Best Time to Dive in Apo Island
Go February to May, when the rain backs off — 13 wet days a month instead of 22. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month.
- Best time
- Feb–May
- Water
- 27–30 °C
- Visibility
- 15–30 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.8–1.8 m
- Species logged
- 4
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Apo Island — monthly breakdown
A year of scuba diving conditions at a glance. Hover a month to isolate it.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditions | Moderate | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Moderate | Poor | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
| Visibility (m) | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 |
| Marine life | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Apo Island diving season
January · Shoulder season
1 month- Water temperature
- 28–28 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 16 days a month
Diving conditionsRain is frequent topside. The wind is up. The sea is rougher.
Marine lifeWhale shark (near-guaranteed) peaks at Apo Island in these months.
February to May · Peak season
4 months- Water temperature
- 27–29 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 13 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains less. The wind is up.
Marine lifeWhale shark (near-guaranteed) peaks at Apo Island in these months.
June to July · Shoulder season
2 months- Water temperature
- 29–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 24 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind eases. It rains more.
Marine lifeWhale shark (near-guaranteed) peaks at Apo Island in these months.
August to December · Off season
5 months- Water temperature
- 29–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 23 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind eases. It rains more.
Marine lifeWhale shark (near-guaranteed) peaks at Apo Island in these months.
- Spring tides run 1.8 m against 0.8 m on neaps, so currents build around the full and new moon.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Apo Island water temperature and weather
369 underwater observation records · 18 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Apo Island water temperature by month
The dashed line is the monthly average. Eight days in ten fall inside the band.
10th to 90th percentile rangemonthly mean
Seas top 1.5 m on 3% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
5 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.3 m | 0% | 16 | 4 | 29 °C | 11.5 h |
| February | 1.3 m | 0% | 12 | 2 | 29 °C | 11.7 h |
| March | 1.1 m | 0% | 10 | 1 | 30 °C | 11.9 h |
| April | 0.9 m | 0% | 11 | 2 | 31 °C | 12.2 h |
| May | 0.8 m | 0% | 20 | 4 | 31 °C | 12.4 h |
| June | 0.7 m | 0% | 24 | 8 | 30 °C | 12.5 h |
| July | 1.3 m | 0% | 24 | 8 | 30 °C | 12.5 h |
| August | 1.0 m | 0% | 22 | 7 | 30 °C | 12.3 h |
| September | 1.4 m | 0% | 23 | 9 | 30 °C | 12.0 h |
| October | 1.2 m | 0% | 26 | 11 | 30 °C | 11.8 h |
| November | 1.1 m | 0% | 23 | 5 | 30 °C | 11.6 h |
| December | 1.0 m | 0% | 22 | 4 | 29 °C | 11.5 h |
Swell is the rough end of the month: nine days in ten come in under it. Sea temperature covers 10 years, waves 4.
Pick your week
48 weeks from the daily record. Darker is better, against this site's own year. Pick a month for the detail.
| Week 1 | January week 1: Good | February week 1: Moderate | March week 1: Good | April week 1: Good | May week 1: Good | June week 1: Poor | July week 1: Moderate | August week 1: Moderate | September week 1: Moderate | October week 1: Moderate | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Moderate | February week 2: Moderate | March week 2: Excellent | April week 2: Excellent | May week 2: Good | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Poor | August week 2: Good | September week 2: Poor | October week 2: Moderate | November week 2: Poor | December week 2: Poor |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Moderate | February week 3: Good | March week 3: Excellent | April week 3: Excellent | May week 3: Excellent | June week 3: Good | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Good | September week 3: Poor | October week 3: Poor | November week 3: Poor | December week 3: Poor |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Moderate | February week 4: Excellent | March week 4: Excellent | April week 4: Excellent | May week 4: Excellent | June week 4: Good | July week 4: Poor | August week 4: Poor | September week 4: Moderate | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Poor |
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 28 °C | 1.2 m | 23 km/h | 60% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 23 km/h | 53% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.3 m | 23 km/h | 51% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.2 m | 24 km/h | 49% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.2 m | 24 km/h | 47% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.2 m | 25 km/h | 44% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 1.3 m | 25 km/h | 38% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.3 m | 26 km/h | 31% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 27 °C | 1.3 m | 24 km/h | 30% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.1 m | 23 km/h | 32% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.0 m | 23 km/h | 29% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.0 m | 23 km/h | 33% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 28 °C | 0.9 m | 22 km/h | 39% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 1.0 m | 20 km/h | 35% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.9 m | 20 km/h | 31% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 20 km/h | 39% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 19 km/h | 49% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 17 km/h | 58% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 15 km/h | 68% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 14 km/h | 72% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.0 m | 14 km/h | 77% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.0 m | 14 km/h | 75% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 74% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 14 km/h | 81% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 14 km/h | 80% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 15 km/h | 84% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.6 m | 16 km/h | 85% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 19 km/h | 68% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 19 km/h | 63% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 17 km/h | 71% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 16 km/h | 74% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 16 km/h | 74% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.3 m | 16 km/h | 75% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.5 m | 16 km/h | 80% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.7 m | 16 km/h | 74% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 15 km/h | 72% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.0 m | 14 km/h | 79% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 1.0 m | 14 km/h | 84% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.4 m | 15 km/h | 85% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 30 °C | 2.1 m | 15 km/h | 85% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 17 km/h | 82% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 19 km/h | 74% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 20 km/h | 72% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 22 km/h | 73% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 21 km/h | 72% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 20 km/h | 73% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 22 km/h | 72% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.1 m | 22 km/h | 71% |
10 years of daily records, averaged into weeks.
Gear & storms
What to wear
Off the coldest water of each month, not the average — that is what the suit has to cope with.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suit | January: 3 mm | February: 3 mm | March: 3 mm | April: skin | May: skin | June: skin | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: skin |
- Jan–Mar3 mm full suit
- Apr–Decskin or 3 mm shorty
Swell through the year
The rough end of each month — nine days in ten come in under it.
Amber is over 1.5 m.
Tides
Tropical storms
6 of the last 30 Novembers saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Nov–Mar, Jun.
Share of the last 30 years with a storm that month.
- NOAASea surface temperature, from OISST and MUR
- ERA5Wind, waves, rain and air temperature, via Open-Meteo
- OBISMarine species records within 60 km
- IBTrACSTropical cyclone tracks, 1996 to 2025
Apo Island marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whale shark | All year | Near-guaranteed | 107 | ||
| Green turtle | All year | Near-guaranteed | 167 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | All year | Near-guaranteed | 41 | ||
| Bigeye trevally | Mar, Jun, Oct–Nov | Likely | 18 |
- Observed window
- Months with records. Peak is where most of them fall.
- Reliability
- Near-guaranteed in 60% of surveyed years or more
- Likely 30% to 60%
- Hit-or-miss under 30%
- Evidence
- Years it was seen, out of the years anyone surveyed.
- Records
- OBIS sightings within 60 km.
These are sightings people logged, not a full survey of the reef. A species missing from a month may just mean nobody recorded one.
Diving Apo Island — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Apo Island?
- Go February to May, when the rain backs off — 13 wet days a month instead of 22. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month.
- When is the diving season in Apo Island?
- The diving season in Apo Island runs February to May.
- Is the diving in Apo Island good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Apo Island?
- Between 27 and 30 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in February and warmest in June. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Apo Island?
- A 3 mm full suit covers the coldest water of the year. In the warmest months a skin or 3 mm shorty is enough.
- What is the visibility like in Apo Island?
- Roughly 15 to 30 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Apo Island?
- The most consistently recorded species are Whale shark (near-guaranteed), Green turtle (near-guaranteed) and Hawksbill turtle (near-guaranteed), from 369 records within 60 km.
- Does Apo Island get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Nov–Mar, Jun, most often in November at 6 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Apo Island?
- The tide rises and falls 1.8 m around the full and new moon, against 0.8 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Apo Island?
- October–December are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Apo Island?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Feb–May.