Phuket Surf Evolution: Carving up Thailand’s surf scene hotspot

Let’s be honest, whoever first said “a bad day surfing is better than a good day working” probably didn’t quite have Thailand in mind. Nevertheless, the surf scene on the popular southern island of Phuket is steadily gathering momentum, with its surf clubs, surf shops, surf camps, and surfboard shapers all having set up over the past 20 years.

As the stories go, the first surfers in the Land of Smiles were GIs on R&R, during the Vietnam War, in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Some fell in love and settled in Phuket, after their service was complete, and introduced locals to the sport. Yet, surfing in Phuket remained low-key for decades to come.

In 1972, the surf documentary Morning of the Earth put Bali on the surfers’ map, especially among board-happy, wanderlust-filled Australians. In 1976, a 23-year-old Irish-Aussie surfer, Nicky Mahon, heard of an island in the Andaman Sea, and wondered if there could be waves. Curiosity piqued, he travelled from Indonesia to Phuket’s untamed beaches.

“When I first went to Phuket, it was basically just jungle. One day, I followed a little dirt track towards Nai Harn, found a beach, and saw there was surf.” The next year, Nicky, along with a buddy, spent three months trail-biking around Phuket and discovering its surfable west-side beaches. He has returned for a visit nearly every year since. “I think I was the first to surf Kalim in 1977. There were no roads, no hotels, no tourists.”

“A group of us – mixed nationalities – found the best waves at Relax Bay – a beautiful little beach with powerful swells, but when Le Meridien hotel was built (1987), they stopped us from surfing there,” recalls 69-year-old Nicky. In the late 90s, Nicky sat in on meetings with local surfers to discuss setting up a surf club, and even sketched out the artwork for their first t-shirt.

This led to the founding of the non-profit Phuket Boardriders Club in 2002. The club’s aim was to “strengthen local surfing” and organize contests, and they gained support and sponsorship from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the local government. Other organizations, such as the Thailand Surfing Federation, were later set up to help promote and fund the sport nationwide.

Bert Berger, an Australian innovator and lifelong surfer, founder of Sunova Surfboards and co-founder of Firewire, runs his board production out of Khao Lak. He first discovered surfing in Phuket in 1976. “It was all pretty rugged back then. The southern corner between Patong and Kalim really picked up the swell, and had power, and I surfed alone a lot. That’s no longer possible, as many more user groups are now competing for space.”

For the last six years, Bert has been involved in sponsoring and judging Phuket’s multiple annual surf competitions, and can attest firsthand to the surf scene’s explosion. ”A huge number of kids are turning out for these competitions. I would say social media has had the greatest influence, in attracting numbers – boys and girls.”

It seems COVID travel restrictions marked an increase in Phuket’s surf numbers. David Sautebin, owner/designer/shaper of Elleciel custom surfboards on the island, who together with his wife also owns Green Room Surf Shop in Rawai, has witnessed a massive shift in the local surf scene over the last three years. “Since Thai people couldn’t travel overseas, they turned their attention to activities they could do in Thailand,” he noticed. “We had a regular influx of people from Bangkok coming to the island to surf and buy our custom boards.”

Not everyone can afford a custom board, but David mentioned that imported fixer-upper boards from Japan have allowed access to surfing among lower income groups. “I feel Thais have also transformed their relationship with the sea and being exposed to the sun. Perhaps because social media has popularized surf-life and van-life trends, in Thailand, and publicized that there is actually surf in Thailand.”

Kata Beach is arguably one of the most popular surf spots, and home to Phuket Surf, Thailand’s oldest surf shop and school. Established in 1999, you can rent or buy boards and receive instruction. “Kata is a wide beach, with plenty of space to play on the waves, and has a sandy bottom, ideal for safely learning how to surf,” says Ying Bunchalorn, surfer and Phuket Surf MD. “I live here and love to surf here.”

Before you go booking flights and packing up your board, surfing in Phuket is seasonal. The best waves are from May to October. However, Thailand is surfable year-round in different locations, so do check swell info at www.magicseaweed.com.

Due to Phuket’s location, it is largely sheltered from vast swells by Northern Sumatra. Phuket never sees waves like in Hawaii or Bali, but this provides a level of comfort and safety. Pros looking for bigger waves can find them further north of Phuket, where swells are able to get much higher, and are more consistent throughout the year.

“Phuket’s waves may be smaller, but are always fun,” says Adisak  ‘Joe’ Atipongtawon, owner/shaper of Phuket’s Joe Craft Surfboards. “Bali has bigger surf, but it’s quite dangerous with lots of reef breaks, and it’s crowded, causing frequent accidents.” Joe finds Phuket far more chilled: “Access to surf spots is easy, beaches are beautiful, water is warm, so you don’t have to worry when wiping out!”

During Phuket’s off-season, or if you just can’t swim, there is an alternative at Surf House Phuket, on Patong Beach. Open all year, they have a FlowRider, where you can hone your skills, or simply hang out and feel the surf vibes.

With a growing number of surf shops and schools, highly skilled local board manufacturers and rising numbers of local talent, as well as temperate waters, sandy bottoms and beautiful beaches, Phuket’s surf culture is riding the pocket of a comfortable wave.

Ready for a getaway to Phuket? Fly directly to Phuket with Thai Airways and Thai Smile Airways.