Best Time to Dive in Bohol / Panglao
Plan for January to May, when the downpours ease — 4 days a month of heavy rain instead of 8. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month.
- Best time
- Jan–May
- Water
- 28–30 °C
- Visibility
- 15–30 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.9–1.9 m
- Species logged
- 7
Worth knowing: 7 days a month of heavy rain.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Bohol / Panglao — 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 | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 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 | 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 Bohol / Panglao diving season
January to May · Peak season
5 months- Water temperature
- 28–30 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 21 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind eases. The sea is calmer.
Marine lifeWhale shark (near-guaranteed) peaks at Bohol / Panglao in these months.
June to July · Shoulder season
2 months- Water temperature
- 30–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 24 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. The sea is rougher.
Marine lifeWhale shark (near-guaranteed) peaks at Bohol / Panglao in these months.
August to September · Shoulder season
2 months- Water temperature
- 29–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 21 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. The sea is rougher.
Marine lifeWhale shark (near-guaranteed) peaks at Bohol / Panglao in these months.
October to December · Off season
3 months- Water temperature
- 29–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 27 days a month
Diving conditionsThe sea is rougher. It rains more.
Marine lifeWhale shark (near-guaranteed) peaks at Bohol / Panglao in these months.
- Spring tides run 1.9 m against 0.9 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.
Bohol / Panglao water temperature and weather
476 underwater observation records · 19 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Bohol / Panglao 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 under 1% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
7 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.9 m | 0% | 22 | 7 | 29 °C | 11.5 h |
| February | 0.9 m | 0% | 19 | 3 | 29 °C | 11.7 h |
| March | 0.7 m | 0% | 21 | 4 | 29 °C | 11.9 h |
| April | 0.6 m | 0% | 20 | 3 | 30 °C | 12.2 h |
| May | 0.6 m | 0% | 25 | 6 | 30 °C | 12.4 h |
| June | 0.5 m | 0% | 26 | 8 | 30 °C | 12.6 h |
| July | 0.9 m | 1% | 21 | 9 | 30 °C | 12.5 h |
| August | 0.7 m | 0% | 20 | 7 | 30 °C | 12.3 h |
| September | 0.9 m | 1% | 22 | 7 | 30 °C | 12.0 h |
| October | 0.7 m | 2% | 28 | 12 | 29 °C | 11.8 h |
| November | 0.8 m | 1% | 26 | 7 | 29 °C | 11.6 h |
| December | 0.7 m | 0% | 27 | 7 | 29 °C | 11.4 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: Excellent | March week 1: Excellent | April week 1: Excellent | May week 1: Good | June week 1: Moderate | July week 1: Good | August week 1: Moderate | September week 1: Good | October week 1: Poor | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Good | February week 2: Excellent | March week 2: Excellent | April week 2: Excellent | May week 2: Excellent | June week 2: Moderate | July week 2: Moderate | August week 2: Excellent | September week 2: Good | October week 2: Moderate | November week 2: Poor | December week 2: Poor |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Good | February week 3: Excellent | March week 3: Excellent | April week 3: Excellent | May week 3: Excellent | June week 3: Moderate | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Excellent | September week 3: Moderate | October week 3: Poor | November week 3: Poor | December week 3: Poor |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Good | February week 4: Excellent | March week 4: Excellent | April week 4: Excellent | May week 4: Excellent | June week 4: Moderate | July week 4: Poor | August week 4: Good | September week 4: Good | 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 | 0.8 m | 17 km/h | 77% |
| Week 2 | Good | 28 °C | 0.9 m | 17 km/h | 74% |
| Week 3 | Good | 28 °C | 0.9 m | 18 km/h | 71% |
| Week 4 | Good | 28 °C | 0.8 m | 18 km/h | 69% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.8 m | 18 km/h | 65% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 27 °C | 0.8 m | 18 km/h | 66% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.9 m | 18 km/h | 68% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.9 m | 18 km/h | 65% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.8 m | 17 km/h | 64% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.7 m | 16 km/h | 68% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.7 m | 15 km/h | 68% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.7 m | 15 km/h | 69% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.6 m | 14 km/h | 71% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 67% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 58% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 62% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 12 km/h | 71% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 12 km/h | 77% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 86% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 12 km/h | 85% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 12 km/h | 81% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 12 km/h | 81% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 87% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 92% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 13 km/h | 86% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 14 km/h | 83% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 17 km/h | 70% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 20 km/h | 52% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 20 km/h | 50% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 17 km/h | 58% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 16 km/h | 67% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 17 km/h | 68% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 15 km/h | 69% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 14 km/h | 76% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 15 km/h | 77% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 14 km/h | 75% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 13 km/h | 83% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 92% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 13 km/h | 93% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.1 m | 14 km/h | 90% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 14 km/h | 87% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 14 km/h | 83% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 15 km/h | 84% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 15 km/h | 85% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 15 km/h | 87% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 16 km/h | 87% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 16 km/h | 85% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 0.8 m | 16 km/h | 82% |
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: 3 mm | March: skin | April: skin | May: skin | June: skin | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: skin |
- Mar–Janskin or 3 mm shorty
- Feb3 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
8 of the last 30 Decembers saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Oct–Apr, Jun–Jul.
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
Bohol / Panglao marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green turtle | All year | Near-guaranteed | 233 | ||
| Whale shark | All year | Near-guaranteed | 126 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | All year | Likely | 36 | ||
| Spinner dolphin | Jun–Aug | Likely | 17 | ||
| Blacktip reef shark | Jan, Oct–Nov | Hit-or-miss | 8 | ||
| Bigeye trevally | Mar, Oct–Nov | Likely | 17 | ||
| Whitetip reef shark | Jan–Feb, Jun–Jul | Hit-or-miss | 14 |
- 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 Bohol / Panglao — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Bohol / Panglao?
- Plan for January to May, when the downpours ease — 4 days a month of heavy rain instead of 8. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month.
- When is the diving season in Bohol / Panglao?
- The diving season in Bohol / Panglao runs January to May.
- Is the diving in Bohol / Panglao good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Bohol / Panglao?
- Between 28 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 Bohol / Panglao?
- 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 Bohol / Panglao?
- 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 Bohol / Panglao?
- The most consistently recorded species are Green turtle (near-guaranteed), Whale shark (near-guaranteed) and Hawksbill turtle (likely), from 476 records within 60 km.
- Does Bohol / Panglao get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Oct–Apr, Jun–Jul, most often in December at 8 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Bohol / Panglao?
- The tide rises and falls 1.9 m around the full and new moon, against 0.9 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Bohol / Panglao?
- November–December are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Bohol / Panglao?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Jan–May.