Indonesia
Best Time to Dive in Nusa Penida
8.75°S 115.44°E
Go July to October. Conditions are at their best, and the draw is the mola at Crystal Bay — the reef mantas at Manta Point are resident and dived all year.
- Best time
- Jul–Oct
- Water
- 27–29 °C
- Visibility
- 15–30 m
- Season runs
- Mar–Nov
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 1.1–2.6 m
- Species logged
- 10
Worth knowing: 89% of days see seas over 1.5 m.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Nusa Penida — 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 | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 |
| Visibility (m) | 20–30 | 20–30 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 |
| Marine life | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Steady | Steady |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Jul–Oct
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Nusa Penida diving season
July to October · Peak season
4 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 27–28 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 14 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind eases. It rains less.
Marine lifeReef manta (near-guaranteed), Bump-head sunfish (near-guaranteed) peak at Nusa Penida in these months.
November to June · Off season
8 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 28–29 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 23 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. It rains more.
Marine lifeReef manta (near-guaranteed) peaks at Nusa Penida in these months.
- Spring tides run 2.6 m against 1.1 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.
Nusa Penida water temperature and weather
811 underwater observation records · 23 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Nusa Penida 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
22
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 74% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
0
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
20
wet days a month
4 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.1 m | 0% | 28 | 10 | 29 °C | 12.5 h |
| February | 2.5 m | 0% | 27 | 11 | 29 °C | 12.3 h |
| March | 2.2 m | 0% | 27 | 7 | 29 °C | 12.1 h |
| April | 2.2 m | 0% | 20 | 3 | 30 °C | 11.8 h |
| May | 2.3 m | 0% | 16 | 1 | 30 °C | 11.6 h |
| June | 2.5 m | 0% | 15 | 1 | 29 °C | 11.5 h |
| July | 2.8 m | 0% | 11 | 0 | 28 °C | 11.5 h |
| August | 2.7 m | 0% | 12 | 0 | 29 °C | 11.7 h |
| September | 2.5 m | 0% | 15 | 1 | 29 °C | 12.0 h |
| October | 2.3 m | 0% | 17 | 1 | 30 °C | 12.2 h |
| November | 1.8 m | 0% | 24 | 5 | 30 °C | 12.4 h |
| December | 2.0 m | 0% | 26 | 9 | 29 °C | 12.5 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: Poor | February week 1: Poor | March week 1: Poor | April week 1: Poor | May week 1: Poor | June week 1: Poor | July week 1: Good | August week 1: Good | September week 1: Good | October week 1: Excellent | November week 1: Moderate | December week 1: Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Poor | February week 2: Poor | March week 2: Poor | April week 2: Poor | May week 2: Moderate | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Good | August week 2: Good | September week 2: Good | October week 2: Good | November week 2: Moderate | December week 2: Poor |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Poor | February week 3: Poor | March week 3: Poor | April week 3: Poor | May week 3: Poor | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Good | August week 3: Good | September week 3: Good | October week 3: Good | November week 3: Poor | December week 3: Poor |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Poor | February week 4: Poor | March week 4: Poor | April week 4: Poor | May week 4: Poor | June week 4: Poor | July week 4: Good | August week 4: Good | September week 4: Good | October week 4: Good | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Poor |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: first of October
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.0 m | 15 km/h | 89% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.1 m | 16 km/h | 84% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.2 m | 18 km/h | 89% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.2 m | 18 km/h | 95% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.6 m | 17 km/h | 95% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.5 m | 16 km/h | 96% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.1 m | 14 km/h | 93% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.0 m | 12 km/h | 91% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.2 m | 12 km/h | 89% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.3 m | 12 km/h | 87% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.3 m | 12 km/h | 84% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.0 m | 12 km/h | 83% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.9 m | 12 km/h | 82% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.1 m | 13 km/h | 74% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.2 m | 14 km/h | 61% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.1 m | 16 km/h | 53% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.2 m | 16 km/h | 54% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 28 °C | 2.3 m | 18 km/h | 52% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.2 m | 19 km/h | 43% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.4 m | 18 km/h | 48% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.6 m | 17 km/h | 51% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.6 m | 18 km/h | 48% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.5 m | 19 km/h | 47% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 2.5 m | 20 km/h | 47% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 27 °C | 2.5 m | 21 km/h | 44% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 2.6 m | 21 km/h | 36% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 2.7 m | 21 km/h | 30% |
| Week 4 | Good | 27 °C | 2.8 m | 21 km/h | 39% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 27 °C | 3.0 m | 20 km/h | 43% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 2.8 m | 19 km/h | 41% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 2.5 m | 20 km/h | 40% |
| Week 4 | Good | 27 °C | 2.6 m | 20 km/h | 38% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 27 °C | 2.7 m | 19 km/h | 42% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 2.6 m | 18 km/h | 49% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 2.5 m | 17 km/h | 49% |
| Week 4 | Good | 27 °C | 2.5 m | 17 km/h | 50% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 2.5 m | 17 km/h | 52% |
| Week 2 | Good | 28 °C | 2.4 m | 17 km/h | 54% |
| Week 3 | Good | 28 °C | 2.2 m | 16 km/h | 56% |
| Week 4 | Good | 28 °C | 2.1 m | 15 km/h | 62% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 2.0 m | 15 km/h | 70% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.9 m | 14 km/h | 76% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.8 m | 14 km/h | 80% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.8 m | 13 km/h | 84% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.9 m | 14 km/h | 85% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.0 m | 15 km/h | 86% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.2 m | 17 km/h | 83% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 2.2 m | 17 km/h | 86% |
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: skin | February: skin | March: skin | April: skin | May: skin | June: 3 mm | July: 3 mm | August: 3 mm | September: 3 mm | October: 3 mm | November: skin | December: skin |
- Nov–Mayskin or 3 mm shorty
- Jun–Oct3 mm full suit
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
1 of the last 30 Aprils saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. April is the only month with a recorded pass.
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
Nusa Penida marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawksbill turtle | All year | Near-guaranteed | 239 | ||
| Reef manta | All year | Near-guaranteed | 216 | ||
| Bump-head sunfish | Aug–Oct | Near-guaranteed | 54 | ||
| Bluespotted ribbontail ray | All year | Near-guaranteed | 42 | ||
| Whitetip reef shark | All year | Near-guaranteed | 47 | ||
| Green turtle | All year | Likely | 109 | ||
| Bumphead parrotfish | Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec | Likely | 24 | ||
| Napoleon wrasse | All year | Likely | 22 | ||
| Bigeye trevally | Apr–May, Oct | Likely | 16 | ||
| Blacktip reef shark | Mar–Apr, Aug | Hit-or-miss | 8 |
Peak Present
- 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 Nusa Penida — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Nusa Penida?
- Go July to October. Conditions are at their best, and the draw is the mola at Crystal Bay — the reef mantas at Manta Point are resident and dived all year.
- When is the diving season in Nusa Penida?
- The diving season in Nusa Penida runs March to November, and it is at its best July to October.
- Is the diving in Nusa Penida good for beginners?
- It is better with some experience. It suits Advanced Open Water divers or equivalent, so newer divers should ask the local operator which sites fit their level.
- How warm is the water in Nusa Penida?
- Between 27 and 29 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in August and warmest in March. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Nusa Penida?
- 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 Nusa Penida?
- 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 Nusa Penida?
- The most consistently recorded species are Hawksbill turtle (near-guaranteed), Reef manta (near-guaranteed) and Bump-head sunfish (near-guaranteed), from 811 records within 60 km.
- Does Nusa Penida get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Apr, most often in April at 1 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Nusa Penida?
- The tide rises and falls 2.6 m around the full and new moon, against 1.1 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Nusa Penida?
- November–June are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Nusa Penida?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Mar–Nov.