Fun under the sun: city helps to kick-start mainland China’s love affair with water sports

Sanya can be credited with introducing the joy of water sports to the general population of mainland China. Before Sanya’s Yalong and Dadong bays offered jet skiing and windsurfing, there was little opportunity anywhere else in China to participate in those sports. As time went on, and Sanya’s tourism industry realised the demand for water sports was high and getting stronger, the number of places with water sports on offer multiplied.

The effect was felt as far north as Qingdao which, despite its long history as a port, never had the water-sports culture now thriving in and around Sanya. Today, every hotel in the area offers some sort of water sports excursion, be it surfing, skiing or snorkelling. Private tours and instructors have also opened up shop around Sanya, so much so that one can test for the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) at any of the major beaches in Sanya, a certificate and skill that more mainland Chinese visitors are taking seriously.

Wuzhizhou Island has become the de facto centre for most of the water sports offered to the common visitor from the mainland. This tiny island is very busy during the heavily travelled months, as dozens of small shops and hawkers greet the first time visitor – fresh off of a short ferry or hovercraft trip from Sanya – each offering a choice of thrilling or relaxing interactions with the pristine waters. Some of the more popular options are parasailing, in which a parasail is towed by a high-speed motor boat, and deep-sea fishing, a relatively new pastime for many Chinese tourists.

Other, more remote locations offer a different kind of experience than the bustling hub of Wuzhizhou. Shimei Bay has developed a strong collection of surfing shops and instructors, and people coming here to enjoy Sanya are a different demographic than the tourists closer to Sanya city who ferry across to Wuzhizhou. Much younger and less concerned with luxury options, the surfers, snorkellers and jet skiers of Shimei Bay demonstrate the maturing of Sanya as a tourist destination.

Another location growing in popularity is Xiangshuiwan, or Perfume Bay. This bay is outside Sanya city, roughly a two-hour drive along the coast heading east. The organised options for water sports are much more scarce this far from the city, but the trade-off is a collection of beaches nearly devoid of people.

Closer to the city, the coral reefs around Xidao and Dongdao, and around Dadonghai and the southern tip of the Sanya peninsula, provide some of the best chances for landlocked mainlanders to experience the wonders and beauty of the ocean. Finding a provider and instructor is not difficult. Every hotel and hostel has access to their favourite provider and there are more along the beaches.

At this point, there is not a single beach or bay along the Sanya coastline which does not have water sports on offer. The decision rests more on what type of sport to participate in and what kind of environment one is searching for. The more remote locations such as Shimei and Perfume Bay have their sense of adventure for individuals and couples, whereas the locations closer to the city have the comfort of convenience for larger groups and families.