Newbies Kitesurfing in Mui Ne

Mui Ne is a very popular windsurfing and kitesurfing destination in Asia due to its windy beaches. Although we hadn't initially planned to try out kitesurfing when we made the decision to head to Mui Ne, our guesthouse's owner, Ken had recommended we give it a go and introduced us to one of the instructors, Basti, from the Windchimes Kiting school. He was staying in the room next to ours and invited us to try out kiting the next morning. 

Gallery of kites

Being the keen beginners we were, we dashed for a quick breakfast and eagerly walked to the beach to meet our instructors. Windchimes has instructors from all over the world. They are able to teach you in Vietnamese, English, Russian, French, German, Polish and Lithuanian! We shared an English speaking instructor for our land lessons as group lessons were cheaper. For about 2 hours, we learned how to control the smaller training kite on land. These kites were deceptively powerful in the wind and could easily pull you away. Luckily, we were wearing harnesses and helmets for protection. When the instructor can see your kite control technique is at a good enough level, they'll switch the training kite to a full size kite. The key to controlling the kite is to make smooth infinity figures with the bar. The bar is similar to a bike handle and the way for you to turn the kite is much the same. Most beginners however will try to turn the bar like a stirring wheel which will hinder your control of the kite.

Land Lessons

 

The issue is that we could only learn for as long as there's wind. The instructor was nice enough to take off 30mins from the paid period because there was not enough wind for us to learn properly. The 30mins was mainly used to learn about safety and separating from the kite when in the water.

The next day we were doing water lessons. Oh my god! This was such a thrill! I wasn't very good but the feeling when my 10m kite caught the wind and lifted me into the sky was exhilarating. This was without a board and is for you to get used to being in the water with the bigger kite. Again, you'll have a helmet, a buoyant vest and harness for safety and the instructor will be strapped onto you.

I didn't get to try kiting with the board but Stefan was keen to try it on our last day. He said it was much more tiring than it looks!

Stefan with the board

Break time!

We felt quite at home with the Windchimes crew. Everyone was friendly and even invited us to dinner after training. I can definitely say that any kiting beginner will feel at ease with their friendly instructors and chilled atmosphere. We have developed a keen taste for kiting now and hope to improve from novice level skill the next time we head to Mui Ne.

The lovely Audrius from Lithuania

Local Xuan hiding his incredible six pack

Last notes

- wear loads of sunscreen

- remember to turn the bar like a bike, not like a car's steering wheel

- don't be scared of the kite pulling you too far

- have fun trying out this exciting water sport!

Thanks for reading,

Jo

Chill