August 22 — Scouting Another Potential Home Base: Checking Out Lake Saiko for the First Time in 25 Years

2026年11月3日 2026年11月3日

viva-wingfoil

August 22.

My pinky finger still isn’t 100% back to normal.

It’s been almost a month since I jacked it up SUP surfing back on July 25.

The swelling and pain are still lingering, so returning to wing foiling—where you need to react in a split second—is gonna take a little more time.

Having weekends go by without hitting the beach definitely feels like something’s missing.

So today, I decided to stick with my mission of “scouting future riding spots.”

I headed over to Lake Saiko, located along the Arakawa River in Saitama.

Fun fact: this wasn’t actually my first time here.

About 25 years ago, back when I used to windsurf, I’m pretty sure I rode here once or twice.

Then again, 25 years is a long time.

I basically had zero memory of the place.

So I decided to treat this trip as a brand-new scouting mission.

Wait, This Place Is Actually Pretty Nice?!

The second I pulled up, my very first thought was:

“Yo, wait... this spot is actually legit!”

Size-wise, the water surface is probably a notch smaller than Watarase Retaining Basin, which I checked out the other week.

More than the size, though, what blew me away was the overall vibe.

It just feels way brighter and more inviting here.

One big reason for that?

The grass.

At Lake Saiko, the green lawn stretches right up to the water’s edge.

You can lay your gear down on the grass, inflate your wing, assemble your foil, and launch straight into the water.

That setup is insanely user-friendly!

Watarase has grass too, but there’s a gap between the lawn and the water where you have to walk over concrete.

Lake Saiko, on the other hand, feels like the grass and the water are completely integrated.

It sounds like a tiny detail.

But it makes a huge difference in the overall water-sports vibe.

Just Watching from the Shore Was Super Interesting

The wind wasn’t super strong today.

A few people had their wing foil gear unpacked, but mostly everyone was just waiting for a gust.

Since I was purely on spectating duty anyway, I took a chill stroll along the water to take everything in.

That’s when I spotted someone doing a super unique drill:

Dock start pumping with just a foil board!

They set up a small launch platform right by the water, stepped onto the board, and launched off.

They pumped the board up and down using purely their legs to drive forward.

Wipe out.

Walk back to the platform.

Try again.

Rinse and repeat, over and over.

“Man, that is SO cool.”

Since there’s no wing involved, you don’t need to sit around waiting for wind.

It’s pure, 100% leg pressure control over the foil.

Lately, I’ve been developing this mindset that in wing foiling,

“Your feet are the main character, and the wing is just an assistant.”

With that in mind, this drill is the ultimate training ground for controlling a foil purely with your lower body.

If you grind that out repeatedly, your pitch control and pumping skills are gonna skyrocket.

And then another thought popped into my head:

“Man, maybe I should buy one of those boards and practice here too...”

I came here just to scout.

And now another item ended up on my wishlist!

40 Minutes from Home: The Distance Is a Huge Win!

The absolute biggest selling point for Lake Saiko is the proximity.

It’s about a 40-minute drive from my house.

Noticeably closer than Watarase!

Compared to driving all the way down to Enoshima, this feels like a walk in the park.

It’s close enough that I can wake up, check the wind, and go,

“Hey, looks like it’s blowing a bit. Let’s hit the lake for a sec!”

I can grind out a two-hour practice session and be back home the same day without feeling dead tired.

Having a local spot like this purely for practice—separate from Enoshima, where I go to hang out at the beach—sounds insanely attractive.

...However, There’s a 300-Meter Wall

Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.

First off, the parking isn’t free.

Honestly, that’s not a dealbreaker at all.

It’s like 200 yen for two hours, and even if you stay longer, it’s under 500 yen.

Completely acceptable.

The real problem is the distance from the parking lot to the water’s edge.

It’s pretty dang far.

It felt like roughly 300 meters—about 1,000 feet.

If you’re empty-handed, 300 meters is nothing.

When you’re wing foiling?

Whole different story.

You’ve got:

Board
Foil
Wing
Pump
All the small accessories

Carrying all of that by hand for 300 meters is practically impossible.

Which means a beach cart or carrier is a non-negotiable must-have.

Time to Bring Back My Setup from 25 Years Ago?

That made me think back to the car I drove 25 years ago when I used to windsurf.

Back then, I had roof racks installed along with a massive RV cargo box.

Stashing sails, booms, and transport carts up there was super convenient.

My current car, though?

Completely bare.

If I’m gonna take wing foiling at Lake Saiko seriously, I need to solve a few logistics problems:

How do I transport the board on my car?
How do I haul the foil and wing?
How do I move everything 300 meters from the parking lot to the water?

I really need to sit down and figure out a proper roof rack and beach cart setup.

Even better?

I wish there were a gear locker or storage space nearby.

If I could store my full kit near the lake, I could drive 40 minutes, grab my gear, and launch immediately.

If that becomes an option, Lake Saiko’s value skyrockets.

Enoshima, Watarase, and Lake Saiko

Comparing all these spots side-by-side is pretty interesting because they each have such unique personalities.

Enoshima: Truly special. You’ve got the ocean, waves, crowds of young people, surfers, and summer beach huts. Just pulling up gets your energy hyped.

Watarase Retaining Basin: Massive water area, parking right by the shore. From a purely logical standpoint, it’s a killer wing foil training ground. Tone-Ozeki is pretty solid too!

Lake Saiko: The water area might be a bit smaller than Watarase, but the grass-to-water setup and vibe are top-notch. Above all, it’s super close to home.

Going to play at the beach?

Enoshima.

Grinding out hardcore drills on open water?

Watarase.

Quick session because the wind picked up?

Lake Saiko.

Splitting my time between all three sounds like a pretty epic game plan!