Surfing in Phuket

Surfing is one of the up and coming water sports in Phuket and the west coast is gaining somewhat of a reputation as a surfing haven.  Surfing is not yet one of the major pastimes, and unlike golf or other water sports, there are relatively few places to learn to surf or hire equipment, so here is our guide of the best places to go to learn, hire and surf!

Kata Beach is perhaps the best place to go to learn and hire. At Kata there are two surf shops and seven beach outlets where you can rent a board. It is also the proud owner of some of the best waves in Phuket and is the logical choice for the islands biggest surfing competition.

Kamala Beach is also well recommended thanks to its variable winds, swell up to three metres and a point break for experienced surfers.

Kalim Beach and Bang Tao Beach should also get a mention as Kalim is a great place to head to if conditions aren’t suitable at other beaches, thanks to its protection from the swell (although this does mean it can get quite busy) and Bang Tao because of the large waves on the north end of the beach.

There are also 3 well regarded surfing competitions that take place across Phuket. The largest is the ‘Phuket Surfing Contest’ at Kata Beach that takes place at the end of August. Kalim Beach holds the slightly smaller ‘Kalim Surf Contest’ in June and ‘Kamala Go Surfing Contest’ takes place in August.

Another benefit of surfing in Phuket is that the surf’s up between April and September, the low tourist season on the island, which means that prices in general are a lot lower than they are during the high season, perfect if you have an all year round luxury villa waiting for you!