Phuket · Thailand · Reef · Night
Meridien Beach
A 3 to 12 m house reef off the beach for training, macro and night dives
Area photo: Jeanvenotella · CC BY-SA 4.0
Meridien Beach at Karon Noi is Le Meridien Phuket's private house reef: a healthy coral reef in a sheltered bay between 3 m and 12 m, entered straight from the sand. It is used for training, and it doubles as a macro and night-dive site, with good visibility in the bay and plenty of tropical fish.
Also known as Karon Noi House Reef.
Where it is and how deep
7.8633° N, 98.2810° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
This is a shore dive from the beach at Karon Noi, so the dive begins walking out from the sand into a sheltered bay. The reef starts shallow, at 3 m, and the deepest point is only 12 m, which is why the site works for training: the whole profile sits within Open Water limits and there is no boat and no depth to manage. Swim out over the coral and pick a depth, then follow the reef along the bay.
The reef itself is healthy coral with a good number of tropical fish over it, and the visibility in the bay is good. Slow down for the macro life, which is the site's strength on a day dive, and come back after dark for the night dive, when the same shallow reef is worked with a torch. The dive ends the way it began, with a swim back into the shallows and a walk out onto the sand.
Marine life and season
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Phuket: Calm, dry conditions mid-Oct to May; the May–Oct monsoon cuts clarity but Phuket's sites stay open, unlike the Similans (closed 16 May–15 Oct).
Questions divers ask
How deep is Meridien Beach house reef?+
The reef lies between 3 m and 12 m in a sheltered bay, which is why it is used for training, macro dives and night dives from the shore.
Can you shore dive at Karon Noi?+
Yes. Meridien Beach is Le Meridien Phuket's private house reef and is dived straight from the sand; arrange access through the resort or a centre that uses it.
Sources
- Meridian Beach — Scubago
More dive sites in Phuket
Pinnacle
Large schools of barracuda on an exposed pinnacle in strong current
Reef
Boulders and coral off Karon Beach, dived from the shore in mild current
A wreck at 8 m and a drift south down a slope that reaches 40 m
A 34 m barge lying open at 30 to 34 m off Racha Yai's east coast
Wreck
Small wrecks and concrete cubes in one calm bay, with batfish in the hulls
Similar dives elsewhere
Shallow coral-block reef the dive tables list as a night dive
Calm ten-metre sand and coral bay used for training and night dives
Shallow bay under the duck-shaped rock, with no current
Shallow coral bay used for snorkelling and night dives