One of the reasons why I moved here was because this beach in Da Nang was designated as a "surfing beach" by many websites. There are also many surf shops around the town. I have never really tried to get involved in the scene because on the many walks I have taken down to the beach, which I can see from my building, I have noticed that the waves seemed a little less than incredible.
I am not an avid surfer. I lived for a time on the East Coast of the United States where the surf scene definitely exists, but it certainly isn't considered a mecca of surfing for really anyone in the world. I went a couple dozen times with friends and experienced very little in the way of success but I do know it is a great way to get some sun, get a bit of exercise, and socialize a bit.
So the other day me and my Russian friend Yvgheni (a name I always struggle with) went down there not with surfboards because we don't have them, but with boogie-boards. If you don't know what that is it is basically a surfboard for people without talent.
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I am not a woman so that is obviously not me, but it was just one of the first images that popped up in an image search.
I also did not bring my phone with me the day of our little outing because I don't relish the idea of leaving my phone sitting on the beach only to see someone taking it while I'm in the water with no chance of catching back up with them. Sure, they have cameras everywhere here in Da Nang but as someone that has already had his bicycle stolen even though a CCTV was pointing directly at it, I know that unless you murder someone, that footage isn't going to be used by the police, certainly not for a $400 phone.
Anyway, when we got there I guess you could say I had some hope that it was going to be a good day because it appeared as though there were SOME waves out there, but once we got into the water those hopes were quickly dashed.
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The problem is that the waves were really small, when they existed at all and one thing that I remember from years ago is that you aren't really going to fly very hard or fast if you choose to hit the last set of waves before they hit the sand and honestly, that was our only option when we got there. There just isn't anything else.
This doesn't stop a load of people from trying though and there were dozens of other people out there that were vying for waves as well. So I guess the social side of things was in fact there, but mostly, it was a bunch of standing around waiting for something that kind of resembled a real wave, riding it for 12 feet or so, then running back out to do it again.
The social side of it was there because there were so many other people, but I think that all of us were pretty non-plussed about the quality of the waves. I kind of feel as though the internet claims of this beach being wonderful for beginners is a bit of a stretch with that claim, because from what I remember as a first-time beginner when I was back on the East Coast of the US, you need to actually learn to feel the pull of waves in order to learn from the water when it is time for you to paddle in to a wave. None of that was happening for us the other day because we were just standing there and jumping on top of waves.
Now to be fair, according to the internet the surfing season is between September and March and we are definitely not in that time of year now. So I guess I am jumping the gun on being judgmental about the surfing capabilities of the region.
I guess if you want to have a go at it and are a weak swimmer and are terrified of the ocean than this would be a good time for you to get involved only because i don't see how any adult could possibly get hurt or drown during this seeing as how I spent most of the day in waist-deep water.
We already have plans to go back and try again. If nothing else we got some sun and have some stories to tell. We also got a big of exercise and did something outdoors that didn't involve drinking beer or running for the sake of not being fat. Other than that, I dont' see much reason to get involved with surfing here and I definitely disagree with the claims about this being a "top surf spot" for Vietnam, let alone the entire SE Asian region like they claim.
Lol. Those are ripples and unless the sea bed has a natural formation there will be no decent waves on this beach ever. I have been to beaches with reefs and unless you are on a surf board you don't want to have a boogie board because of the dangers of the reef cutting you open. Boogie boarding is still fun however and maybe a few extra feet would be needed to make it even more fun.
Yeah, I am aware of the damage that reefs can do. Some friends of mine are in Indonesia right now on a real surfing expedition and they keep sending me pictures of their bruises and scrapes. I am nowhere near that hardcore.
I think the biggest issue for me would be the whole balance thing. I don't think I would be able to stand up at all on a surfboard. Plus I am probably not that strong of a swimmer due to some trauma when I was a kid, so there is that too. It's cool that you at least tried, even if the conditions were less than ideal. Like you said, it got you out of the house!
I wasn't even going to attempt to stand up. I saw a bunch of other people out there that were trying and failing at doing so.
Smart move!
The sea is not yet rough, so the waves are small. Surfing is fun, enjoy
I will wait it out and give another opinion during what is purported to be the good time of year. Now is not that time :)
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