Phuket
Travel Guide -> Diving, Surfing & Snorkeling in Phuket
|
Snorkeling
Snorkeling is a simple sport, which allows even the beginner to glimpse at the incredible undersea world with very little risk or expensive equipment. All that is needed are fins and a mask. To avoid sunburns, it is recommended that you wear at least a T-shirt and use lots of water-resistant sun block. At almost all of the major beaches on Phuket, there is an area suitable for snorkeling. Good examples are to be found at the northern end of Kamala Beach with its clear water and beautiful coral reefs just a few meters offshore or on the end of Kata Beach with its lively, colorful coral reef. Pansea Beach is also a favorite destination of snorkelers. Windsurfing The best season for windsurfing in Phuket is the time of the northeast monsoon from November to May, when steady winds combine with a flat sea. The peak of the high wind conditions is from November to February. Windsurfing is not recommended between mid-May and late October, when the southwestern monsoon blows from India across the Andaman Sea, creating heavy seas. At the major resort beaches, the southwestern monsoon creates onshore conditions, while the northwestern monsoon is offshore. Monsoon winds commonly blow at an average speed of around 20 knots. The popular sailing sites are all located on the western coast of Phuket. Of the big beaches, the following offer the best windsurfing facilities: Patong Beach has some windsurfing shops along the beach road, some of them offer fine service. Lessons are available for beginners, but the quality of the equipment and the instructions is sometimes better at the big hotels. The two most popular sites are Kata Beach and Bang Tao Beach, the site of several large waterfront resorts including the Sheraton, Dusit Laguna and Laguna Beach. At Karon Beach, windsurfing is also possible. Besides windsurfing, it is also possible to surf the waves on some of Phuket's beaches, especially between the months of June and November. Surfable waves can be occasionally found on Kalim Beach at the northern end of Patong Beach, although caution is advised due to the sharp coral reef. Other surfable locations include Karon Beach, Kata Beach and Nai Harn Beach. These beaches have fairly ridable conditions periodically throughout the southwest monsoon season, when heavy weather in the Andaman Sea drives ocean swells in the direction of Phuket. Surf boards are available for hire along the beaches and especially at Kata Town Center. Scuba Diving Popular dive sites around Phuket are the Similan Islands, Ko Racha, Ko Dok Mai and Shark Point. The Similan Islands lie approximately 48 miles north west of Phuket and form part of Thailand's national marine parks and remain unspoilt by development. On a speed boat, the trip takes just 1 hour and 50 minutes. Shark Point is a small rocky outcrop to the east of Phuket. It is one of the most popular dive sites around Phuket and famous for it's resident leopard sharks and moray eels. Shark Point is made up of coral pinnacles coming from a sandy bottom of 18 meters, to within 3 to 4 meters of the surface. These coral bommies are covered with soft corals, and are home to a multitude of tropical marine life. Ko Dok Mai is a limestone cliff island and a spectacular dive site. The eastern side is a wall dive with a depth of 25 to 30 meters. The wall is covered with tube corals and gorgonian sea fans. The western side offers a gradual slope from 3 to 25 meters. There are large barrel sponge, and often sightings of moray eels. Ko Racha is a beautiful tropical island located to the south of Phuket, and can be reached in 55 minutes with a speed boat. On Racha there are many different dive sites to choose from, all of which offer a good variety of corals and fish in depths ranging from 6 to 25 meters. |
Site Contents - Go to:
Phuket Hotels Discount rates for hotels &Book Flights to Phuket at Travelnow!
Type in some words and hit the Search button! More Thailand Info |