Hainan Surf Progression Camp: PerfectSwell Wave Pool & Ocean Surfing in China

The whole point of this place is the PerfectSwell system. It's made by American Wave Machines and instead of dragging a paddle through the water, it fires compressed air through dozens of chambers along the pool wall. That produces a wave that rises and breathes like an ocean swell — 0.5 to 3 metres in height, six-second period, rides up to 18 seconds. There are 17 wave modes, covering everything from soft whitewater for absolute beginners through to fast, sectioned waves with ramps for airs and barrels for the advanced crew. Sessions can be booked public or private; private sessions let you pick the wave setting for the whole session, which is why advanced surfers tend to book them.

Coaching is by Surfway, who have been running surf camps since 2013 and put over 100,000 students through their classes across Indonesia, Brazil, Morocco, Angola and elsewhere. Their system builds from surfskate and land training through to wave pool work and finally ocean surfing; the point being that a surfer repeating the same turn 15 times in an hour in the pool gets more out of a session than someone paddling around in real surf. Coaches can push you into waves, coach you after every attempt, film and analyse your session, or run a surfskate warm-up before you even get in the water. Video analysis is filmable from the water, from the top-down and by drone.

Riyue Bay itself is a self-contained resort — two hotels, restaurants, retail, relaxation areas, a skatepark and coastline, right next to the wave pool. Outside the pool, Hainan has genuine ocean surf spots nearby, and the team runs private ocean classes with filming and transfers. Beyond surfing there are excursions to temples, tropical parks, ethnic villages and viewpoints around the island. For something completely different, the resort sits on a peninsula with 41 holes of championship golf on natural ocean dunes, and a surf-and-golf package can be arranged.

What separates this from a standard surf camp is the control. You aren't at the mercy of the swell forecast, wind direction or tide — you book a slot, you get the waves you booked, and if you're working on cutbacks you set the wave to give you a cutback. The trade-off is that this is a wave pool in China, not a remote point break, so the atmosphere is closer to a modern ski resort than a surf shack. Some people will love that; if you were hoping for empty line-ups and no one else in the water, this isn't it. If you want to get measurably better at surfing in a week, this is one of the most efficient places on earth to do it.

Accommodation is split between a functional surf hotel right next to the wave and a quieter boutique property a little further from the action, with garden, sea and courtyard rooms available. Breakfast is included. Daily life slots easily around the session schedule — surf in the morning, eat, rest through the midday heat, surf again in the late afternoon, then eat and sleep. Repeat. Visa-free entry for 61 countries and an English-speaking team on the ground removes most of the friction people expect from a first trip to China. Resort hours run 9am to 10pm.

What's included

- Accommodation at the surf hotel or boutique hotel (package-dependent, e.g. 5 nights on the Surf & Golf package) - Breakfast daily - Pre-arranged PerfectSwell surf sessions (2 beginner, 2 experienced beginner or 2 intermediate sessions depending on package) - Coaching on every session (First Wave and Level Up packages) - Personal coach in the water (First Wave package) - Professional photo and video session (First Wave package) - Full video analysis and footage of all sessions (Level Up package) - Airport transfers from Sanya Phoenix Airport (SYX) or Haikou Meilan Airport (HAK) - Board rental and ocean trips as pre-arranged - On-site organiser/offline curator for the length of your stay - Priority reservation of sessions - 24/7 online support - One complimentary surf session when booking directly through the operator - English-speaking team throughout your stay

What's not included

- International and domestic flights - Travel insurance - Visas (most guests qualify for 30-day visa-free entry) - Lunch and dinner (unless included in a specific package) - Optional coaching add-ons (wave pushing, video analysis at 600 ¥, surfskate + pool coaching at 980 ¥, wakesurfing training at 1,180 ¥) - Optional photo and video packages (front view 199 ¥, top-down 299 ¥, water view 799 ¥, drone footage 1,500–2,500 ¥) - Equipment rental (hardtop boards 80–300 ¥, wetsuit 40 ¥) - Golf rounds (unless booking the Surf & Golf package, which includes 2 rounds) - Excursions and sightseeing trips on Hainan and continental China - Personal expenses - Spa treatments and other optional extras