Hey guys, what's up...
I've been in Mui Ne, Vietnam for the past 6 days, and it's been a solid sideshore 20-25 knots every single day so far. A friend who left just before I arrived told me he got 35 knots...I'm kind of glad I wasn't around for that!!!! I'm told there's been only one non-sailable day so far this month. The wind kicks in around noon (sometimes earlier); mid morning there's usually a nice steady breeze for beginners to practice in.
Along Mui Ne beach there's about half a dozen Kitesurf centres, some of which have a few token windsurf rigs available, but the real windsurf hotspot is a place called "Jibe's". It's a bar, restaurant, pro shop and windsurf centre. They rent Starboards and sails by Severne and Simmer. There's about 10 foreign instructors and about a dozen Vietnamese Beach Boys to help with the gear. This place rocks!!! And, for long-termers like me with their own gear, they offer FREE storage! In fact, I can just dump my gear on the sand at the end of a hard day's sailing, and the beach boys will wash it and store it for me!! Can't ask for better than that!!
There's no proper waves, just enough of a shorebreak for wavesailors to swoop in, gybe and go tearassing out again. The swells further out can be steep enough for getting some reasonable air off, though. There's meant to be some "wave spots" somewhere around for those willing to rent a van or jeep and go there. The occasional sighting of people on motorbikes carrying surfboards would appear to bear this out...
The prices have gone up a tad, though. Rum now costs almost AUD$1.50 a bottle...daylight robbery!!!!
Your description answers the question we had earlier about average wind speed. Pessimists observed the average windspeed of around 9 knots and believed Vietnam was a windless place. Boosters like myself proposed an average speed of 9 knots could mean nothing much during the morning and a decent breeze in the afternoon.
Can you buy beer out of a bucket there and whats the local food like?
sounds like a great place to holiday for at least a month or so. Whats the best time of year for such a mission ???
The best time to visit is during the Northeast Monsoon, which is roughly october thru march. I'm not sure what it's like during the rest of the year. I've been here about 8 days now and it's blown every single day like clockwork. And no rain!
Beer in a bucket? What's that all about? You can get Saigon Beers for about AUD$0.80 a stubbie in some of the restaurants along the beach, but I'm mostly sticking with the rum, as I want to avoid the beer-belly look if possible.
I talked to a friend who has visited Vietnam. He said over there you can buy beer in a bucket for a few dong sold by roadside vendors. I am not sure if he was pulling my leg.
Though I don't have a beer belly (at least not a big one) I don't think there is anything wrong with it. It gives your mrs somewhere nice and soft for her to lay her head when tired. Also I see some sailors sporting impressive bellies and they go pretty fast.
All this talk of beer makes me want one, especially after a decent sail in Sydney at Narrabeen this afternoon.
hi guys,
i spent about four months in vietnam last year and the place rocked!
as for wave sailing, there is one spot. its a couple of kilometers away, down through the town and out the other side. Just ask the boys at jibes, they'll tellyou how to get there. and you can rent a motor bike with a trailer on the front for about $2AUS for the day with driver. The waves are generally a little under mast high, but not much. Unfortunately its direct onshore at the beach, so it can get a little messy going out.
