Is it worth the trip?
10Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 3 ft swell at 8 s, onshore wind, 15 kn (28 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- ENE 10 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Wed 4 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 5kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 5kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft10 s
- Energy
- 4kJ
- Wind
- NNE 9 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sat 7 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 37kJ
- Wind
- ENE 18 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 86kJ
- Wind
- ENE 15 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Mon 9 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 96kJ
- Wind
- NE 21 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 23, too small
- Tue 37, too small
- Wed 46, too small
- Thu 56, too small
- Fri 64, too small
- Sat 710, too small
- Sun 816, poor
- Mon 915, poor
- Tue 104, poor
- Wed 110, too big
The spot in five facts
- Faces Etakes swell from the E
- Offshore: Wwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 3–11 ftof swell
- Water 27 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for beginners | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 3kJ | wind from the north-east, 7 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 7, too small | 1 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 10 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 6, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 6, too small | under 1 ft12 s1 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | wind from the north-east, 6 knots | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 4, too small | under 1 ft10 s1 ft at break (est.) | 4kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 9 knots | 28°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 10, too small | 3 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 18 knots | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 16, poor | 3 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 86kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 15 knots | 26°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 15, poor | 3 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 96kJ | wind from the north-east, 21 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 4, poor | 3 ft8 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 131kJ | wind from the north-east, 21 knots | 26°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, too big | 3 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 122kJ | wind from the north-east, 17 knots | 26°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 01:22 +0.7 mLow 10:49 −0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:35 +0.6 mLow 11:44 −0.6 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 04:05 +0.5 mLow 12:29 −0.5 mHigh 19:36 +0.0 mLow 23:05 −0.0 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot and its town
Houhai on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Houhai
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are 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). The town to stay in is Dadonghai. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 27°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,290–US$2,520 each
about US$1,290–US$2,520 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| 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 | about US$824–US$1,710 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$74–US$121 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$147–US$241 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$161–US$308 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$1,290–US$2,520 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 2 towns
40 min by car · 37 places to stay
about US$54/nightcountry average
About Dadonghai its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Xincun on Booking.com
52 min by car · 4 places to stay
Nearest beds: Dadonghai, 23 km (about 40 min by car)
About US$54 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 25h 30m
About 25h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SYX, changing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), then 55 min by road
Flights ORD → SYX on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.