Since the rain season was living up to its name for most of my stay to come, I decided to skip the islands and go straight to Hengchun/Kenting for a little scuba and surf adventure. Given that it was about to get wet anyways, I could as well get the full experience and hop in the water. Four days of tropical fish and surfing with butterflies surrounding me was just the right thing to forget about the wet season for a bit.
Scuba Diving in Taiwan
Taiwan is still not very well-known for scuba and surf experiences for western tourists, but I managed to find a nice hostel in Hengchun called Wonder Ocean Dive, which offered scuba tours for a reasonable price. I chose that hostel because I was looking for trustworthy people to go scuba diving with. If you just want to go to Kenting for surfing and beach holidays I would recommend to choose a hostel directly in Kenting as Wonder Ocean Dive Hostel is a bit far from the beach. Especially when the weather is unstable it can be difficult to get there and Hengchun is not known for its party life. It might also be easier to find international travellers in Kenting. Another option for a pure surf trip is Rainbow Wave Hostel in Hengchun. They partner with Jialeshuei Surf Club.
I could not have been happier though because Rene and Sarah are both excellent dive buddies and speak English very well. On my first two dives the visibility was quite bad due to the rain and tons of scuba learners around who still could not balance well under water. Despite the visibility issues, Sarah managed to show me nudibranchs and a stonefish which I would have definitely missed without her, among other things. I brought all my equipment along but from what I could see their rental equipment is in excellent condition, something worth noticing as I remember from the days when I still rented equipment myself.
They also partner with an excellent dive school and organised a boat trip with a very good, english-speaking dive guide. My one day on a boat with two dives included was a nice retreat. The first one was a bit difficult due to a “slight” current, as the instructor pointed out. The slight current nearly ripped my arm off while I was trying to descend holding on the rope. I should have just quickly gone down to the ground and wait for the dive guide, but was not smart enough at the time. When I finally got to the reef I was already 50 bar down in the first four minutes of the dive. Well done. I checked for the dive guide, who was easy to spot. He was the one standing in the current like a rock while everyone else, including myself, was just trying to hold their shit together. I finally found a protected spot and relaxed a little.
The visibility was a bit better than the day before, but still not the best I ever dove in. I think during dry season it must be amazingly beautiful to dive here. The sites are relatively easy to reach and dive and it’s still not very well-known, meaning you do not have many other divers around. I only saw two other boats and we were the only one at the two dive sites they chose for the day. The water offers everything a diver could wish for. Batfish, Stonefish, Stingrays, Nudibranchs, tons and tons of Christmas Tree Worms, Trumpetfish, and of course little Nemos and other tropical reef fish; and that is just what I saw in bad visibility.
Cost for Scuba Diving in Taiwan
Prices might vary but I paid the following:
- Shore Dive: 1500 TWD two dives excluding equipment
- Boat Dive: 2500 TWD two dives excluding equipment
- Accommodation: 430-500 TWD depending on the room at Ocean Dive Hostel. Sarah’s excellent breakfast cooking skills are included, so are coffee/tea/hot chocolate/drinking water throughout the day
Surfing in Taiwan
Taiwan is one of the few spots in the world where you can go scuba diving and surfing in one holiday, perfect for water sport enthusiasts like me. After spending five days surfing in Portugal last year I got hooked a little and was pleasantly surprised that surfing is possible in Taiwan.
Since I am far away from being anything more than a complete beginner, I booked a course with Afei Surf Hostel for my first day and Rainbow Wave Hostel for my second day. Both organised an English-speaking instructor for me and with Rainbow Wave, I even got kind of a private lesson when they found out it was not my first time on a board. My teacher showed me how to get through the waves with the board and how to turn it quickly to catch them after. He explained how the waves break and where I want to catch them. Afterwards I knew the theory, but did a horrible job in trying to practice it. I did catch a few by myself though, but often enough I was too scared to get up as they were a little too strong for my scaredy-cat self.
Both schools did a great job in safety and accommodating everyone’s level, but personally, I enjoyed my time with Rainbow Wave a little more. I found the boards in a bit better condition and the beach was more beautiful. They let the beginners get used to handling their boards in a very quite area with no waves at all, which I find quite nice if you’ve never been on a board before. They still help you to catch the waves but try to encourage you to do as much as possible on your own. My only problem was that I completely underestimated the waves and just wore my bikini with a long sleeve polyester shirt. Beginners, do not do that unless you are ok with losing your pants every time a wave hits you and trying to pull them back up while still looking somewhat decent and classy. You will not manage.
But on my last wave, something beautiful happened. I was pretty far from the shore in a somewhat calm water and able to just sit and relax on the board. Suddenly I noticed that after five days of constant rain and clouds, the sky finally cleared. I saw some blue sky and the sun making her way out through thick, white clouds. It tinted the green, huge mountains behind the shore in an amazing light and was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in a while. Once you have seen that you really get the beauty of Taiwan. I could have stayed there forever to watch the scene, but after a few minutes a wave came from the back that I needed to take, otherwise it would have taken me. I even managed to get up and let it take me all the way to the beach. Best way to end my Taiwanese beach adventure.
Cost for Surfing in Taiwan
Both surf courses cost the same:
- Surf Course (roughly three hours with 1 1/2 hours of surfing, board included): 1500 TWD
- Board Rental for 1/2 day: 500 TWD at Afei Hostel
