When is the best time to come? What are the surf seasons?
There are essentially two surf seasons in Hainan - the fall and winter season, which brings Northeast swells, and the summer season, which brings south swells. The fall and winter season, from November until April, offers the best surf, with the best months being November until January. During this season, northeast swells arrive at Hainan's east-facing beaches. The south swells of summer, from May until September, bring waves to south-facing Sanya, meaning we can surf right out in front of our shop in Dadonghai. Summer is not as consistent or as big as in the winter season. In addition to these two seasons, Hainan gets surf from an average of four or five typhoon swells. Typhoon season in the South China Sea lasts from May until November.
How much are surf lessons?
Please read about our surf lessons here.
How long does it take to learn how to surf?
95% of our customers are riding waves on the first day. Of course, this is only one part of surfing. Like a lot of other sports, surfing is a complex sport that can take many years to a lifetime to master. But surfing is extremely fun, even on the first day.
What is the weather like?
Summer can be very hot and humid. Temperatures from July to September average about 35℃/95℉ to 38℃/100℉. The ocean breeze helps out a bit. The south of the island tends to have better weather than the north. Sanya is generally always sunny, while Haikou can be a bit overcast. Fall and spring are the most comfortable. Winter can get down to around 15℃/60℉, feeling even colder if it is windy. Full wetsuits are needed in the winter.
Where should I stay?
The whole range of accommodation is available here, from budget hostels to 5 star resorts. There are three main areas in Sanya - Dadonghai, Yalong Bay, and Sanya Bay. Dadonghai, where Surfing Hainan is located, is the best option for reasonably-priced hotels, and has a great selection of restaurants and bars. Yalong Bay is exclusively five-star resorts. Good for a posh weekend, but not much else happening. Sanya Bay is a long stretch of beach with a lot of hotels and restaurants, but is pretty dull. Expect higher rates in all areas during the peak winter season, especially over China's national holidays.
How do I get there?
One can get to Sanya by plane, bus, or train. Sanya's airport is about twenty minutes from downtown, at a 50 RMB taxi ride. There are direct flights to Sanya from most Chinese cities as well as a few international departures.
There are long distant buses from Guangzhou, which take about 12 hours and costs around 200 RMB. Buses between Haikou and Sanya leave every twenty minutes, take about three hours, and cost 80 RMB.
There are daily trains to Sanya from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong. These trains are loaded onto ships and taken across the straight from Guangdong and Haikou.
What is there to do?
Outside of surfing, Hainan offers a lot of outdoor activities. The island itself is really quite beautiful, and there are a lot of places to explore. Caves, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, hot springs, etc. Of course, tanning on the beach can be quite fun too.
Sanya has a few good bars and restaurants, although the nightlife leaves a little bit to be desired. As Sanya continues to grow, we will surely see more bars and clubs opening. There are a few Western restaurants, including Dolphin Bar, Reef Bar, and Marco Polo. The boardwalk in Dadonghai has a bunch of restaurants where one can have a few pints and enjoy the ocean view.
Who can I contact for press inquiries?
Please use the contact page to get in touch, and we will send you our press release.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
