Surfing in Phuket: season and beaches
The surf season in Phuket runs from May to October, and the surfing is on the west coast. The waves are small, the water is warm and the bottom is mostly sand: a good place to learn and to surf without stress.
When to go
The southwest monsoon brings the waves. From four years of data:
- June to September. 0.6 m or more on 96–99% of days, 1 m or more on 62–77%. You can surf almost every day.
- May and October. The edges of the season: 0.6 m or more on 72–76% of days. Often small and clean, a good time for first lessons.
- November to April. Calm sea; 1 m or more on 2–7% of days.
The numbers for every month are in Phuket waves by month.
The beaches
All working beaches face west, into the Andaman Sea. They differ in how much swell they need and which tide they like. The table comes from the settings of our forecast.
| Beach | Works from a swell of | Best tide |
|---|---|---|
| Kata | 0.6 m | mid tide |
| Karon | 0.75 m | high tide |
| Bang Tao | 0.75 m | any |
| Layan | 0.75 m | any |
| Nai Thon | 0.75 m | mid tide |
| Nai Yang | 0.6 m | high tide |
| Kamala | 0.9 m | any |
| Kata Noi | 0.9 m | high tide |
| Patong | 0.9 m | mid tide |
| Nai Harn | 1.05 m | mid tide |
| Surin | 1.2 m | mid tide |
| Kalim | 1.95 m | mid tide |
- Kata. The main surf beach of the island. It starts working before any other, which is why people learn here. Has a live cam.
- Karon. A long open beach next to Kata. Takes the swell in full, with almost no shelter.
- Bang Tao. A long beach in the north, works on any tide.
- Layan. The northern end of Bang Tao, more sheltered.
- Nai Thon. A quiet beach in the northwest.
- Nai Yang. The most sheltered of all: the swell arrives weakened.
- Kamala. A bay north of Patong.
- Kata Noi. A small bay south of Kata.
- Patong. The central beach, sheltered by headlands. Has a live cam.
- Nai Harn. A bay in the south that needs more swell.
- Surin. An open beach that works on a bigger wave.
- Kalim. A reef at the north end of Patong. Needs a big swell; a spot for experienced surfers.
Khao Lak, 80 km to the north, is another area: long, gently sloping sand beaches for learning and reefs around Cape Pakarang that need more size. The site has a separate forecast for Khao Lak.
For beginners
- Start at Kata on a day with a 0.5–1 m wave. Bigger than that is hard to learn on and not safe.
- Watch the flags. In season the open beaches get strong rip currents. A red flag means stay out of the water.
- Pick the hour, not only the day. Wind from the land makes the wave smooth, wind from the sea breaks it up. Mornings are usually less windy.
How to tell if today is worth it
Wave height alone is not enough. A good hour is made of four things: size, period (seconds between waves), wind and swell direction. Surf turns them into one score from 0 to 10 for every beach and every hour and shows when today's peak is. How the score is built is explained in How the score works.
In short
When is the surf season in Phuket?
From May to October. In June to September a wave of 0.6 m or more shows up on 96–99% of days. From November to April the sea is mostly calm.
Where is the best surfing in Phuket?
On the west coast. The main spot is Kata: it starts working on the smallest swell. On a bigger swell Karon, Kata Noi, Nai Harn and Surin work, and on a large one the reef at Kalim.
Can you surf in Phuket in December and January?
Rarely. In those months a wave of 0.6 m or more happens on 40–49% of days and 1 m or more on 2–3%. You get the odd day, best on a longboard.
Is Phuket good for beginner surfers?
Yes. The waves are small, the main beaches have a sandy bottom and the water is 29–31°C all year. Start at Kata on a day with a 0.5–1 m wave.
How do I know if there are waves in Phuket right now?
The main page of Surf gives every beach a score from 0 to 10 for the current hour, with wave height and period, wind and tide, and live cams for Kata, Karon and Patong.