Photo: N.Đ.C via Google
The verdict
- Best forActive travellers who want jet skis, parasailing, kayaking and snorkelling boat trips over a still, lazy float
- Top pickLong Beach near Duong Dong for the widest choice of jet ski and parasail hire and easy boat departures
- One thing to knowThe island's best snorkelling and diving sits offshore in the An Thoi archipelago reached by boat, not off the main beaches
Published 23 January 2026. Last reviewed 19 March 2026
Phu Quoc is a calm water island rather than a surf or kite destination, so the watersports here are the gentle, sociable kind, jet skis and parasails off the busy western strip, kayaks on a quiet river, and the boat trips south to the clear water around the An Thoi islands. If you arrive picturing waves you will be disappointed, but if you want a varied day on flat, warm water in the dry season, the island delivers.
We have ranked the beaches below for the range and ease of the water action rather than the look of the sand. Established hire on the beach, easy boat departures, calm shallow water for beginners, and access to the offshore snorkelling that is the real draw. The western and southern strips carry the powered toys and the boat trips, the northwest rivers suit a quiet paddle, and the genuinely good underwater scenery lives out at the southern islands.
If you take one line from this page, take this one. For jet skis, parasailing and easy boat trips base yourself on Long Beach, for the best snorkelling and diving take a boat to the An Thoi archipelago in the south rather than expecting it off any single beach, and read the season, because the dry months are flat and clear while the summer monsoon shuts much of the west coast water down.
The beaches for a day on the water
Range of activity and easy access first, scenery second.
Long Beach
The practical hub for water activity, a long western strip near Duong Dong where the powered toys, the hire stands and the boat departures cluster, with resorts and services on tap. It is busier and more built up than the prettier coasts, but for jet skis, parasailing and easy access to the island's tours it is the obvious base. Specific operators and prices vary by season and are to be confirmed.
Sao Beach
The postcard south coast crescent doubles as a busy water toy beach by day, with jet skis, banana boats and parasailing running off the fine white sand once the day trips arrive. The colour and the calm shallow water are lovely, but be honest that the engines crowd the photograph by late morning, so come early for the beauty and stay later only for the toys.
Bai Dai Beach
A long west facing stretch beside the island's biggest resorts and theme parks, with calm shallow water that suits beginners and resort run water activity within easy reach of VinWonders and Grand World. The scale is firmly developed, which is the point here, and the gentle entry makes it an easy place to try a powered toy for the first time. Operators and prices are to be confirmed.
Cua Can Beach
The quiet alternative, a calm palm backed shore where the water sport is a kayak rather than a jet ski, with a gentle paddle up the Cua Can river the thing to do. It is barely developed and there is little organised hire, so bring your own plan, but for a peaceful paddle away from the engines it is the prettiest option on the island.
Khem Beach
A refined southern bay near the cable car and An Thoi, which makes it a useful base for the offshore snorkelling and diving trips to the southern islands rather than for beach hire itself. The swimming is calm and glassy, the mood manicured, and the real water draw is reaching the An Thoi archipelago by boat, where the clear water and the marine life actually are.
The honest read on watersports
Set your expectations to calm, because Phu Quoc has no reliable surf and no real kite or wind scene. The island sits in the Gulf of Thailand, so for most of the dry season the water is flat, which is perfect for jet skis, parasails and beginners but useless if you came for waves. The powered toys cluster on the busy strips and the genuinely beautiful water is offshore, so the best day here is often spent on a boat, not on the sand.
Know where the underwater scenery really is. The snorkelling and diving that Phu Quoc is known for sits around the An Thoi islands off the southern tip, reached by boat or paired with the Hon Thom cable car, not off the main beaches, where the water is gentle but plain. We never invent an operator, a price or a departure, so treat specific hire and tour details as to be confirmed and book through a reputable local operator on the day.
Conditions here are typical rather than guaranteed and we make no safety promises, so check the daily sea state, wear the life vest and choose a careful operator. The smart move is the season. Come in the dry months from November to April for flat, clear water and running boat trips, and avoid the summer southwest monsoon when the west coast chops up and much of the water activity simply stops.
A base between the water and the sand
A beach club or a resort frontage gives you somewhere to leave your things, a lounger and a meal between sessions on the water, which makes a long active day easier. The Long Beach strip carries the most hire and the liveliest setups, while the southern resorts sit closest to the An Thoi boat trips. We never invent a venue, a minimum spend or an opening status, so anything we cannot confirm is marked to be confirmed. Browse the directory and send one enquiry to check your date.
Book a beach club in Phu Quoc
Before you go
What watersports can you do in Phu Quoc?
The island suits calm water activity, jet skis, parasailing and banana boats off the western and southern strips, kayaking on the Cua Can river, and snorkelling and diving boat trips to the An Thoi islands in the south. There is no reliable surf or kite scene. The dry season from November to April is the window, and specific operators and prices are best confirmed locally.
Where is the best snorkelling in Phu Quoc?
The best snorkelling and diving is around the An Thoi archipelago off the southern tip, reached by boat or paired with the Hon Thom cable car, where the water is clearest and the marine life is. The main swimming beaches are calm but plain underwater, so book a southern island boat trip in the dry season for the genuine snorkelling, and treat operator details as to be confirmed.
Can you surf in Phu Quoc?
No, Phu Quoc has no reliable surf. The island sits in the sheltered Gulf of Thailand and the water is calm for most of the dry season, which is ideal for jet skis, parasailing and beginners but not for surfing. In the summer southwest monsoon the west coast can pick up wind driven chop, but that is rough water rather than rideable swell, so come for flat water sports.
Which beach is best for jet skiing and parasailing in Phu Quoc?
Long Beach near Duong Dong is the main hub for jet skis and parasailing, with the most hire stands and the easiest access. Bai Sao in the south also runs the powered toys by day once the day trips arrive, and Bai Dai has resort run activity on calm shallow water for beginners. Operators and prices vary by season and are to be confirmed locally.
When is the best time for watersports in Phu Quoc?
The dry season from November to April is the best time, with flat, clear water and boat trips running reliably. The summer southwest monsoon from roughly June to September chops up the west coast and shuts much of the water activity down. Within a day the water is usually calmest in the morning, which is the best time for jet skis, paddling and the offshore boat trips.