Ask most surfers to name a surf destination in China and you'll get a blank stare. That's exactly why Riyue Bay is special (our complete guide to surfing in China starts there). On Hainan's east coast, the town of Wanning sits on a stretch of the South China Sea that produces real, rideable, sometimes genuinely good ocean surf — with a PerfectSwell® wave pool sitting right on the bay for the days the ocean doesn't cooperate.
This guide covers how Hainan's two surf windows work, the kinds of waves the coast can serve up, who ocean surfing here suits, and how to build a trip where flat days simply don't exist.
This is the guide to the ocean itself — swell windows, wave types and boards. For month-by-month timing, holiday weeks and how far ahead to book, read the best time for a Hainan surf trip.
Where is Riyue Bay — and why is there surf in China?
Riyue Bay ("Sun and Moon Bay") is on the east coast of Hainan, China's tropical island province, about two hours from Haikou (HAK) and within reach of Sanya (SYX). The bay faces the open South China Sea, so when swell arrives it hits this coastline first — which is why Riyue Bay became the home of Chinese surfing, and why the world's only wave pool on a tropical island was built here, at Riyue Bay Surf Resort.
Getting here is easier than most people expect: Hainan offers 30 days visa-free entry for passport holders from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada and many other countries, with direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Haikou plus direct routes via Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Seoul. Full details in our getting here guide.
Hainan's two surf seasons
Hainan's ocean surf runs on two different clocks.
The seasonal swell window
The more dependable window tends to fall in the cooler months, when steady seasonal swell wraps into the east coast. This is when Riyue Bay does what made it famous: long, organized walls that suit longboards and mid-lengths beautifully. There are world-class longboard waves on this coast — the WSL has run competitions here.
The typhoon swell window
The second window is wilder and far less predictable: typhoon swells in the warmer part of the year. When a storm tracks through the South China Sea at the right distance and angle, the coast can light up with faster, more powerful surf better suited to experienced surfers. You can't plan a trip around it — but if you're here when it happens, you'll remember it.
What kinds of waves can you actually surf?
Hainan's natural surf isn't only for advanced surfers. Depending on conditions, the same coastline shows very different sides:
- Longboard point waves. Long, smooth, beautifully paced walls made for trim and classic lines — the waves the WSL came for.
- Family-friendly beach days. When conditions are soft and safe, there are beach setups great for kids, first-time surfers, and anyone wanting a gentle ocean session.
- Performance surf. When stronger swells arrive, faster and more powerful waves for experienced surfers.
One thing we don't do: publish exact spot names, maps, or directions to lesser-known waves. Out of respect for the coast and the local surf community, we keep the details for guests — our ocean surfing page explains why. Tell us your dates, your level, and your group, and we'll tell you what may be possible.
When the ocean goes flat
The swell forecast doesn't decide whether you surf here. The PerfectSwell® pool sits on the bay with 23 wave settings — mellow beginner rollers, performance walls, air sections, barrels — so a flat ocean day is a pool day, not a lost one.
Then, when the ocean turns on, the coast is minutes away. Pool in the morning, point break in the afternoon — or swap in a round at China's best golf courses, a Wanning food crawl, or a lazy day at a five-star resort steps from the pool.
Boards and gear for Hainan's ocean surf
Bring — or rent — for the window you're travelling in. The seasonal swell serves long, paced walls, so a longboard or mid-length gets the most out of it; a typhoon swell is faster and heavier and wants a shorter board in experienced hands. The water is warm year-round, so it's boardshorts and a rash vest, not rubber. If you'd rather not fly with a board bag, the rental quiver at the surf shop runs from performance shortboards to a longboard, and we'll match sizes to your level and dates.
If ocean surf matters to you, tell us when you book. We watch the conditions while you're here, and when a window opens we'll get you to the right kind of wave for your level — whether that's a long, forgiving wall, a soft family beach day, or something with more push. And on the days the sea goes quiet, you're not waiting around: you're surfing perfect waves in the pool, playing golf, or exploring two thousand years of island culture.
Riyue Bay surf at a glance
Every trip we run is private and tailored — surf ability, group size, ocean ambitions, extra nights. Browse more guides on the Surf China Journal, or tell us your dates and we'll tell you what your window can offer.
