Phu Quoc is not a big water-sports destination in the way Mui Ne or Bali are — the winds are light and most visitors come to swim and snorkel — but almost everything is on offer somewhere: jet skis and parasailing on the busier beaches, sea walking and banana boats on island tours, free kayaks and paddleboards at many resorts, sailing lessons, catamaran cruises and, in the right months, kitesurfing. This guide covers where to find each, what people paid in 2025–2026, and the safety points that matter.
Safety first
On 11 July 2026 a tourist speedboat capsized in rough seas off Hon May Rut, on the way back to An Thoi from an island tour; 15 of the passengers died. In the inspection that followed, the Phu Quoc authorities said that only about 70 of the island’s more than 100 tourist speedboats held the certificate required to carry passengers, and suspended the rest (Tuổi Trẻ, 16 July 2026). Several operators paused their island tours for a time.
That does not mean you should not go out on the water, but it is worth being choosy:
- Book boat trips with an established operator — your hotel, or a company with a long review history — rather than a tout on the beach.
- Wear the life jacket, and check there is one for everyone, including children’s sizes.
- Do not go out in rough weather, whatever the operator says. If the sea looks bad from the beach, it is worse 2 km out.
- Jet skis in Vietnam must stay inside a zone marked with buoys and flags, between 60 m and 650 m from the shore (Circular 17/2018). Stay in it, keep well away from swimmers, and photograph the machine before you set off so there is no argument about damage afterwards.
- Swimming: people have drowned in big waves off Phu Quoc’s beaches in 2025 and 2026. When the red flag is up or the sea is rough, stay out.
Jet skis
Available at Sao Beach, on Long Beach (around Sunset Sanato), at Hon May Rut on island tours and at the Waterworld centre on the Vinpearl beach at Bai Dai. A 2026 price guide quotes, per jet ski for up to two people, about 800,000–900,000 dong for 10 minutes, 1–1.2 million for 15 minutes and 1.8–2 million for 30 minutes; other sources quote less, so agree the price and the time before you start. On Sao Beach, some reviewers complain about the noise and about jet skis coming close to swimmers.
Parasailing
Offered at Sao Beach, at Bai Dai and on tours that stop at Hon May Rut. A 2026 guide puts it at about 800,000–1,300,000 dong per person, single or tandem; package tours that include it sell for around US$70–110.
Sea walking
Walking on the seabed in a helmet that is fed air from the surface, with divers alongside, is sold on many island tours. Options include:
- Ngoc Hien Treasure off Rach Vem (4.9 on Google Maps from 113 reviews), combined with opening an oyster for a pearl.
- The sea-walking platforms on the southern island tours, at Hon Roi and Hon May Rut. One guide quotes 650,000–1,550,000 dong depending on the package (April 2026). Reviews of the Hon May Rut operator, Ocean Explorer (4.1 from 61), are sharply mixed: several January 2026 reviewers describe young children panicking underwater after a short briefing, and others found the walk itself very brief.
If you take children, ask about the minimum age, how they signal to come up, and how long you actually spend underwater. Some tour reviewers also felt sea walking was pushed hard as an extra on the boat.
Kayaks and paddleboards
The easiest water sport on the island, and often free. Many beach resorts lend kayaks and stand-up paddleboards to guests — reviewers mention them at, among others, JW Marriott and JM Boutique on Khem Beach, Chen Sea and Mango Bay near Ong Lang, and the small resorts at Cay Sao.
- ALOHA88 Kayak & Snorkeling Club (5.0 from 289) in the north-west rents kayaks and runs guided kayak-and-snorkel trips, including to Turtle Island and the beaches near Starfish Beach.
- The Cua Can river is the island’s best flat-water paddle; see Cua Can.
- Calm days only. Paddle along the shore in the morning, before the wind picks up, and keep clear of boat lanes.
ALOHA88 Kayak & Snorkeling Club. Photo: ALOHA88, via Google Maps
Sailing and catamaran cruises
- Viet Sail Phu Quoc (5.0 from 122) — sailing lessons, small-catamaran rentals and short sailing and snorkelling trips in the north-west. Reviewers praise the instructor; one family found the price high for what they got.
- Catamaran cruises — VegaYachts (5.0 from 1,812), based in Sunset Town, runs day and evening catamaran trips with swimming, snorkelling, paddleboards and a party atmosphere; Catamaran VN (5.0 from 136) and Marmoris Yachting (5.0 from 135) offer private charters with lunch, snorkelling and fishing.
Wakeboarding, flying and kitesurfing
- Wakeboarding and parasailing at the Waterworld watersports club on the Vinpearl beach at Bai Dai (4.7 from 20).
- Paramotor flights at sunset near Sunset Town (Paramotor Phu Quoc, 4.8 from 25).
- Kitesurfing: possible in the windier months, but there is no established kite school we could confirm; see kitesurfing on Phu Quoc.
For what is under the water, see snorkeling, scuba diving and freediving.
Ratings, review counts and visitor comments: Google Maps, October 2026. Prices: operator and travel sites, 2025–2026 — check before you book.
