Map › Hainan - Houhai/Sanya › Houhai (Haitang Bay)
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Houhai (Haitang Bay)
Houhai is a small fishing village on a promontory within Haitang Bay near Sanya, with breaks working on both sides depending on wind direction - Hainan's main combined surf-and-kite scene. Haitang Bay itself stretches roughly 20km with just a couple of fishing villages around it, open enough for wind and swell to build a real beach break that can go big during typhoon season.
wavesintermediateadvanced
Wind
| best months |
|
|---|---|
| season notes | Best in the NE winter-monsoon window; E/NE/N winds work the northern beach. |
| avg knots | 15-25 |
| wind name | NE/E winter monsoon |
| direction to shore | cross-shore, varies with which side of the promontory is working |
| quality | gusty/thermal, chop and small-to-moderate waves |
| typical kite sizes | 9-12m |
Water
| type | chop/waves |
|---|---|
| temp summer c | 29 |
| temp winter c | 21 |
| wetsuit | boardshorts most of season, light wetsuit possible in winter |
Levels
| beginner | no |
|---|---|
| intermediate | yes |
| advanced | yes |
| notes | Wave and chop conditions plus old-pier obstacles favour intermediate/advanced riders over beginners. |
Launch & crowd
| description | Sandy beach launch; the southern end of Haitang Bay has the only paved road in, with a car park by the pier used for ferries to Wuzhizhou Island. |
|---|---|
| busy months |
|
| vibe | remote fishing-village atmosphere with a mountainous backdrop; Hainan's main surf-and-kite hangout |
Monthly wind statistics
Station: Sanya, Hainan (WeatherSpark (modeled climatology, MERRA-2 reanalysis), ~45 km) — No windfinder page exists specifically for Houhai/Haitang Bay and windfinder's Sanya-area pages were unreachable (429 rate limit) all session. Used WeatherSpark's modeled climatology for Sanya (downtown, west side of the peninsula) as the nearest dataset windfinder/weatherspark index, but Haitang Bay sits on the opposite (east) side of the Sanya peninsula, roughly 40-50 km away by road/coast -- this is a genuinely distant proxy and the NE-monsoon exposure at Haitang Bay (open to the open South China Sea) is generally considered stronger and more consistent than sheltered downtown Sanya, so treat these speeds as a likely floor, not a ceiling. Direction and Oct-Mar seasonality otherwise match the batch's known-best window.
| Month | Wind ≥4 Bft | Avg kn | Dir | Air °C | Water °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | —% | 8.1 | E | 22.2 | 23.3 |
| Feb | —% | 7.5 | E | 22.8 | 22.8 |
| Mar | —% | 7.3 | E | 25 | 23.9 |
| Apr | —% | 7 | S | 27.2 | 26.1 |
| May | —% | 6.4 | S | 28.3 | 28.3 |
| Jun | —% | 6.7 | S | 28.9 | 28.9 |
| Jul | —% | 6.7 | S | 28.3 | 28.9 |
| Aug | —% | 6.3 | S | 28.3 | 28.9 |
| Sep | —% | 6.5 | E | 27.8 | 28.3 |
| Oct | —% | 8.4 | E | 26.7 | 27.8 |
| Nov | —% | 9.3 | E | 25 | 26.1 |
| Dec | —% | 9.1 | E | 22.8 | 25 |
Hazards
- old piers and other obstacles in the water - ask locals before your first session
- surf can build significantly during typhoon swell
- basic facilities/limited services in the village
Rules
- no special local rules beyond standard right-of-way kiteboarder etiquette
Tips
- ask local kiters about submerged obstacles like old piers before your first session
- combine with a Wuzhizhou Island day trip for diving/kayaking/golf
Travel basics
| airport | SYX - Sanya Phoenix International Airport (closest); Haikou Meilan (HAK) is roughly 230km away |
|---|---|
| getting there | taxi/transfer from Sanya |
| accommodation | local guesthouses in Houhai village, or upscale hotels (e.g. Westin) in Haitang Bay proper |
| cost level | budget to high depending on where you stay |
| no wind | Wuzhizhou Island diving, kayaking, golf, seafood and bonfire nights |
Nearby: Yalong Bay, Wuzhizhou Island
Sources: adventuresportsholidays.com · awe365.com · travelchinaguide.com