Racha Yai : Dive Site Information
Racha Yai is a granite island which means the water is always clear and the many shallow, protected bays all around the island make it an ideal diving day trip at any time of the year. It is a favorite of Phuket dive boats due to its close proximity. Racha Yai is the perfect place to learn scuba diving in Phuket, for snorkeling, and for divers who have not been in the water for a while. Local residents in the coral gardens and staghorn reef include titan triggerfish, moray eels, cuttlefish, octopus, and giant pufferfish.
Racha Yai island, around 12km south of Phuket, generally offers easy diving with good conditions and is a popular destination for those taking SCUBA diving courses or for divers with family/friends who would like to snorkel on the same trip.
During the green season (usually May to October) most of the diving takes place around the handful of hard coral bays or rocky reefs that run the length of the eastern coastline
In high season, diving tends to move to the reefs bordering Bungalow Bay or Siam Bay on the North East of the island, although the east coastline is still preferred if prevailing wind/waves permit. At peak tides, currents can be strong and so provide an excellent drift dive experience (boat pickup).
With lots of sandy areas, the hard coral bays are perfect for courses and inexperienced divers, with access to some simple wrecks just a short swim away from bay 1 at depths of 18-25m for the more experienced. There is a good variety of marine life on the shallow hard coral reefs, the rocky reefs between the bays or around the artificial reefs (hollow concrete cubes) that range from 12m to 30m depth.
Octopus and cuttlefish, punching mantis shrimp, many types of morays, banded sea snakes, blue-spotted Kuhl’s stingrays, flounders, and striped shrimpfish can be included among the regular reef fish that frequent the shallows. Also on occasion, Racha Yai gets flybys from manta rays and even visits from whale sharks!
Racha Yai is either done as a 2 tank dive day trip or in combination with Racha Noi on a 3 tank day trip.
2 Tank Boat Dive
THB3900
Nitrox +THB600
2 tank boat dives to the amazing reefs in Phuket!
Rental gear included - no hidden fees
Tank included
Dive guide fee included
Lunch included on the boat
Transportation to/from the boat (select areas)
3 Tank Boat Dive
THB4300
Nitrox +THB900
3 tank boat dives, make a great day of diving!
Rental gear included - no hidden fees
Tanks included
Dive guide fee included
Lunch included on the boat
Transportation to/from the boat (select areas)
Racha Yai Gallery
Just off of Bay 1, the Harruby wreck at around 18-23m depth is just perfect for the basics of a wreck diving course with plenty of open space and points to tie-off lines. The deteriorated Andaman Eagle wreck at around 25m depth offers more marine life.
There is also a very small wreck that is commonly called the ‘old speedboat’ (now mostly just collapsed plates) at 20m+ depth off the north corner of Bay 1 and a larger wreck further out (Marla’s Mystery) at around 30m depth that can make interesting focal points on certain dives.
The wrecks at Racha Yai make it a perfect location for your PADI Wreck Diver Specialty Course.