 °C	24.4 °C
Jun	11.4 kt	S	29.4 °C	26.7 °C
Jul	11.2 kt	S	31.1 °C	28.3 °C
Aug	11.4 kt	S	31.1 °C	28.9 °C
Sep	11.9 kt	E	30 °C	28.3 °C
Oct	13.5 kt	N	27.8 °C	26.7 °C
Nov	14 kt	N	24.4 °C	25 °C
Dec	14.3 kt	N	21.1 °C	23.9 °C

How this is modelledmodelled · ~30-yr modeled reanalysis (exact span not shown on page)

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

A station this far away — often inland or at an airport — can understate accelerated local wind. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

Naha · WeatherSpark (MERRA-2 reanalysis climatology) · ~30-yr modeled reanalysis (exact span not shown on page)

The water

Type

mixed

Standing depth

Yes across large shallow sections. The seafloor is largely exposed at low water and depth in front of the launch runs roughly 0.5-1.5 m, so you can stand over much of the inside.Foilers may have to walk up to about 100 m out before there is enough water.Sharp coral lies between the grass and the waterline, so wade in booties and test depth on foot before committing.

Tides

Semidiurnal, two highs and two lows a day, and the height is what decides how you launch.Tide rangeThe tide gauge at Nakagusuku Bay Port, a few kilometres from the causeway, predicts 2026 levels from about -0.3 m to +2.35 m above chart datum. An ordinary day swings roughly 1.55 m, the biggest springs about 2.4 m, neaps around 0.7 m.Sand launchWater sits below 1.4 m - the level under which the sand beach is wide and open - for about 61 percent of hours across the year, so the sand launch is available more often than not. Below roughly 0.4 m, about 7 percent of hours, rocks show on beach right.Above 1.4 m riders rig on the grass instead, among the trees.

Temperature

29 °C summer · 21 °C winter

Modelled monthly average: 22–29 °C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts/rash vest in summer; shorty or 3/2 full suit in winter if windy. Okinawa sea temperature is around 21 °C in February and nearly 30 °C in August.

Currents

The causeway embankment changed the tidal flow across the surrounding tidal flat. What that means for current strength in front of Oasis Hama is unconfirmed.

Conditions

The kite beach at the Kaichu Doro entrance is shallow, with a sandy beach, flat inside water for twin-tip freestyle and the occasional clean small wave. The bottom is sand directly in front of the launch and sharp coral to the left and right. Further out it is shallow lagoon water, flat to choppy, over coral sand and reef.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Oasis Hama takes beginners through advanced riders and the schools teach here; it is reportedly the safest beginner beach on Okinawa. The warnings that come with that are real: trees at the grass launch when the tide is high, shallow water over sharp coral, and a helmet and foot protection worth wearing.

Level ratings elsewhere run from entry-level to expert, so treat the range as unsettled.

The scene

What riders come here for

intermediatefreerideflat waterbeginner lessonstwintip freestylefoilingsmall-wave play on stronger north wind

Who it suitsbeginner

Popular by Okinawa standards and still local. This is where most of the island's lessons happen and where riders turn up first, so it can feel busy. Other beach users walk out across the exposed sand on nice days, and there is usually still room.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

2 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: ok

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

No neighbour on record

No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.

Rescue

No kite rescue, no lifeguard, no patrol boat. Sea accidents anywhere in Japan are reported to 118, the Coast Guard emergency number, which takes injuries and casualties at sea as well as pollution and suspicious-vessel reports; 119 reaches ambulance and fire on land.

Beyond that the safety net is other riders and the schools that work the beach, and Kite Club Okinawa answers on 098-851-0180. Weekday afternoons can be empty, so stay inside self-rescue range and leave your plan with someone.

Launch

Primary kite launch is the Kaichu Doro Kite Beach/Oasis Hama near the west entrance of the causeway. Use Yonashiro Athletic Park parking; there are no showers at this launch. The rigging/launch area is a small patch of grass, with wide open sand below about 1.4 m tide, and self-launch anchor ropes for multiple wind directions.

Hazards riders report 14 reported

Wind

turbulent gusty wind close to the causeway bridge
Wind can be stronger and turbulent near the bridge.
Typhoon season can bring strong or unsafe winds; August-October typhoons can affect conditions.

Crowds and zones

windsurfer traffic
Jet skis and towable rides work the water around Kaichu Doro. Keep clear of the marine-activity zones off the Umi-no-Eki beaches.
No lifeguard, patrol boat or organised kite rescue covers this beach, and on weekdays it can be empty.

Bottom

reef (booties recommended)
rocks about 300m right of center
Sharp coral and coral sand; booties are recommended.

Waves and currents

Low tide uncovers the seafloor, the coral and the rocks. Large rocks show on beach right around a 0.4 m tide, reportedly about 200 m out, with about 300 m out from centre beach also reported; the exact line is unconfirmed.
Road embankments/seawalls border both sides of the beach; reef is reported on both offshore sides at very low tide.
With NE wind and higher tide, riders can be pushed toward the left-side embankment.
The tide drops below about 0.4 m for roughly 7 percent of hours in the year; that is when rocks appear on beach right and the reef edges show on both offshore sides.

Other

Trees near the grass launch have damaged beginner kites.

Rules & access

1 min read

Zoning areas

2026 zoning splits the causeway. Kaichu Doro Kite Beach / Oasis Hama is the kite and wing area, and windsurfing is not allowed there. The two Umi-no-Eki beaches immediately alongside are kite-prohibited and left to windsurfing, wing, SUP and flyboard, and the south beach at Umi-no-Eki is windsurf-only - do not treat the whole causeway as open to kites.

Local rules

This zoning is a designation maintained by the local operator and rider community rather than a published municipal by-law; Uruma City's own Kaichu Doro material covers tidal-flat environmental restoration and sets no rules for riders, and no private-kiter permit requirement for Oasis Hama exists. 2026 Okinawa water-safety ordinance revisions regulate marine-leisure operators and guides, not individual riders.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

Rider tips

Plan around the 1.4 m tide line: below it you launch off open sand, above it you rig on the grass among the trees that have already taken beginner kites. The water is below that level about six hours in ten across the year.
Wear booties and walk the shallows on foot before you commit; sharp coral lies between the grass and the waterline.
Park at Yonashiro Athletic Park and cross the two crosswalks to reach the launch.
Stay left of centre and well away from the bridge. Rocks sit out to the right, and the wind near the bridge goes strong and turbulent.
Do not drift into the Umi-no-Eki beaches either side. They are kite-prohibited, and windsurfers, wing riders and marine-activity boats use them.
Put 118 in your phone before you ride, the Coast Guard line for accidents at sea. Nothing else covers this beach.

Getting there

Airport

Naha Airport (OKA)

Route

A rental car is the practical option. Park at Yonashiro Athletic Park and cross two crosswalks to the launch. Uruma is reachable by car or bus from Naha Airport, and the drive runs roughly 45-100 minutes depending on where exactly you are heading and on traffic.

Transfer

75 min

Cost level

medium

Staying

Stay in Uruma/Yonashiro for closest access, Okinawa City/Chatan for more restaurants and nightlife, or Naha if combining city time with day trips. FUNBASE Uruma is a local sports-oriented hotel at Kaichu Doro with gear storage and wingfoil activity, but no kite-specific accommodation package is published.

No-wind days

Kaichu Doro sightseeing and island-hopping by car to Henza and Hamahiga, then Miyagi and Ikei; Sea Station Ayahashi and its maritime culture museum; SUP, kayak, windsurf, jet-ski, towable rentals around the causeway; Katsuren Castle ruins and central Okinawa sightseeing.

Photos

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Kaichu Doro?

The cool-season northerly wind pattern from about November to April is reported as the strongest and most reliable period.

Is Kaichu Doro suitable for beginners?

Yes; one local guide calls it Okinawa's safest beginner location, though it still warns of sharp coral and tree hazards near the grass launch at high tide.

What is the wind like?

NW through E winds work best, averaging around 12-16 knots and reaching up to 30 knots on strong winter northerly days.

Are there kite schools or rental?

Yes, Kite Club Okinawa and Tropical Surf House Okinawa both list Kaichu Doro as a riding spot.

Are there rules or restricted zones?

Oasis Hama is zoned for kite and wing (windsurfing is prohibited there), while the Umi-no-Eki left and right beaches nearby are kite-prohibited.

The bigger pictureEverything about Okinawa (Uruma City)

Last updated: August 2026