Map›China›Bo'ao, Hainan›Bo'ao / QionghaiBo'ao, Hainan
Bo'ao / Qionghai
Hainan - Bo'ao · Bo'ao, Qionghai
also known as Asia Bay, Boao, Boao Asia Bay, Bo'ao Asia Bay, 博鳌亚洲湾, 博鳌
Riding essentials
Season
Mar–Jun
Months riders and schools name
How windy
15-22 kt
Character: mixed
Room to launch
huge
access rules on record, below
Water
mixed
29 °C in summerIn 2026 Asia Bay is a 2.2 km coast with flat-water and wave areas, clean sand and clear water
Hazards
7
Reported by riders
Level
Beginner to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
medium crowds · busy Mar Apr May Jun
Schools
2
named at this spot
From the airport
64 min
Bo'ao International Airport (BAR)
When it fills in
No onset time is published for this spot.
Bo'ao / Qionghai has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it, and none other in Hainan - Bo'ao. straight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
The spot
Season and conditions
For learners
Scene and access
The wind
locals call it Southeast/south monsoon at Bo'ao; northeast winter monsoon in the broader Hainan season
Direction
Direction to shore
cross-on
Dominant direction
SE-S in the main Bo'ao season; NE in winter on Hainan
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
With 15-22 kt through March to June, a 75-85 kg rider is on a 9-12 m spot:11-12 m in April and early-season lulls,9-10 m on a normal day, and7-8 m held back for the strong days when the southeast monsoon pushes into force 6-7.Winter northeast days sit in the same 9-12 m band.A single 10-11 m plus an 8 m covers most trips.
Character
mixed
Average strength
15-25, occasionally 25+
Typical strength
15-22 kt through the March-June season. The same months are elsewhere put at wind force 5-7, roughly 17-33 kt on the Beaufort scale, so the top end is windier than 15-22 kt suggests. Hainan winter northeast days are commonly described around 15-25 kt.
Potential second season
Practice
Planning
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan27
- Feb33
- Mar, riders' month27
- Apr, riders' month57
- May, riders' month15
- Jun, riders' month7
- Jul16
- Aug2
- Sep8
- Oct27
- Nov43
- Dec34
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Jun.
- 27%Jan23°
- 33%Feb22°
- 27%Mar23°
- 57%Apr25°
- 15%May27°
- 7%Jun28°
- 16%Jul28°
- 2%Aug28°
- 8%Sep28°
- 27%Oct27°
- 43%Nov26°
- 34%Dec24°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal.
Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Water · Readings
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | Wind from | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27% | 53% | 39% | 11.1 kt | NE | 13:00 | 19.4 °C | 22.8 °C | 62 |
| Feb | 33% | 44% | 39% | 10.9 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 20.6 °C | 22.2 °C | 57 |
| Mar | 27% | 40% | 31% | 10.7 kt | S | 14:00 | 23.3 °C | 23.3 °C | 62 |
| Apr | 57% | 68% | 65% | 13.3 kt | S | 14:00 | 26.1 °C | 25 °C | 60 |
| May | 15% | 34% | 23% | 9.8 kt | S | 15:00 | 27.8 °C | 27.2 °C | 62 |
| Jun | 7% | 45% | 25% | 9.9 kt | S | 14:00 | 28.3 °C | 28.3 °C | 60 |
| Jul | 16% | 35% | 23% | 10.3 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 28.3 °C | 28.3 °C | 62 |
| Aug | 2% | 18% | 5% | 9 kt | S | 14:00 | 27.8 °C | 28.3 °C | 62 |
| Sep | 8% | 20% | 15% | 8.9 kt | ENE | 15:00 | 27.2 °C | 28.3 °C | 60 |
| Oct | 27% | 45% | 37% | 11.1 kt | ENE | 15:00 | 25.6 °C | 27.2 °C | 62 |
| Nov | 43% | 60% | 55% | 11.8 kt | NE | 13:00 | 22.8 °C | 25.6 °C | 60 |
| Dec | 34% | 65% | 45% | 11.7 kt | NE | 13:00 | 20 °C | 23.9 °C | 62 |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
mixed
Standing depth
The riding area is 1-2 m deep over clean sand with no reef and no hidden obstacles, which is why it has a name as a rare safe training ground in China. That is chest-to-overhead water rather than a walk-out shallows, and no tide-by-tide standing band has been published, so do not plan on a body-drag rescue in waist depth.The flat sections sit within a 2.2 km stretch of coast that also contains wave areas.
Tides
Tidal; Tideschart for Bo'ao on 2026-08-27 showed highs of 0.61 m and 1.18 m and lows of 0.60 m and -0.10 m, so riders should check the daily table.
Temperature
29 °C summer · 22 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 22–28 °C
Wetsuit
Boardshorts/rash vest in warm months; a 2/1 mm shorty or light suit can be useful in the cooler spring/winter sessions.
Currents
Bo'ao sits by the Wanquan, Longgun and Jiuqu river estuary; river-mouth flow and tide-driven current should be expected near the outlets, but no local rescue-current guidance was found.
Conditions
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
2 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: huge
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
Launch
The main launch is the Asia Bay beach at Bo'ao, along the Binhai Avenue resort frontage, with roughly 2.2 km of usable coast combining flatter training water and wave sections on clean sand.This is the same beach and adjoining water used for national tour racing, with briefings and race areas set up on it.The resident kite centre works from the beachfront with a shop, storage, showers and a compressor, which makes it the practical base whether or not you take lessons.
Rules & access
1 min read
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Schools that ride here
Rider tips
- Base at or near Asia Bay: the kite centre, the storage and the local scene are all on the Binhai Avenue frontage, about 1h30 by taxi from Haikou Meilan Airport or 20 min from Qionghai train station.
- Aim at March to June, and at April to June inside that window if you can choose your dates.
- Ask a local school before committing to a winter trip. The main course provider moves its Bo'ao operation to Haikou from October to March because of the wind direction, even though the bay is also described as having a November-March northeast season.
- Read the daily tide table and the wind before launching. The bay sits beside the Wanquan/Longgun/Jiuqu river mouth, and neither the water level nor the current is documented in detail.
- The water is 1-2 m over clean sand with no reef, which is still over your head. Do not treat it as a stand-up lagoon.
- Book beds early around the Boao Forum for Asia and Chinese public holidays, and expect race areas, notice boards and launch control when a Chinese national tour stop is running. On a windy day the bay can hold 50-plus kites, so give the flat training band a wide berth if you are riding fast.
Getting there
Airport
Qionghai Bo'ao International Airport (BAR) is the closest airport, but Haikou Meilan (HAK) is the larger practical gateway with high-speed rail links to Bo'ao/Qionghai.
Route
From Haikou/Meilan, take the Hainan high-speed railway toward Qionghai or Bo'ao and finish by taxi to Asia Bay. Haikou to Bo'ao high-speed trains start at about 30 minutes, and Meilan Airport to Bo'ao by train plus taxi comes out at about 1 h 4 min.Driving from Haikou to Bo'ao is about 112 km by road. Older rider reports also mention group hotel pickup from Haikou Meilan.
Transfer
64 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Beachfront and resort accommodation sits around Asia Bay, including Boao Asia Bay Resort / Asia Bay International Hotel on Binhai Avenue, with direct beach access and sea-view rooms. Bo'ao town and Qionghai add more choice, which matters around forum periods and Chinese holidays.
No-wind days
Boao Forum for Asia permanent venue on Dongyu Island, Jade Belt Beach at the river/sea confluence, China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea, Red Rock Beach, Baishiling Ridge, Wanquan River sightseeing/greenway, seafood and Qionghai local food streets.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Bo'ao?
The main season is March to June, driven by the southeast to south monsoon, with April-June considered the strongest stretch.
Is Bo'ao suitable for beginners?
Yes, the shallow, open, reef-free sea is regarded locally as a safe training ground, though the estuary and tidal setting mean beginners should still use a school.
What is the wind like at Bo'ao?
Southeast to south monsoon wind typically blows 15-25 knots, occasionally higher, and is described as stable through the main season.
Are there kite schools or rental at Bo'ao?
Yes, several schools operate at Asia Bay, including Hui Ning Kiteboarding and Nick Kitesurfing, offering lessons, rental and storage.
What hazards should riders know about?
River-mouth currents near the Wanquan estuary, floating debris, and crowding on peak-season windy days with 50+ kites are reported.
The bigger pictureEverything about Hainan - Bo'ao
Last updated: August 2026