The what and where for the best water sports on Lantau Island.
With spring very much in the air, it's time to get out on the water and try some of these exhilarating water sports.
SUP - Stand Up Paddling.
You've probably seen more and more SUPers out and about around Lantau waters. The sport is gaining popularity for various reasons, not least the health benefits.
Exercise the whole body - especially good for core strength which assists with lower back pain
Reduce stress - hard to think about anything else when you're standing on an inflatable ironing board
Great recovery exercise after injury - low intensity workout
Good for cardiovascular health - Give the lungs a workout as well as your core
Where to do it?
Treasure Island Beach Club in Pui O offers SUP rental and also lessons if you want to build confidence. Click here to view prices and book.
Surfing
It's fair to say we've all dreamed of hanging ten and ripping it out of a pipe as the wave crashes down behind us. I've seen Point Break and listened to The Beach Boys so I have a full understanding of these things. Saying that, my only exposure to surfing was in the chilly waters off the coast of North Wales, UK. My gentleman vegetables still haven't descended after that frigid afternoon.
This spring/ summer I've decided to try again and I'll probably be trying it at HKSL on Lower Cheung Sha beach on South Lantau. Why? The water is warmer than North Wales, it's relatively clean compared to some parts of Hong Kong and I've heard good things about the instructors. The waves aren't as big as Big Wave Bay or Tai Long Wan in Sai Kung though, and tend to be bigger in the summer months so if you're looking for bigger swell now, you'll have to go a little further afield.
Kite Surfing
After having watched an amazing video of a guy jumping over Worthing Pier on a kite board, I thought I'd give it a go too. Not pier jumping, but kite boarding. I headed to see Davy at the Hong Kong Kite Boarding School at Shui Hau for an hour's tuition. Sadly when I visited the conditions weren't optimal but I'll be back to give it another go. They also offer foiling, wing surfing and other new and exciting ways to injure yourself!
Wake Boarding/ Wake Surfing
If you've ever got the Ngong Ping cable car and looked down into Tung Chung Bay, chances are you seen Wakeaholic pulling someone behind their specially designed boat, either by rope - wake skiing - or surfing the boat's white swell - wake surfing. The boat rides on weekends in the summer and you get on at the Tung Chung Ferry pier. Costs depends on length of rental.
Kayak Rental
On the topic of the Tung Chung Bay, it's one of the most interesting and mostly unmolested stretches of water in Hong Kong and is home to rare marine life, like the wonderful horseshoe crab - which technically isn't a crab at all. I'd love to find kayak rental there but they all seem to have closed down.
Thanks to a member of the Tung Chung Tower Community Facebook page I found a chap called Sky that rents out single seater and triple seater kayaks in the waters near Pak Mong village. Hong Kong being Hong Kong, it's not exactly scenic as you enter the water as you can see from the below video, but once you get out on the water it's really beautiful. Whatsapp 96613088 or 97921680 and they'll set you up with either a single or double kayak for the afternoon. They don't seem to rent by the hour, and a triple kayak is $300 for the whole day.
Don't forget:
A personal flotation device is essential
Suntan lotion
Bring plenty of water / wine
Bring food as it's hungry work
Take all your rubbish home - leave without a trace
Charge your phone battery and store it in a waterproof bag around your neck for emergencies, and to catch an awesome shot of you nailing the surf / falling in
Ideally bring water shoes too as the shoreline isn't very clean
Go to the toilet before you get out on the water