Kitespot My Hoa Lagoon, Phan Rang

The journey to Phan Rang, which took more than two days, was tough. My first accommodation is Vietnam Surf Camping in the very south of the lagoon. The small yurt on the beach is simple but cheap. On the first day, I just put the split together and have a broken binding repaired by the Phi Kite School. The wind is blowing at up to 32 knots across the 1500 by 300 metre wide standing area. There are up to 100 riders on the water from the five kite schools. It rarely gets crowded.

I knew that the lagoon of My Hoa / Phang Rang was dry from time to time. Kiting in the morning or afternoon: I’m flexible. But there is usually only one tide a day here. I didn’t know that. At low tide, the water is either completely gone for the first 300 metres or far too low for reasonably safe strong wind kiting. Sand and quite sharp rocks / corals alternate everywhere. There is no larger safe landing zone with only sand.

From about 50 metres in front of the small lighthouse without lights in the south, the water becomes extremely low, even at high tide, with an average of 30 cm, and the ground becomes more dangerous. Small kicker waves run in here at easily usable intervals. I miss a few of the first jumps over six metres here. My crah technique is good, flat as a board on my back. The kite was still carrying. Nevertheless, I hit the rocks at the bottom with every second crash. They are sharp. The back quickly gets a few scratches.

Shortly after the lighthouse, the water finally gets deeper, about one metre on average at high tide. But the waves in front of the large reef waves are quite choppy and come in at close intervals. You can rarely take advantage of them. Their distance is almost always too small for a really good take-off speed.

the really big waves break on the outer reef 100 metres behind the lighthouse. On my first two days, they washed me several times with my 7s and 10s. They seem to run particularly tight, especially when they have reached a height of two and a half metres. If you catch a wave, you’ll be washed clean by at least one or two more. If, like me, you lose the board on landing directly in front of such a monster, you can easily end up with five to ten waves. The only good thing is that none of them ever push me down to the reef.

On the first day I go out with my 13-year-old Core XR in 7m² to practise. The jumps go up to 6.5 metres almost unintentionally. During the day the wind blows well around my 10m sweet spot at around 27 knots. The jumps in front of the outer reef now go up to almost 10 metres. The Asian big air record from January 2023 was set right here. If I remember correctly, a local shot himself up to just under 34m.

In the days that followed, the wind dropped a little – but never below 18 knots. Even before I arrived, local kiters advised me to leave the 12-knot at home. I ride it on one of the few possible days with less than 24 knots. The locals in my camp only used a 12er twice last season. I meet dear friends from kite trips long ago.

Severe fish poisoning sends me to the mat for a full five days. Only after several infusions and lots of pills do I slowly start to feel better. But in the first session afterwards, I’m definitely no match for the three-metre monster waves. They eat me up, over and over again. Even the following days I shake more than I ride. The Woo constantly measures jumps that aren’t jumps. They were just huge, fast waves. In November, when storm lows move through to the north-east, the waves here can easily build up to six metres or more.

I’m pretty down. Tired. Listless. I complete my one hour of kiting a day with difficulty. But I quickly lose the desire to kite for the first time in 25 years. What comes after a lifetime of kiting? I have no idea. And I’m afraid of it. In my two weeks here so far, I’ve seen a lot of bad accidents. Nobody else wrote about how dangerous the spot in Phan Rang is. Not only because of the strong winds, which can reach up to 45 knots. The ground looks harmless at first. But it’s not. No matter where you hit it, it always hurts.

Just today I finally wanted to get a good boost. I don’t trust the old 7 anymore. So out with the 10 at a good 28-33 knots onto the reef wave, which was only one and a half metres in size today. The second ramp gives me an unintentional rotation. I tear the kite into the power zone at a height of over six metres and survive a heavy impact on the side. The kite inverts. I release and start the self-rescue. After 100 metres of constant spinning in the waves, a dear kiter takes the board from me and brings it to the beach. A little later, a second instructor takes the kite. Thank you, dear people!

The walk back to the beach, about 250 metres away, is horrible. Without shoes, I get a few more cuts in the numerous sharp corals and fragments. I understand why the locals stand on practically everything. Falling is never an option anywhere in Phan Rang. After a quick adjustment of my ribs, I go out again. But with two kilos of shit in my board shorts, I just don’t rip anymore…

My Hoa / Phan Rang Pro:

• The strongest and most reliable winds in the world blow here. Brazil can keep up in terms of yield, but not in terms of strength. Cape Town has the same peaks, but definitely has significantly more calm / light wind days. https://www.windguru.cz/478733 Icon 13 has been the best in my two weeks here so far.
• Huge standing area of approx. 1500 by 300 metres. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t stand anywhere.
• A handful of restaurants and bars right on the beach
• Good selection of accommodation in all categories from €10 to €40 per person per night
• Very friendly and helpful fellow kiters – no comparison to the war zone in Mui Ne
• Massive waves of up to three metres on the outer reef

My Hoa / Phan Rang Contra:

• At low tide, the water is often completely gone. It is advisable to check the tides before planning your holiday: https://www.tide-forecast.com/locations/Phan-Rang-Thap-Cham/tides/latest. There is usually only one high tide a day – if it is at night, there is nothing for a week.
• The entire shallow area is interspersed with sand and rocks. There is NOWHERE really safe to crash. A few rocks and sewage pipes stick out further.
• The wind can be extremely strong and gusty at up to 45 knots. The average in January and February is a full 25 knots of basic wind. This overwhelms many beginners.
• My Hoa is a small village. For nightlife or larger shopping trips, you have to travel 15 kilometres to Phan Rang
• Internet is free in all hotels, but the speed is usually never above 80kbit = 100kb / s. Attention! Not Mbit! An own Simcard with the best provider Viettel or Mobitel brings it up to 80 Mbit.

Vietnam, Phan Rang January/February 2024