Typhoon Chaba #15 2010 Report

Picture is small but this wave is double over head (at least) - Wakayama (Nanki) got very nice typhoon swell from Chaba.

Tokyo Bay (Shonan) and Chiba did not get any swell from this event. 99% of Tokyo surfers that ventured out to hunt surf went to Shonan as the typhoon hit on Saturday & were totally skunked, waves were waist to chest high. For those that stayed around 30 minutes before dark they popped up overhead.
Surfline and Buoy Weather predicted the swell to come from 217º + - 10º. Which was pretty accurate as the map shows the swell was heading NE at 230º. At this angle Tokyo Bay is completely shadowed by IZU and Mera / Heisaura are 100% shadowed by Ogasawara island.  Sean Collins the head forecaster at Surfline says that swells of medium period (10 - 14 seconds) have little propensity to bend around islands and underwater bathymetry.

As shown by the surf in Wakayama there were plenty of waves around for those exposed reefs and beaches.

Points:
1. Chaba started losing strength from Thursday 28th in the morning and sped up.
2. Chaba's winds were only driving swell at an angle to get into Tokyo for 18 hours on the 27th all the rest of it was angled to hit Izu and or ogasawara  island.

Summary: For a big typhoon this turned into a non-event for Tokyo area surfers. Southern Japan seems to have gotten it good and Ibaraki will get nice back kicked swell as it passes.