Surfing Kata Yai Beach

Following the road south from Karon Beach you will come to the Kata Beach town centre with shops, restaurants and bars. At a four way intersection take the road to the right and you will come to Kata Yai Beach. Most of the surfable waves here are at the southern end near Beyond Kata, formerly Kata Beach Resort.

Kata Beach surf is regarded as the most popular surfing beach on Phuket and when the waves are good it can be crowded even for Phuket standards. This is the beach where Quiksilver hosted an annual Kata Beach surfing contest back from 1999 to 2003. Although it can get crowded, the atmosphere in the water is friendly and so far localism is limited to a few here.

The waves are fast, but makeable and can jack up on the sand bank to twice the height of the swell. The downside to this break is that after the rains a lot of rubbish washes into the water.

The best surf in Kata Beach is at the southern end, where you will find nice peaks from in front of a few small surfboard rental shops to down past the car park. As you go further north along the beach the waves get smaller, being protected by the headland and Koh Pu, Crab Island.

Kata Beach is probably the most crowded surfing beach in Phuket and attracts a lot of beginner surfers, so keep an eye out for flying boards, drop ins and more. There are also plenty of rental surfboards to choose from, with rental booths lining the beach. Most of the locals here will be happy to give surfing lessons and push you into a few waves.

From Bill Sellers

Hi, I surfed Kata Beach in August and it was big. The easy way to get out is to walk to the southern end near where the rocks are and a surfboard hire shop, and paddle out through the channel there.

Surfing Kata Beach still wasn’t easy for me being a long boarder. Like all beach breaks it has shifting sand banks, catching waves was easy but you have to watch for jet skis. The people who hire them have no idea on how to get out or about watching where they are going.

There are also a lot of beginners who drop in or go straight, that is why the locals are easy going. I also found as the swell drops the banks were becoming a lot more makeable and it was easier to paddle out.

Kata Yai is one of the main places in Phuket for surf lessons and surfboard rental during the surf season. It is convenient and there are usually plenty of boards around, but it can also be crowded. For a more protected place to learn, Bang Tao Beach is usually the easier option, especially around the southern end.