The Ultimate Guide to Nha Trang Surfing
Nha Trang surfing is generally good for beginners and kids, but there can be days on nearby Cai Dai beach (40 mins to the south) that are very fun, plus there’s a fairly reliable reef break in the city that can work a charm.
You’ll either love Nha Trang, or you’ll hate it.
Despite our dislike for shiny skyscrapers and all that jazz – this town looks like Gold Coast whacked onto Indochina (AKA: Ugly) – we actually were in the former camp.
The city has a real buzz about it. Noodle shophouses hide in the shadow of soaring buildings. Glitzy cocktail bars overlook a bay studded with slowboats. The beach is a glimmering run of alabaster sand. There are worse places to be.
When it comes to surf, there are also worse places to be. But there are also some WAY better places.
Still, waves are to be had, so long as you pass through in the November to March NW monsoon season, when there’s good, long fetch across the South China Sea to give the stuff needed to power most of this coast.
It’s mostly beach break, save for a few left-hand points that only the local surf schools know about (and we won’t be mentioning here), and one or two pretty great reefs near to the city center.
The vibe? Generally fantastic for beginners and small-wave aficionados, but can also show teeth in the peak monsoon times.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
>>This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in Vietnam
Nha Trang surf at a glance
The good…
The bad…
Where is Nha Trang?
Nha Trang is on the bend of the coast in South Vietnam. It’s around five hours’ drive and 399km from Ho Chi Minh City, the biggest city in the country (but not the capital), and over 1,200km from Hanoi in the north.
Getting here is now kinda’ easy since the rapid expansion of the Cam Ranh International Airport. Connections go there from all over Southeast Asia, most notably VietJet Air and AirAsia connections to hubs like Bangkok and KL for changeovers off those longhauls from Europe and the US.
We personally love arriving by train, which is by far the most fun way to travel up and down the Vietnamese coast. Pre-book tickets for the Reunification Express and you can string together stops here and in Danang, linking up two of the country’s top surf destinations in a single trip.
Just don’t expect trains to be fast – it’s 6.5 hours to here from Ho Chi Minh City.
Nha Trang surf spots
There are a couple of named spots in and around Nha Trang. The best known is probably the beach of Bai Dai (around 40 mins’ drive to the south), but there are city reef breaks and beach breaks too.
The good news is that all of them are easy to move between and most of the surf schools in town will offer transport from the city to the spot that’s working best on any given day.
Hon Chong
Hon Chong is a little bump of reef and sand just to north of the mouth of the Cai River. It’s arguably the single best surf zone in the whole city, because it offers a beach break on the inside (great for beginners) and then a series of take-offs on a reef just outside.
The beach break isn’t much to write home about – it’s great for practicing first pop ups and whatnot. But the reef here can be serious quality. It’s got a few different waves on it, including a fast, pitching left that likes a bit of size, and a right that’s a bit mellower.
You can also look a few 100 meters further north up Hon Chong beach to see another right hander reef that gives some of the longest rides in town.
Nha Trang Beach
Nha Trang Beach is a whopper. It runs for over four miles from end to end, fringing the entire city along Tran Phu Street, the main promenade. It’s a medley of big condo buildings and high-rises from top to bottom, with sunbeds and parks and sailing clubs its whole length.
It’s not common but there is a chance you’ll find a wave here. What’s needed is a strong NE windswell or a E typhoon swell, which tend to bring small windows of better conditions.
There’s not a massive tide difference but the beach does have a steeper drop off than, say, China Beach in Danang. The sets will suffer from that, because they’ll often roll right over the deep-water section and closeout on the shore. Low tide is a better bet, when you can get sucky peaks forming off hidden sandbars.
Look – it’s not going to be the best surf you’ve ever had, but it can be decent for learners and groms on the main urban beach.
Swells are usually smaller than in neighbouring Bai Dai (see below) because of the tempering effect of the Vinh Pearl Islands.
Bai Dai (Long Beach)
Beautiful Bai Dai is one headland over from the heart and heat and hubbub of Nha Trang. It’s not that close, though – you’re looking at 30-45 minutes’ drive to get from your hotel in the city to the beach.
Anyway, Bai Dai is a long, sloping, white-sand beach that’s now unfortunately got a backing of huge resorts that aren’t the prettiest but are pretty luxury.
The waves here can run from 2-foot ankle lickers to shoulder-high walls on the strongest E typhoon swells. Give them a nice W wind, which is direct offshore, and you’ll be surprised at how glassy it can stay here for long sessions.
It’s never ultra-busy and the beach is lovely.
When to surf in Nha Trang?
The best time to surf in Nha Trang is during the European and North American winter, between November and March.
That’s known as the northeast monsoon period here, and it brings the strongest windswells through the South China Sea to bear on the beaches of South Vietnam. Drier weather tends to come through this corner of the country from January onwards, which means you’re better off waiting for the second half of the surf season if you’re not big on tropical rain.
Surf schools in Nha Trang
Get in touch with the guys down at Nha Trang Local Surf. They’ve got a base really close to Hon Chong beach, where you can surf more advanced reefs and beginner beach breaks in the same 200-meter stretch. It’s a great location for a surf school.
These guys have also gone and gotten 5-star ratings on Google with over 220 reviews and counting – so they’ve gotta’ be doing something right.
They do a whole bunch of different surf packages aimed at different types of surfers. Total beginners can get 1-on-1 training or join 3-hour group lessons. More advanced surfers can sign up for surf guiding, which is about tracking down the secret spots around the city.
They also offer board rental for like $10/hour.
Where to stay when surfing in Nha Trang?
Two options:
- One: Stay in Nha Trang city and surf the main beach, praying you get lucky and get a decent enough swell for the main beach to work OR book onto surf lessons and travel south to Bai Dai to do your surfing.
- Two: Stay in Bai Dai. This is the more boring option because Bai Dai is really only good for lazing around in resorts. If that’s you then go for it. We prefer the energy of Nha Trang, which has a cranking nightlife BTW.
Here are some of our top hotel recs in both places…
- HANZ Panorama Condo Hotel – Right on the main city beach of Nha Trang, HANZ condos are super plush and fancy. You can start the day with a swim in the wrap-around 180-pool on the rooftop watching the waves roll in.
- The Anam Cam Ranh – If you’re going to stay in Bai Dai then you may as well get some luxury. The 5-star Anam Cam Ranh does that and more, with its beautiful villa-style rooms and Bali-esque pool. Also, it’s a five-star hotel for like $150 a night. What could be wrong?
- FUSE Hostel – Our all-time fav hostel in Nha Trang is a bargain dream. You get a rooftop pool and yoga area, regular events like pub crawls, a co-working area, and some pretty comfy privates and dorms.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
