Houhai, China

No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Haikou, is 206 km away. Nearest airport: SYX (SYX), 33 km.

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About Houhai

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces E (110°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (290°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 650 m out (1 in 65). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 23°C in February, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 30°C in June, its warmest (no wetsuit). No town nearby. No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Haikou, is 206 km away. Nearest airport: SYX (SYX), 33 km. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 25 h 30 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to SYX, changing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).
See flights ORD → SYX · Skyscanner from about £730 returnAd
Getting there. 55 min from the airport to Houhai.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No bookable town within 50 km: the nearest, Haikou, is 206 km away. Nearest airport: SYX (SYX), 33 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Houhai · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Houhai · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Houhai on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Houhai, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	9, too small	1 ft5 smushy	5kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 8 knots	29°C
Mon 19Oct	6, too small	2 ft5 smushy	12kJ	wind from the north-east, 11 knots	28°C
Tue 20Oct	12, too small	2 ft5 smushy	10kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 6 knots	28°C
Wed 21Oct	6, too small	1 ft5 smushy	6kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots	29°C
Thu 22Oct	16, too small	2 ft4 smushy	9kJ	wind from the north, 6 knots	28°C
Fri 23Oct	46, fair	3 ft13 scrumbling	211kJ	wind from the south-west, 7 knots	29°C
Sat 24Oct	22, too small	2 ft12 scrumbling	94kJ	wind from the north-west, 3 knots, offshore	29°C
Sun 25Oct	3, too small	1 ft4 smushy	1kJ	wind from the west, 3 knots, offshore	29°C
Mon 26Oct	4, too small	under 1 ft9 s	2kJ	wind from the north, 4 knots	28°C
Tue 27Oct	4, too small	1 ft6 smushy	4kJ	wind from the east, 8 knots	28°C
Wed 28Oct	0, poor	–	–	–	–

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Fly ORD to SYX, changing at HKG, then 55 min by road. About 25h 30 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Houhai
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 3 ft at 13 s, wind 7 kn (14 km/h).
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly ORD to SYX, changing at HKG, then 55 min by road. About 25h 30 door to door

Rough cost

About £1,055–£2,095 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
What	How we worked it out	Each
Flights	return ORD to SYX, estimated from distance and season, changing at HKG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£730–£1,520
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Hire car	6 days, shared	£70–£115
Food	7 days eating out	£155–£290
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£65–£105
Total		£1,055–£2,095

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

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Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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