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  5. Kata Beach
Beach break · A-frame
Kata Beach

Photo: egor_demin · CC BY 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Kata Beach

Kata, Phuket, Thailand7.819° 98.298°
Levels 1-4

The teaching wave of Phuket and the reason the island's surf scene sits here. Sandbanks steepen even a 2-3 foot monsoon swell into something with a bit of shape, and boards can be rented on the sand. Every school in the region works this beach.

Surfed here? Log a surf in your private logbook

Advanced details

The granular read for surfers who want it.

Wave type
Beach break
Bottom
sand
Direction
A-frame
Best swell
SW
Best wind
E
Best tide
all
Paddle
2/5
Localism
1/5
Water quality
4/5

Next 7 days

The best-rated window in the cached forecast.

Best day this week · Today (30 Oct)
2/5Barely worth it
0.8–0.8m8s period swell from W13km/h windfrom SE

This is the week's best-rated wave quality, not a suitability call. Take the 2-minute quiz to see how Kata Beach fits your level.

Surf outlook

Today’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
2/5Barely worth it

Sunrise around 06:14, sunset around 18:06 today.

Sat’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
2/5Barely worth it

Sunrise around 06:14, sunset around 18:05 on Sat.

Sun’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
2/5Barely worth it

Sunrise around 06:15, sunset around 18:05 on Sun.

Mon’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
2/5Barely worth it

Sunrise around 06:15, sunset around 18:05 on Mon.

Tue’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
2/5Barely worth it

Sunrise around 06:15, sunset around 18:05 on Tue.

Wed’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
1/5Flat or junky

Sunrise around 06:15, sunset around 18:05 on Wed.

Thu’s call (
our estimate? (what does this mean?)A 1-5 score of how organised the waves look, from forecast height, period and wind speed — it rates the waves, not whether they fit your ability.
)
1/5Flat or junky

Sunrise around 06:15, sunset around 18:04 on Thu.

Tide todayHigh around 00:00 (+1.5m)Low around 06:00 (-0.5m)High around 12:00 (+1.1m)Low around 18:00 (-0.2m)
nowHigh 00:00+1.5mLow 06:00-0.5mHigh 12:00+1.1mLow 18:00-0.2mHigh 00:00+1.3m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide SatHigh around 00:00 (+1.3m)Low around 07:00 (-0.3m)High around 13:00 (+0.9m)Low around 19:00 (-0.0m)
High 00:00+1.3mLow 07:00-0.3mHigh 13:00+0.9mLow 19:00-0.0m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide SunHigh around 01:00 (+1.2m)Low around 08:00 (-0.1m)High around 15:00 (+0.8m)Low around 20:00 (+0.2m)
High 01:00+1.2mLow 08:00-0.1mHigh 15:00+0.8mLow 20:00+0.2m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide MonHigh around 03:00 (+1.0m)Low around 10:00 (-0.0m)High around 16:00 (+0.8m)Low around 22:00 (+0.3m)
High 03:00+1.0mLow 10:00-0.0mHigh 16:00+0.8mLow 22:00+0.3m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide TueHigh around 04:00 (+1.0m)Low around 11:00 (+0.0m)High around 18:00 (+1.0m)
High 04:00+1.0mLow 11:00+0.0mHigh 18:00+1.0mLow 00:00+0.3m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide WedLow around 00:00 (+0.3m)High around 06:00 (+1.1m)Low around 12:00 (-0.0m)High around 19:00 (+1.2m)
Low 00:00+0.3mHigh 06:00+1.1mLow 12:00-0.0mHigh 19:00+1.2m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.
Tide ThuLow around 01:00 (+0.1m)
Low 01:00+0.1m
Model estimate (MeteoFrance SMOC), heights relative to
mean sea level? (what does this mean?)The long-run average height of the sea surface — tide heights are metres above (+) or below (−) that average.
, times approximate — not a tide table and not for navigation.

Times on this card are local to Kata Beach. The star call is our own estimate, calculated from the forecast height, period and wind speed — not measured, and not a suitability or safety assessment. How we rate explains the scale. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, licensed CC BY 4.0. Fetched 30 Oct 2026, 01:00.

Live conditions

02:00 (local)
Wave
0.9m
from W
Period? (what does this mean?)Time between waves. Longer period = more powerful, better-organised waves.
6.9s
Swell? (what does this mean?)Waves made by distant storms, smoother and more ordered than the choppy waves a local wind whips up.
0.9m
7s from W
Wind? (what does this mean?)Offshore wind (land to sea) holds waves up and smooths their faces; onshore wind (sea to land) makes them crumble and close out sooner.
16km/h
from S
Estimated wave energy? (what does this mean?)How much power each metre of wave front carries (kW/m), worked out from height and period — higher numbers mean waves that push harder.
~3 kW/m(Small)

Calculated by us from the height and period above, not measured — and it describes the swell offshore, not the wave at the break.

Waves from DWD Global WAM, wind from ECMWF IFS, for a model grid point 9 km from the break. Fetched 30 Oct 2026, 01:00. Times on this card are local to Kata Beach. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, licensed CC BY 4.0. Not a suitability or safety assessment — check local conditions and ask your instructor.

Surf Snapshot

Estimated seasonal guidance — not a live forecast.

Oct
Consistency this monthEstimated
Flat
Beginner safety
Safe
Crowd
Crowded
Water quality
Clean
Recommended boardssoft-topfunboardMid
Year-round consistency
Oct: Flat consistencyTap a month

Does this wave fit your level?

Rated for Levels 1-4 · Best at Level 2.

Take the 2-minute quiz to see if Kata Beach fits you today.

Find my Level →

Beginner notes

A genuine Level 1 wave in warm water: sand bottom, no reef, nothing to hit. The two things to watch are the jet skis, which share the bay, and a drop-in that can steepen unexpectedly on the bigger sets.

Hazards

  • jet skis
  • rip currents
  • steep drop-in

Nearby spots

The closest graded spots to Kata Beach, straight-line distance.

  • Nai Harn~5 km · Levels 3-6
  • Kalim~10 km · Levels 5-7

Best months to surf here

In-season months for Thailand, from our editors’ season calendar.

  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct

How this spot is sourced

Cross-checked against 4 sources, last checked September 2026.

  • Surf Camp Scout editorial
  • OpenStreetMap
  • Stormrider Guides
  • The Surf Atlas regional guides (thesurfatlas.com)

On the map