Vung Tau - Back Beach

Vũng Tàu – Back Beach (Bãi Sau), Vietnam

Back Beach is the main surfable beach in Vũng Tàu, a coastal city south of Ho Chi Minh City. It’s one of the more accessible surf spots in southern Vietnam and is popular with beginners and intermediate surfers when conditions line up.

What it’s like

• Beach break with shifting sandbars
• Usually offers softer, more forgiving waves than reef or point breaks
• Can be messy and inconsistent at times due to wind and local conditions
• Best when a solid swell reaches the coast and the wind stays light/offshore

Best conditions

• Season: generally best during the swell season / monsoon period when larger groundswell hits the south coast
• Wind: early morning is often best before sea breeze picks up
• Tide: often works best around mid tide, but this can vary with sandbar setup

Wave quality

• Wave shape can range from fun, chest-high peelers to closeouts if the sandbars aren’t lined up
• More reliable for learning, longboarding, and casual sessions than for high-performance surfing
• On good days, it can still produce fun, rideable waves with decent size

Crowd and vibe

• Can get busy with local surfers, learners, and beachgoers
• The atmosphere is generally relaxed, with a mix of surf schools and casual surf traffic
• Because it’s near a city, the beach can feel more urban and lively than remote surf destinations

Things to know

• Conditions can change quickly with wind, tides, and sand movement
• After heavy rain or storms, water quality may be affected
• Beginners should watch for rips, shorebreak, and crowded takeoff zones

Ideal for

• Beginners and intermediate surfers
• Longboarders on smaller, cleaner days
• Surfers looking for an easy-access wave near Saigon