My first surf trip to Taitung

[waikikikichan]

I will be surfing in Taitung, Taiwan this weekend. If anyone from this forum will be there, I would really like to surf with you.

[Big H]

Please take some pictures....after hearing about it for the first time here from those who have surfed there, my interest is piqued. Have fun!

[BaNZ]

This is taken from FB photos of Taitung surf hostel today. The weather is around 30C today.

wkkk, my guess is that there won't be much people here from Taitung. The surf spot (Donghe) is in a very remote region of Taiwan and IMO, it is the best surf spot in Taiwan. There isn't much food around Donghe, there's less than a handful of food shops and only one 7-11 on that street. Make sure you eat Donghe Baozhi every morning. The seafood at Cheng Gong Harbour is mediocre unless you have the locals showing you where to go. Nonetheless, it is very cheap.

I would definitely suggest you to visit Dulan and there are some very nice Vietnamese food there and the view from the mountain is just amazing. There are lots of expats and artists living there.. Do drop me a pm if you need help on where to go. I will most likely be there at the end of December.

And most of all.. I'm assuming you're getting ready for the competition next week. Good luck in that!

[waikikikichan]

Banz, Thanks for the well wishes, but I won't be there for the contest. We are actually staying in that surf hostel "5 Surf".

[jaffa1949]

If it fits together with swell look for this spot.

Not far from Taidong = taitung and a few other spelling English trying to cope with Chinese pronunciation. Hope you get Bashien Dong near the cave of the Five Fairies a really neat left hander.

[BaNZ]

wkkk, I know you're not Japanese but there is a popular Japanese owner hostel over there. Called Low Pressure Surf. You can pop around, I bet you will find people that you know from Japan. AFAIK there is 3-4 surf hostel there. All on the same street. Taitung Surf Shop(aka 5 Surf). Donghe Surf Hostel and Low Pressure surf. There's also now Screw hotel. I've never stayed at the 5 surf but I heard it isn't that clean compared to the hostels. However you would be glad to know that it has the best atmosphere and environment. On weekends when I walk pass it, I smell the Aboriginal BBQ that they have. All the drunk surfers and hot bikini girls sitting out there enjoying their BBQ.

Maybe Uncle Jaffa only met 5 fairies there but there are actually 8. Ba = Eight, Shien = Fairies and Dong = cave/hole
http://magicseaweed.com/Bashien-Dong-Surf-Guide/3450/
You only get good waves on the right swell and then the rips are insane. I took one good look of it and how far the line up is and I gave up. Yes Jaffa is right, the waves is very good and for real hardcore surfers. It takes around an hour by car.

Make sure you rent a car while you're there. There's no public transport.

And of course not to forget, the best barrel in Taiwan is at Cheng Gong Harbour. Looking at the forecast, you might be lucky enough to surf there. Watch out for the sharp coral and reef. I would suggest to bring reef boots if you're going there.

[jaffa1949]

Oops three of the fairies were elsewhere, I think they left with some of Taiwan's original inhabitants who traveled the Pacific and were the earliest Polynesians. There are villages of people who have Polynesian culture on the east coast worth a visit!

I find the cultural migrations of mankind fascinating

[BaNZ]

Wkkk, any photos to show off? I want to hear what you think of Taitung.

[dtc]

I'll jump in for waikikichan...

http://alohaki.jugem.jp/?eid=547

[waikikikichan]

Taitung was very much like Hawaii..... Old Hawaii. More relaxed and rustic. Surf wise, I only surfed at the harbor next to the Jinzun contest site. It had a wide take off, so you could go left or right. Get up to your feet and weave once or twice before making a bottom turn around the curtain. There was a out, middle and inside section. The shortboarder only could get on inside. 2 days there were some UK surfers on funboards.

The Taitung Locals are cool and have good manners. The visiting surfers from Taipei, were a little more "hungry" and paddled in front of you.

There was one day it 3-4 feet and only me and my wife outside. Light off-shore wind , 28 degree warm weather.

The next day after we left, the forecast showed monster waves. Check out this site. It has my surftrip shortboard friends surfing the same place. Totally different wave then.

http://www.colors-magazine.com/?p=163235