“Sailing teaches you life”: in Kep, Coco Beach opens the season on the water

2 hours ago

4 min read

Sam Taroth had never set foot on a sailing boat. Two days at the Discovery and Sailing Center in Kep West, on a Hobie Cat and then in a kayak, left her with a sentence she is happy to repeat. From 6 to 8 November, the centre opens its doors to the public for Wind, Waves and a Beach Party, the weekend that starts the high season at Coco Beach.

*Sam at Coco Beach after her first Hobie Cat sail*

On the sand at Coco Beach, Sam adjusts her life jacket. She is smiling, but admits to a mix of excitement and nerves. “It’s my first time, and I call it a challenge,” she says. “On the internet it looks calm and easy.” Next to her, the Hobie Cat waits, its two white hulls resting on the beach.

Her instructor is Pheakdey Phang. Resident Manager of Knai Bang Chatt and Director of the Discovery and Sailing Center, he is also a qualified sailing instructor. The lesson starts with safety. “What I learned from Mr. Pheakdey is safety first,” Sam says. Life jacket, briefing, then the catamaran leaves the beach and heads out.

Following the wind instead of forcing it

At sea, it is not the speed that strikes her. It is how much the boat depends on the wind. “When we sail, we depend 100% on the wind,” she explains. “If it blows us one way, we make our own way by following it. To come back, we follow it again. If there is no wind, we cannot force our way back.”

She quickly turns it into a rule for life on land. “Sometimes there is chaos, and you can’t solve problems in a rush. You learn to think positive and let life go with the flow, the way the waves carried us.”

The next day, she changes boats. Sam goes out alone in a kayak. No crew, no instructor on board. “Once I was on the water, I saw nothing else. It was just me.” This time the lesson runs the other way. “Sometimes you have to do things on your own. You cannot depend on anybody else. You focus on your goal, you use your own energy and your own thoughts, and you push to make your way back home.”

“Every activity teaches us life, in so many different situations,” she adds. “That’s what I love about being here.” Her line, “sailing teaches you life”, is now the motto of Kep West’s campaign for the event.

*Sam talks about her two days on the water*

The Discovery and Sailing Center, a sea school in Kep

Set on the shore at Kep West, the centre runs sailing courses for children and adults, kayak outings and boat rentals. The fleet includes Optimists, the small dinghies built for children, as well as Hobie Cats and Fusions. Kayak trips head into the mangroves along the Kep coast.

On Saturday 7 November, the centre opens its doors to everyone. It is the heart of Wind, Waves and a Beach Party, three days split between the beach and the water.

*Sam before setting off, next to her instructor, on the beach at the Discovery and Sailing Center*

Friday 6 November: cinema on the sand

The weekend starts on Friday evening at Coco Beach. The campfire is lit from 18:00 and the bar opens. At 19:00, a screen goes up on the beach for an open-air screening. After the film, guests stay by the fire for one more drink. The organisers suggest bringing a blanket.

Saturday 7 November: doors open, sails up

Check-in starts at 08:30, with life jackets and a safety briefing. Every child receives a sailor’s passport. From 09:00 to 11:30 there are three options. Children aged 6 to 12 take the tiller of their own Optimist, with a qualified instructor close by. Adults take a sailing course followed by a sail along Coco Beach. Those who prefer a paddle join a guided kayak tour into the mangroves. No experience is needed.

Lunch is served at The Wave, facing the sea, from 12:00 to 13:30. From 14:00 to 16:30, a second Optimist session welcomes children who arrive later from Phnom Penh, while parents sail or paddle in turn. All day, workshops wait for the youngest: sailing knots, reading the wind, mangrove crabs and the parts of a boat. Each workshop earns a stamp in the passport.

Experienced sailors are not forgotten. From 08:30 to 17:00, Hobie Cats and Fusions are available free of charge against a deposit, in one- or two-hour slots booked in advance.

Coco Beach lights up

At 17:15, the instructors sail past the beach. At 17:30, Coco Beach officially opens its new season. Entry is free. Sunset cocktails, a BBQ with finger food from 18:00 (USD 25 per person) and a live band until late.

Sunday 8 November: half-price rentals

For those who stay, every rental at the Discovery and Sailing Center is half price all day. Time for one last sail before the drive home. Monday 9 November, Independence Day, is a public holiday, so many families can stretch the stay to Monday.

Prices and bookings

The Saturday adult package costs USD 30, covering the activities at the Discovery and Sailing Center and lunch at The Wave. The child ticket (under 12) is USD 15 and includes an Optimist session, the workshops, the sailor’s passport and lunch. A family of two adults and two children therefore spends USD 90 for the day on the water, lunch included. Places in the Optimists, kayaks and rental slots are limited.