Guide to Wake Surf and Wakeboarding in HONG KONG

*Disclaimer: This is a beginner’s perspective and guide to wake surfing and wakeboarding! So if you are entry-level just like me, this would be a great guide for you. 

—————————————————————-

A great advantage of Hong Kong is its accessibility to numerous water sports activities. And due to its warm weather 10 months out of the entire year, it’s pretty fair to say that you can pretty much do water sports or water related leisure activities all year round. 

I picked up wake surfing and wakeboarding after some friends invited me to join them last summer. And I enjoyed it so much that I’ve been going pretty consistently since! Here’s what to expect when you wake surf or wakeboard in Hong Kong. 

Views on views when you wake surf or wakeboard in Sai Kung, Hong Kong!

Wake surf vs. Wakeboard - which one should I do? What’s the difference? 

• Attachment of the feet to the board. The main difference between wake surf and wakeboard is the attachment of the feet to the board. Wake surf uses a shorter surfboard where the feet are freestanding whereas wakeboard resembles more of a snowboard in which both feet are bound to the boots. 

• Type of speed boats used. Because wake surfing is more dependent upon the waves to allow the action of surfing to occur, the boat used is slightly different and from what I hear, requires more horsepower (don’t quote me on this). 

Where to Wake surf and Wakeboard in Hong Kong? 

The two major locations to wake surf and wakeboard are Sai Kung and Taipo with Sai Kung being the more popular one due to its large pier and close proximity to the open waters. I have only tried the waters near Sai Kung but have also heard great things about Taipo! From what I hear, the waters near Taipo are calmer compared to Sai Kung, which makes it easier to wake surf, especially so you don’t get bumped out by the waves. 

Getting ready to wake surf in Sai Kung, Hong Kong

Who or How to Book?

There are many official and unofficial vendors and operators for wake surfing and wakeboarding. To be honest, my friends always booked it for me so I just went along for the fun. Below are a few that I’ve heard good things from: 

• HK Wake School

• Holimood 

• Wakesurfinghk

*Tip: While many of the local drivers and coaches offer more competitive pricing, not all of them speak English. Hence, be mindful when you book! You may be saving some money but unless you have a Cantonese speaker among your friends, it might be a bit complicated!

Pricing

The price comes not only with the surfboard or wakeboard, but also life jackets and sometimes even wetsuit jackets. The driver will also simultaneously be your coach and will provide personalized coaching tips to teach you how to wake surf or wakeboard. 

Generally, wake surf is more expensive than wakeboard since there’s more horsepower, hence gasoline required to run the boat at a certain speed to generate the wave. Most boats charge prices by the hour with a minimum booking of 3 hours per session. You can share the boat with a group of friends, I recommend going with 4 people total so each person can get enough time to do a few nice runs. 

*Tip: depending on your familiarity with the coach and operator as well as your haggling skills, prices can vary tremendously! Below is a range of what I paid as well as quotes given to me by different coaches and operators. 

• Wake surfing - $500 HKD - $1,500 HKD per hour for the entire boat (5 pax)

• Wakeboarding - $350 HKD - $1,100 HKD per hour for the entire boat (5 pax)

Other Things to Note

• What to wear. I always wear my one piece to avoid my bathing suit flying off when I land in the water. If you get easily tanned and don’t want to be as tanned or get cold easily, I recommend wearing a wetsuit jacket. 

• Be mindful of the surfboard when you fall. This one is super important! Be sure to hold your head when you fall in the water and be mindful of your surroundings! I got hit by the board after falling in the water once and ended up having a huge gash near my eyebrow. This does not happen often but it doesn’t mean it won’t happen because it happened to me, so be careful! 

Happy surfing and boarding! xoxo