A windsurfer rides the tide at Mui Ne beach
Adventure water sports are making a splash at beaches around the country.
“I always say that surfing is one of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had. I've found myself under a wave at sunset and looking at the setting sun through a wave, then I forget I need to breathe,” said Marc, who learned how to surf when he was 18.
Marc has been in the beach resort town of Mui Ne outside Phan Thiet Town with his wife and two sons for a week. He wants his two boys – Edward, 17, and Andrew, 15 – to experience the waves and wind at one of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam while the family escapes the snowy winter in their home country of Britain.
Vietnam’s most famous surfing spots are Nha Trang beach and Phan Thiet’s Mui Ne, which attract thousand of surfers from around the world each year.
The areas are also popular for windsurfing. Unlike a rudder-steered sailboat, a windsurfer steers by tilting and rotating the mast and sail as well as tilting and carving the board.
Though windsurfing is possible in winds from 0-50 knots, the ideal conditions for most recreational sailors is 15-25 knots.
HOT SURF SPOTS IN VIETNAM
• Jibe’ Beach Club, Full Moon Beach Resort, Mui Ne, Phan Thiet
Website: windsurf-vietnam.com
• Wind Chimes, Saigon-Mui Ne Resort, Phan Thiet
Website: kitesurfing-vietnam.com
• Sailing Club Nha Trang
Website: www.sailingclubvietnam.com/scntwatersports.php
• SIK Center, Sunshine Beach Resort, Phan Thiet
Website: www.sikcenter.com
Kiteboarding is a popular and relatively new sport considered more adventurous as it can sometimes be more hazardous. Several dangers may be encountered while learning to kiteboard (some of which may not be immediately obvious), but can be minimized by taking professional instruction through lesson centers.
Tai, a trainer at Jibe’s Beach Club in Mui Ne, says “Most surfing clubs here provide courses and lessons of various skills including kite launching, flying, landing, usage of the bar, lines and safety devices.
A group prepares for a windsurfing lesson at Jibe’s Beach Club in Mui Ne
“A poorly executed maneuver will ‘fly’ the surfer,” Tai says, and this is often followed by a tumble if the surfer can't put the board down at the right angle. It is important to use safety equipment like a “deadman” system where the kite lines can be detached from the surfer's harness quickly as the kite can unintentionally power up and pull the rider under water or throw them against objects at uncontrollable speeds.
“Safety knives are a must to quickly cut lines in the event of dangerous entanglements. After a tumble, detangling and re-launching the kite can be difficult. Experienced kite surfers try to keep the kite in the air,” Tai adds.
“If the kite is only turned partially, or is not straightened at the right rate, a turning surfer can swing up and be dragged into the air by the kite, then get hurt when he re-contacts the surface. Even in water, flying a power kite can be a brutal contact sport. The kite is usually 20-27 meters (60-100 ft.) in the air, and a careless turn in high winds can easily swing the rider up to two stories in the air and down to an uncontrolled impact,” Tai says.
His colleague, Binh, says, “Controlled flying is possible and one of the biggest attractions of the sport, but more difficult and dangerous.
“The good news was that I figured out why you can tumble in the waves with a surfboard and not have it smack you in the head. Both you and the surfboard are about the same density as water. Therefore everything is always moving in pretty much the same direction. There's no reason for anything to smack into anything else,” Binh jokes.
But for his Australian student, Mary, surfing is the hardest sport she has ever undertaken.
“I ain't made for that kind of sport. I smashed like 1,000 times in an hour,” said Mary.
Another Australian surfer, Mark, said, “I never managed to stand up, and my belly kept getting in my way on the board. I smashed like 10 times in an hour because that was the best I could do. I must have looked absolutely pathetic. But it was fun.”
His girlfriend, Kate, said happily, “I went surfing today for the first time! It was awesome! I can’t stand up yet. I sort of got on my knees, wobbled a bit and then fell off but I caught some good waves lying down. It was so fast and cool – what a rush.”
“I had the same feeling when I first did it; couldn't get enough of it. It’s an amazing feeling when you stand up for the first time,” said overseas Vietnamese Daniel Tran. “You only really understand the power of the sea when you start to surf. It is a fantastic rush when you catch a good wave.”
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