Kite spot · Hainan
Kitesurfing in Bo'ao, Hainan
Our home spot on the east coast: a quiet town with flat-water lagoons for learning and open beach for riding.
When to go
Kiteable season: Mar–Jul · Oct–Mar
Bo'ao has two seasons. From March to June a south to south-west wind blows in off the sea on most days, usually 15–25 knots under blue skies, and it often carries on into August. From October to February the north-east monsoon takes over: stronger and gustier, with more chop and grey days. Air temperatures sit around 25–32°C through the main season.
See the best time to kitesurf in Hainan.
Where to ride
- Asia Bay (亚洲湾): A long beach of soft white sand and clear water a few kilometres from Bo'ao town, used by most riders in the area.
- Golden Bay (金湾): Between Bo'ao and Tanmen. A small man-made lagoon behind the sea wall gives flat water for learning, with open sea outside it for riding.
- Bo'ao bay and the Wanquan river mouth: The town sits where the Wanquan, Longgun and Jiuqu rivers meet the sea, so the coast here has lagoons and sheltered water as well as open beach.
Conditions
Bo'ao is our home spot: a quiet town on Hainan's east coast with flat-water lagoons that are ideal for learning, and open beach for riding once you're up and going. Summer brings thermal sea breezes and winter the north-east monsoon, which is why the season here is so long.
Getting there
Fly straight into Qionghai Bo'ao International (BAR), about 30 minutes by car from the beach, with direct flights from Beijing, Shanghai and other mainland cities. You can also fly to Haikou Meilan or Sanya Phoenix and take the high-speed train, about an hour from either. Tell us your flight and we'll arrange your pickup.
Lessons and trips
All our courses start here. When Bo'ao has no wind, we take you to whichever spot on the island does.
Local tips
- Learning is easiest in the flat-water lagoons; the open beach faces the full north-east swell in winter.
- On windy days there can be more than 50 kites on the water, so we pick quieter launch spots for lessons.
- Bring sun protection: the sun is strong all year.