As a follow up to a post earlier this year - re windsurfing in mui me - travel writer I am not
Arrived in mui ne after 10 days hanging out in Vietnam - checked in to mui me backpackers which is next door to jibes beach club.
Jibes has severne / starboard gear with a few pryde sails thrown in - haven't had a good look through the range as I was keen to hit the water with what the locals recommended - kode 94? And 5.6 s1. I did spot the new Iso 110 which I am keen to try as well as a heap of proto boards. Basically as its open ocean sailing its wave / freeride biased.
I spent 20 minutes having a look at the launch as it was horrendous - 20m wide with concrete either side and a shore break up to 3 ft- the backwash of the hard surfaces making it worse and a definite wind shadow in close. Combined with high tide ( full moon) it was a real gear breaker. Thankfully the guys offered to launch if I swam out. Chicken I know - but as I flat water sailer it was a little daunting.
Once up and going the gear was nice - if it was mine I would have down hauled a little more and neg out hauled ( but i am a slalom formula sailer) - the water warm ( if brown) and the wind 12-20 knots. There is plenty of room to stay away from those kites and there is some great ramps for jumps and clean jibes.
Rates are as expected $ 25 aus per hour - obviously less for longer
Overall - enjoyable to sail a different location - even on very foreign gear
Downside - launch and coming in are tricky so changing gear to get a good set up is unlikely
Once I sort how to upload an iPad taken photo I will upload the shore break shots
Ps - mui ne is very tourist driven esp backpackers - as I type (4pm local time) the thumping techno tracks are competing from various "resorts / bars" warmin up for nye celebrations - hopefully the sound of the 3ft shore break will be what gets me to sleep
More tomorrow
With the huge shore break and just open bay/ocean sailing it doesn't sound like the best place for a windsurfing resort. There would be thousands of places like that around the world where no one windsurfs.
checked around this morning - jp/ np ( and rrd) up the end of the bay has good flat water - will probably sail at jibes only as its next door to our lodgings
Moby - plenty of euros think this is heaven
Mui ne day two
Well first up night one - Aussie John and his wife Twee ( who own the backpackers - poorly titled as we had a large family room spotlessly clean on the water $50 p.n - and the general standard is 100 times beyond the usual fare) invited us to the nye celebrations at jibes. Awesome feed, fantastic company - John and Twee have amazing life stories - tucked into bed by 10.30 to a mixed soundtrack of doof doof and waves crashing - still slept like a lamb
Family activities in the morning - cant believe the amount of Russians here - they outnumber the locals - Ivanka and VLadimir love to strut - very funny people watching. We did a tour which included a polluted stream, very ordinary sand boarding, and a photo op at " grand canyon" - basically a badly eroded watercourse. Kids loved it all so can't complain - but IHMO - little bit sad but a reminder that we Aussies have a lovely diverse natural environment.
Lunch by the water, $10 feeds and waters the four of us - itching to get on the water
Wind and shore break down on yesterday - 12-18 knots but still a gear killer on the way in - saw a rig trashed on the adjoining concrete sea wall - despite the efforts of the jibes guys to retrieve it - it's not hard to get it right - you just have to spend 5 min before going out and talk to the guys
Started on 7m gator and iso 111 / 38 drake. Way underpowered but still fun. The wind built a little - as I own all cammed sails ( cr and reflex) i was impressed at the gators stability - rigged on skinnys they are very light and easy to throw around.
Swapped to the new 110 / 42 drake just as the wind filled - this board is quick to accelerate but I was way over finned with the 42 - sailed it for an hour nevertheless.
Swapped back to the Iso 111 toward the end my ankles had had enough of the over finned 110 - swapping fins appears to be difficult. - will work on that tomorrow
Discovered a couple of overdrives in the quiver - hopefully have a crack tomorrow
Overall day two
Respect to the jibes guys - these guys earn their dough launching, retrieving and cleaning up all witha smile - as usual given their TOW they are good sailers - just need them to change fins
Modern equipment - in very bumpy open ocean sailing I haven't caught a rail or ploughed into a wave etc just point and shoot
Finished the day off taking the kids next door to JOes for a mango slushy - and they sell bloody Coopers Sparkling at $4.50 - Sorry to the lager heads but Asian beers, which are nearly all lagers, are like sex on a beach - $&:/ing near water, no aroma, little taste. The three of us in heaven sitting on the waters edge while mum was off doing sunset yoga. As I explained how good the day was mr 7 asked was their anything that could make the day better - " yes boy but that's between me and your mother......"
Day three - day of the Drake
Good body bashing with the tin lids to start the day - few of the jibes guys out on sups - short wave ride and pretty dumpy - but still good
After breakfast mum was off doing her stuff - the influx of Russian women means there is Bueaty parlor every 5th shop.
Asked the kids what they wanted to do - being good Aussie kids they simply wanted to body surf some more and then drink smoothies - too easy
As we downed our drinks the wind filled in (10am) about 10 knots rising to 15 by midday - by 1 it was 15 - 20 . Time to go
Took 7.0 gator plus Iso 97 - on the way back to shore the fin snaps at the base
Limp to shore - new fin and go again
Wind lifts to 18-23 but with holes - change to 6.5
The lower end of the bay ( jibes) has the swell coming in cross on and the wind side shore - so getting clean little speed runs is difficult as you have wind chop from one direction and swell from another.
Come in for a drink to discover huge crack at finbase (drake) - only a 38 drake could be found so I was way over finned in choppy conditions - ankles are sore tonight
As I came in for the day I felt a thud on the fin - I remodeled a 38 to a 34 on a semi submerged bit of timber.
3 days down and plenty of sailing - 2 to go
Overall - excellent - enough wind warm water and decent kit
Mui be is a resort town ( which is usually not my thing) but when you can spend up to 4hrs on the water for 3 days straight and your gear is rigged ready to go 40m from where you lay your head at night..........
Just watched a few windsurfing videos on Youtube from Mui Ne. The shorebreak looks similar to a typical east coast beach break shorebreak on a not so windy day. Some big dumpers and a bit of a rinse cycle. One video had footage of a few people losing it in the shorebreak and a mast being snapped. There were no footage of concrete barriers.
To those who red thumbed me above, from what I've seen and read, it still doesn't look like the greatest place to set up a windsurfing destination. No way could you teach a learner or intermediate sailor there if the wind picks. Tons of gear getting broken. Perhaps the land at Mu Ne was cheaper and more available than a better spot for windsurfing so that is where it was built.
It does look pretty pleasant out in the bay. Macroscience would be able to try out his snake moves on the swell there.
One of the videos did some shots up and down the beach. The shorebreak did not look as fierce further up the beach towards the headland but it was hard to see.
Tricky shore break for intermediate sailors. You can tell by the way some of the guys are treating their gear that it's hire gear! Definitely not a beginner location. I sort of agree with Moby Disc. Not the best spot - light winds + dumping shore break + noob sailors = lots of broken gear. Looks windy in this vid though. Does it get a lot of wind?
Enjoyed the video...interesting watching the carnage in the shore break but I wouldn't want to be one of them..The hire poeple must have a lot of $ lost in breakages..
Yeah Vietnam must be a great place to travel and being able to windsurf there makes it more of a must visit destination. It does look good out in the bay and having reliable wind would be great too. Cheap food and drink along with up to date windsurfing gear for hire at reasonable rates. My wife would love to go there as she really enjoys eating Vietnamese food. Sorry to be a bit critical before about the location.
Day four
20- 25 knots - less swell and more consistent water state
Mui Ne really delivered today
6.5/6.0 Iso 90
One more day left
I found mui ne a bit overrated,
+ beach helpers (will hand you a cold beer while dripping), air hoses on beach for kiters, food ie fresh spring rolls and beer or mojitos while drip drying and watching the kiters from the beach bar is a good way to live
- choppy, gusty wind, narrow beach / sketchy launch, busy as hell, learners in 25kts and chop, brown water, almost stepped on syringe with needle @ unraked beach north of town, noise, sameyness of all the shops, not much to see in surrounding area, russians, etc
Izy - first of all much respect to your rough water gybing skill - nailing clean exits in rough water is difficult
As for the ratio
Dodgy drakes : days sailed 2:5
Submerged objects 1
Dave - yeah agree with you on that one - the non windsurfing side of town is not my cup of tea
Day five - as usual the wind is in early
Eager to try iso 110 with a large sail I get out at 12 but the wind fails to build over 15 knots
Overall
Yes the watEr is brown and choppy but it's windy and cheap and windy
