Kite surfing coming to Da Nang?

Da Nang is one of the most popular beach getaways in all of Vietnam and this is one of the major reasons that I decided to move here in the first place. One thing that does kind of get me down though is that this place is touted as being a "surfing beach" but it really isn't. The wave activity here is pretty weak and mostly you are just looking at shorebreak. If you know anything about surfing you are NOT supposed to surf shorebreak for the most part because it can damage the board and you since when you bail you are crashing into shallow water. Also, shorebreak offers very little in the way of movement since well, it is breaking on the shore.

You are supposed to be aiming for places whose waves break considerably further out from shore. Since I haven't found the waves in Da Nang to be even worthy of body surfing for the most part, I tended to stay away from the sport altogether.

The other day we were down at the beach and I noticed a sight that was very familiar because I have 2 family members that participate in the sport: Kite-surfing.

The thing about kite-surfing as far as I can tell from someone that has never actually done it is that you don't actually need waves to kite surf. It appears as though it might actually be a better idea for a beginner if you do not have them for the sake of easier learning.

This is a sport that I have always wanted to get involved with but didn't do so in the past because 1) The gear is insanely expensive and 2) no one around here was doing it.

I can't confirm that they are doing lessons or not at this point but there are a wide range of surf schools here and I don't understand their reason for being: There are no waves for the most part.

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So while I can not yet confirm whether or not there actually is a kite-surfing school here or not, the increased kiting activity that I am seeing on the beach on a daily basis is a good indicator that there might be.

Vietnam is normally a very good value for most things and that is why I am so happy that I live here. However, this kite-surfing equipment is just as expensive here as it is anywhere else in the world, it is super-specialized and complicated and I'm sure that the very high cost of the equipment will mean that it is an expensive sport to get involved in.

It would certainly be a great addition to what I consider to be a pretty boring beach at the moment though.

I'll keep you updated!