Phuket beach diving

Shore dives from Phuket beaches

For divers who prefer not to spend all day on a dive boat but prefer the convenience of diving from shore Phuket does have a limited number of options. Shore dives are available along the west coast beaches of Phuket from November to April. From May to October waves on the beaches make shore diving impossible. Shore dives often have low visibility on silted reefs and you are unlikely to see any large marine life but critters can be spotted and these sites can make a very pleasant morning or afternoon dive. They are perfect sites for a quick refresher dive, for a training dive or for a night dive.

Kamala Beach has a shallow offshore reef running parallel that can be walked out to. Further off shore is an island called Koh Waeo that is accessed by longtail boat. Dive centres in the Kamala and Bangtao beach areas often take divers to Koh Waeo first then to a small tin miner wreck closer in to Bangtao beach. The wreck itself is not that exciting although the excavator buckets are still present. What is impressivle are the large stonefish and the crocodile fish in the sand around the wreck.

No dive centres offer dives directly off Patong Beach except for training dive scenarios like rescue diver courses. Long tail boats do take divers to several spots on the outside of the bay. These rocky reefs are surprisingly healthy. Divers who have just arrived in Phuket and are departing on a liveaboard in the evening occasionally do one of these dives to test equipment and weights. A favourite dive from Patong beach is a long tail boat dive to a small secluded beach south of Patong beach call Freedom beach where a small restaurant can provide a relaxed lunch on the beach after the dive.

Meridien Beach is the house reef of Le Meridien Phuket beach resort and the dive centre located in the hotel is lucky to have one of Phuket’s best beach reefs. This long reef that follows the rocks out of the bay is full of critters including harlequin ghost pipefish, scorpionfish and moray eels.

Karon Beach has an ok reef at the southern end of the beach as does Kata beach at the north. The reef at the southern end of Kata beach is dived daily by two local dive centres and they find loads of interesting stuff there including robust ghost pipefish, bent stick pipefish and juvenile emporer angelfish. Blue spotted stingrays are also common there.

Long tail dives are also possible from Kata Beach to Koh Poo (crab island) just off the northern headland and Karon Rock, a submerged rock just out from Karon beach. Dive these sites in the morning and you are likely to see just as much as you would on a day trip boat dive to Racha Yai Island but you’ll be back on land in time for lunch and you’ll have saved yourself some money. Kata Noi beach also has a very nice reef at the southern end of the bay.

North of Naiharn Beach is a small and hard to find beach  called Ao Sane (drive under the yacht club hotel towards Baan Krating resort) that locals love because of it’s seclusion. One dive centre offers dives around the rocks here. Visibility is usually good and this is also a good snorkeling site.