Karon Beach
Surf spot · Thailand
Is it worth the trip?
10Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: too small (1 ft swell at 12 s)
Tue 3 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft21 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- E 9 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft18 s
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- S 5 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Thu 5 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft15 s
- Energy
- 9kJ
- Wind
- W 2 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 13kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sat 7 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 11kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sun 8 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 8kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Mon 9 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 3kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 211, too small
- Tue 33, too small
- Wed 46, too small
- Thu 58, too small
- Fri 613, too small
- Sat 712, too small
- Sun 810, too small
- Mon 96, too small
- Tue 105, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
- Best May–Jul1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
Karon Beach does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 11, too small | 1 ft10 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 12kJ | wind from the north-west, 1 knot | 30°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 3, too small | under 1 ft21 s1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the east, 9 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 6, too small | under 1 ft18 s1 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the south, 5 knots | 29°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 8, too small | under 1 ft15 s1 ft at break (est.) | 9kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 13, too small | 1 ft12 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 12, too small | 1 ft12 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 11kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 10, too small | 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 7 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 6, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 3kJ | offshorewind from the east, 6 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 5, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | offshorewind from the east, 6 knots, offshore | 27°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 02:54 +0.7 mLow 09:53 −0.6 mHigh 16:19 +0.4 mLow 22:14 −0.3 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 04:30 +0.5 mLow 11:26 −0.5 mHigh 18:05 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:02 −0.3 mHigh 06:12 +0.5 mLow 12:43 −0.6 mHigh 19:16 +0.6 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best May–Jul
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Karon Beach on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Karon Beach
More surf near here
5 places
- Kata Beach 3.2 km away
- Kata Noi 4.8 km away
- Patong Beach 4.8 km away
- Kalim Beach 6.9 km away
- Kamala 11.5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Karon Beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (256°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (76°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 41). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 29°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually May, June and July, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Patong, 5.4 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 1 dive site.
Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,250–US$2,450 each
about US$1,250–US$2,450 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to HKT, estimated from distance and season, changing at HKG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$898–US$1,860 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$47–US$80 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$100–US$161 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$114–US$208 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$87–US$141 |
| Total | about US$1,250–US$2,450 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 2 towns
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 min by car · 931 places to stay
about US$33/nightcountry average
About Patong its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Kamala on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 191 places to stay
About US$33 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 27h 30m
About 27h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → HKT, changing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), then 45 min by road
Flights ORD → HKT on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.