Star Ferry gets all the love but the real ferry routes for surfers head south to the outer islands. The Cheung Chau ferry from Central Pier 5 cuts directly through the channel giving you perfect views of incoming swells hitting the southern beaches.

Ordinary ferry costs HK$15.90 weekdays, HK$24.80 weekends for the 55-minute ride. Fast ferry bumps up to HK$31.50/HK$47.40 but cuts transit to 35 minutes. Both give you clear sight lines to check surf conditions at Turtle Bay and Tung Wan Beach — You can literally see if there's rideable swell before committing to the full day trip.

Bonus is the ferry route passes right by some gnarly reef breaks around Po Toi and smaller islands that get decent size when typhoon swells wrap around from the South China Sea. Plus Cheung Chau itself has board rentals (around HK$200/day) and the ferry terminal is walking distance from the surf breaks. Way better than just crossing the harbour for photos.