Hamdeok Beach
Jeju Island (Jocheon, Jeju City) · Hamdeok-ri / Jeju City
also known as Hamdeok Seoubong Beach, Hamdeok Beach (Hamdeok Seoubong Beach), 함덕해수욕장, 함덕서우봉해변
Part of Jeju Island (Jocheon, Jeju City) →
Riding essentials
Season
Mar–Nov
Months riders and schools name
How windy
10-30 kt
Character: mixed
Room to launch
ok
access rules on record, below
Water
mixed
23–26 °C in summerA double bay divided by a rocky point on the Seoubong side
Hazards
11
Reported by riders
Level
Beginner to intermediate
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
high crowds · busy Jul Aug
Schools
3
named at this spot
From the airport
Jeju International Airport (CJU)
Transfer times under Getting there
When it fills in
No onset time is published for this spot.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Hyeopjae Beach
- Gimnyeong Beachno page yet
- Jongdal-rino page yet
- Pyoseon Beachno page yet
- Iho Tewoo Beachno page yet
- Geumneung Beachno page yet
The spot
Location and geography
Beach selection
The people factor
The wind
locals call it Variable Jeju coastal wind / NW monsoon episodes
Direction
Direction to shore
cross-on
Dominant direction
No Hamdeok-specific dominant direction is confirmed; wind direction on Jeju has no single pattern and changes daily. The nearby Jeju International Airport annual average is NNE, while strong NW winds are also reported for Hamdeok.
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
Most Jeju days go on a 12 m or 15 m for a 70 kg rider, so at 75-85 kg expect to be on the larger of those more often than not, and to want a 17 m or a foil on the light days.Rental quivers run from 7 m up to 19 m, which is the shape of an island with more light days than strong ones.
Character
mixed
Average strength
Monthly averages for the bay run about 9-13 kt, and the nearest airport's annual average is about 9 kt. Both are all-hours averages rather than session wind.
Typical strength
10-30 kt on windy Jeju days, with more light-wind days than strong-wind days.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- 15 ktJan
- 14 ktFeb
- 13 ktMar
- 11 ktApr
- 10 ktMay
- 9 ktJun
- 10 ktJul
- 10 ktAug
- 11 ktSep
- 12 ktOct
- 13 ktNov
- 14 ktDec
avg knots per month · season highlighted
Modelled monthly averages. Highlighted: the months riders and schools name (Mar, Apr, Sep, Oct, Nov, May, Jun, Jul, Aug).
Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (1980-2016), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds.
Every figure, month by monthKnots · Wind from · Air
| Month | Knots | Wind from | Air |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 kt | N | 5.6 °C |
| Feb | 14.4 kt | N | 6.1 °C |
| Mar | 13.1 kt | N | 8.9 °C |
| Apr | 11.3 kt | N | 13.3 °C |
| May | 9.6 kt | S | 17.2 °C |
| Jun | 9 kt | E | 21.1 °C |
| Jul | 9.7 kt | S | 25.6 °C |
| Aug | 10 kt | S | 26.7 °C |
| Sep | 11.1 kt | N | 22.8 °C |
| Oct | 11.9 kt | N | 17.8 °C |
| Nov | 12.9 kt | N | 12.8 °C |
| Dec | 14.4 kt | N | 7.8 °C |
How this is modelledmodelled · 1980-2016
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
A station this far away — often inland or at an airport — can understate accelerated local wind. 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.
Jeju International Airport (Weather Spark model) · weatherspark.com (MERRA-2 reanalysis) · 1980-2016
The water
Type
mixed
Standing depth
Shallow, gently shelving beach; sea depth is shallow and suitable for children, with shallow sheltered water reported for a long stretch from shore.
Tides
Tide changes uncover more of the shallow shelf and shrink or widen the water you can actually use; the bay dries out a long way at low water. Exact kiteable tide windows are not documented, and lesson times are set around tide as much as around wind.
Temperature
Summer (°C) 23–26 °C through the official swimming season, with August around 26 °C.
Winter (°C) 14–16 °C in mid-winter, about 15 °C on average.
Wetsuit
No wetsuit needed in June-September, a long summer wetsuit in May and October, and a long winter wetsuit after October and through winter.
Currents
No kite-specific current report exists for this bay. It is shallow and sheltered as a swimming beach, and conditions still change with weather and wind.
Conditions
Your level
not for advanceds here
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
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: ok
Somewhere else
1 spot nearby
Rescue
Launch
Long white-sand public beach, about 900 m long and 120 m wide, with tourist facilities, cafes, road access, and a rocky point dividing the bay. Summer swimmer zones and beach crowds can make practical launching much tighter than the beach dimensions suggest.
Rules & access
1 min read
Bather rules
Dog beach and rentals
For kiters
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
- Call a Jeju school before you commit to Hamdeok. The venue is normally picked after they look at wind and tide, and it may not be this beach.
- Bring light-wind gear. Light days outnumber strong days here, and 12-15 m is what a 70 kg rider is on most of the time.
- On a strong NW forecast, expect bump-and-jump chop rather than clean wave riding.
- Rent a car. The usable beach on Jeju moves with the wind direction, and without wheels you take whatever this bay is doing.
- Ride before ten in season: bathing runs 10:00-19:00, night entry is banned, and the early morning is the emptiest sand you will get in July-August.
- Do not trust airport wind for this bay, and remember there is nobody watching the water outside the season.
Getting there
Airport
Jeju International Airport (CJU)
Route
Bus 101 from Jeju International Airport to Hamdeok Beach is about 10 stops and usually about 40 minutes. From the Hamdeok Beach Stay reference point there is a 24-minute bus from Jocheon Transit Station plus local access, or an 18-minute taxi. A rental car or taxi is the sensible choice anyway, because the spot changes with the wind.
Transfer (minutes)
18-40 by taxi/car/bus depending start point and traffic; longer with transfers or gear.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Beachfront hotels, pensions and guesthouses in Hamdeok, with more choice in Jeju City. Kiters tend to base near Hamdeok or Seongsan for access to the south and east spots that come up most often.
No-wind days
Seoubong volcanic-cone walk beside the beach, cafes and restaurants along the beach road, Jeju Olle Trail section, Samyang black-sand beach, Jocheon/Manjanggul area, and general Jeju sightseeing.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Hamdeok Beach?
The kiteboarding season runs from around late April to November, though the exact venue and time depend heavily on daily wind and tide.
Is Hamdeok Beach suitable for beginners?
Hamdeok's shallow sandy beach is beginner-friendly in principle and is one possible East Jeju lesson venue, but schools move to whichever beach fits the day's wind and tide.
What is the wind like at Hamdeok Beach?
Wind direction changes daily around Jeju, so there is no single Hamdeok-specific pattern; strong NW wind gives bump-and-jump conditions rather than clean waves.
How crowded does Hamdeok Beach get?
Very crowded in July-August; Hamdeok recorded 703,064 beach users in 2025, the highest of any Jeju beach, and the 2026 official swimming season adds designated zones and safety staff.
Are there kite schools serving Hamdeok?
Yes, Jeju Kitesurfing and Jeju Kite Lab operate island-wide and select Hamdeok among several East Jeju venues depending on conditions.
The bigger pictureEverything about Jeju Island (Jocheon, Jeju City)
Last updated: August 2026