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Dark Reef, Viet Nam

Stay in Nha Trang: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Nha Trang

Watch this spot We email you when Dark Reef is worth the trip.

About Dark Reef

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces E (94°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (274°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 700 m out (1 in 71). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 25°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Nha Trang, 9.6 km away (about 20 min by car).

Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 26 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to CXR, changing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).

    See flights ORD → CXR · Skyscanner from about £765 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 40 min from the airport to Dark Reef.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Nha TrangAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Nha Trang · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Nha Trang · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Dark Reef on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Dark Reef does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct61 ft5 smushy8kJ29°C
Mon 19Oct51 ft4 smushy4kJ29°C
Tue 20Oct51 ft5 smushy6kJ28°C
Wed 21Oct41 ft5 smushy4kJ30°C
Thu 22Oct51 ft4 smushy5kJ30°C
Fri 23Oct102 ft4 smushy11kJ30°C
Sat 24Oct263 ft12 ssoft288kJ29°C
Sun 25Oct122 ft11 ssoft116kJ30°C
Mon 26Oct21 ft7 smushy4kJ30°C
Tue 27Oct31 ft3 smushy1kJ29°C
Wed 28Oct0––––

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to CXR, changing at HKG, then 40 min by road. About 26h door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 3 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to CXR, changing at HKG, then 40 min by road. About 26h door to door

The trip from Nha Trang, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,215–£2,385 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to CXR, estimated from distance and season, changing at HKG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£765–£1,590
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£30–£55
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£165–£280
Food7 days eating out£155–£290
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£65–£105
Total£1,215–£2,385

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Nha Trang

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.