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Racha Yai - Home Run Reef
GPS Location: 07-36-35N 98-22-47E
Max Depth: 5-22M
Currents: Mild to strong
Visibility: 15M-30M
Diver Level: Beginner
Home Run Reef is the northernmost of the East side reefs and as such most affected by the tides hence experiences some strong currents. Dives are usually one way dives along the reef slope depending on the
current’s direction. To the South of the site is a small bay which is an ideal place to start the dive especially for beginners as it is sheltered from the current. The topography is sloping hard coral reef which meets the sand between 15M-20M and this slopes gradually off away from the island. To the South East of the northern corner of the bay, lying in the sand about 40M from the reef at 22M is The Andaman Explorer wreck, a small dive vessel that was purposefully sunk for divers. Due to serious collapse caused by the tidal changes among other factors all decks have collapsed and it sits no more than about a meter off the sand now. However it provides an interesting habitat for less common species like catfish and honeycomb morays. Shoals of glassfish add to the scene and it becomes an interesting highlight of the dive. Due to a lack of notable landmarks for locating the wreck it is best to start the dive on the South side if the current allows to have a good chance of finding it and not exceeding NDLs. On a good day the outline of the reef at the bay’s corner can just be discerned from the wreck, failing that a swim of no more than 4 or 5 minutes on a bearing of around 315° is sufficient.
Marine Life consists of hard corals like staghorns, branch corals, lobed pore corals and heliopora. Damsels, wrasses, surgeonfish, angelfish, groupers, parrotfish and butterflyfish are all common. Huge, lone great barracudas are often sighted here, probably enjoying the swifter currents, trumpetfish, flute mouthed fish and groupers are common too. Around the wreck various moray species, lionfish, scorpionfish, catfish and glassfish compliment an already diverse marine habitat.
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