With its white powdery beach and clear water characteristic of dive spots along western Phuket, it is no wonder that Kata Beach is very popular among tourists.
To make things even better, it is also a magnificent diving and snorkelling area with the advantage of marine diversity, easy access and suitable for divers of all levels of expertise.
There are two dive sites located at each end of the beach but the northern site near Koh Pu is more popular because it is closer to the main access.
The north reef is approximately 100 meters offshore, and the bouy line is visable from the distance. Unfortunately, the impact of the 2004 Tsunami on Boxing Day scattered the shallow reefs 2 - 4 meters below the surface, turning over and eventually killing some of the reefs.
While the debris and rubbish has since been cleared by co-operative activities by locals, divers and aid organisations, you will still see the scattered rocks nearer to the shore. At depths of 4 meters, you will see coral reefs, extending from the shore, mostly consisting of brain corals and pore corals, streaching to a depth of about 12 meters.
What makes Kata Beach a favourite divesite even among experienced divers is the opportunity to discover many rare and popular marine creatures, such as anglerfish., ghost pipefish, shrimpfish, turtles, seahorses, Dragonet and humphead parrotfish.
And many times most of these can be encountered in the same dive.
Small barracuda, squid, stingray and cuttlefish may also be spotted near the reef. Other common sightings include butterflyfish gathering above a pack of coral near a marker buoy, as well as an abundance of lionfish., parrotfish, wrasse and surgeonfish.
Beginners will be amazed by the remarkable varieties of the sea cucumber, starfish and sea urchins.
One special attraction at Kata Beach is the young harlequin sweetlips that can be found all along the reef. Ranging from the size of a fingertip to the size of a palm, the juvenile sweetlips twist constantly, changing gradually from the patchy colour of the young to the dot-patterned skin of the adult as they twist. You will be amazed by the difference between the juveniles and adults.
The site is suitable for training because of the mild current, good visibility, and shallowness make for easy diving. Start the dive by marking the buoy line and then swimming toward it. The suggested position is the backward swim, which saves more energy, but watch out for the long-tail boats and jet skis that come along. It is best to carry a buoy for activity for additional safety.
Having not enough decompression time is not much of a worry here, but good planning is essential to make sure you do not tire yourself out too much for the return trip or deplete your air supply. Having to make a long surface swim back won't be much fun. Also do not dive too far, particularly on days where there are strong currents, as there is a possibility of drifting out to the open sea.
You can go back using the same route. Alternatively, during the high tide, swim above the reef to get a new perspective.
General Information 
