Fiji · Beqa Lagoon
Best Time to Dive in Beqa Lagoon, Fiji
18.40°S 178.05°E
Go March to July for bull shark. 41% of days see seas over 1.5 m then. The calmest water is August to September.
- Best time
- Mar, May, Jul
- Water
- 26–29 °C
- Visibility
- 15–30 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 1.0–1.6 m
- Species logged
- 10
Worth knowing: 41% of days see seas over 1.5 m.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Beqa Lagoon, Fiji — 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 | Excellent | Poor | Excellent | Poor | Excellent | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 |
| Visibility (m) | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 |
| Marine life | Steady | Steady | Busy | Steady | Busy | Steady | Busy | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Mar, May, Jul
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Beqa Lagoon, Fiji diving season
May · Peak season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 28–28 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 18 days a month
Diving conditionsSwell is common, and crossings can be rough. Rain is frequent topside.
June to April · Off season
11 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 26–29 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 19 days a month
Diving conditionsSwell is common, and crossings can be rough. Rain is frequent topside.
Marine lifeScalloped hammerhead (hit-or-miss), Tiger shark (likely) peak at Beqa Lagoon, Fiji in these months.
- Spring tides run 1.6 m against 1.0 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.
Fiji water temperature and weather
522 underwater observation records · 20 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Beqa Lagoon, Fiji 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
10
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 33% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
3
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
19
wet days a month
4 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.6 m | 5% | 23 | 6 | 28 °C | 13.0 h |
| February | 1.7 m | 5% | 23 | 8 | 28 °C | 12.6 h |
| March | 1.6 m | 1% | 24 | 8 | 28 °C | 12.1 h |
| April | 1.9 m | 9% | 21 | 5 | 28 °C | 11.6 h |
| May | 2.1 m | 15% | 18 | 4 | 27 °C | 11.1 h |
| June | 2.0 m | 12% | 15 | 2 | 26 °C | 10.9 h |
| July | 2.2 m | 16% | 15 | 2 | 25 °C | 11.0 h |
| August | 2.0 m | 19% | 14 | 2 | 25 °C | 11.4 h |
| September | 2.1 m | 16% | 14 | 2 | 25 °C | 11.9 h |
| October | 2.0 m | 16% | 17 | 4 | 26 °C | 12.4 h |
| November | 1.7 m | 6% | 18 | 4 | 27 °C | 12.9 h |
| December | 1.6 m | 6% | 21 | 6 | 27 °C | 13.1 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: Moderate | February week 1: Poor | March week 1: Good | April week 1: Moderate | May week 1: Excellent | June week 1: Poor | July week 1: Good | August week 1: Poor | September week 1: Poor | October week 1: Poor | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Moderate | February week 2: Moderate | March week 2: Excellent | April week 2: Poor | May week 2: Good | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Good | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Poor | October week 2: Moderate | November week 2: Poor | December week 2: Moderate |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Poor | February week 3: Moderate | March week 3: Good | April week 3: Poor | May week 3: Excellent | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Good | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Moderate | October week 3: Moderate | November week 3: Poor | December week 3: Moderate |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Poor | February week 4: Moderate | March week 4: Good | April week 4: Poor | May week 4: Good | June week 4: Moderate | July week 4: Good | August week 4: Poor | September week 4: Poor | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Moderate |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: third of May
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 25 km/h | 72% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.7 m | 23 km/h | 72% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.6 m | 22 km/h | 74% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 23 km/h | 80% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.7 m | 24 km/h | 84% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.9 m | 25 km/h | 85% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.8 m | 26 km/h | 81% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.7 m | 25 km/h | 75% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 1.9 m | 25 km/h | 72% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.7 m | 25 km/h | 72% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 24 km/h | 75% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 1.4 m | 24 km/h | 81% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 29 °C | 1.5 m | 26 km/h | 74% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.8 m | 27 km/h | 65% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.9 m | 27 km/h | 67% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.9 m | 27 km/h | 73% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 2.1 m | 31 km/h | 73% |
| Week 2 | Good | 28 °C | 2.1 m | 33 km/h | 61% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 2.1 m | 31 km/h | 50% |
| Week 4 | Good | 27 °C | 2.1 m | 28 km/h | 50% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 27 °C | 2.0 m | 29 km/h | 49% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.9 m | 30 km/h | 46% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.9 m | 30 km/h | 46% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 27 °C | 2.0 m | 32 km/h | 51% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 26 °C | 2.1 m | 34 km/h | 55% |
| Week 2 | Good | 26 °C | 2.3 m | 33 km/h | 49% |
| Week 3 | Good | 26 °C | 2.2 m | 31 km/h | 44% |
| Week 4 | Good | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 32 km/h | 46% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 32 km/h | 45% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 31 km/h | 43% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 32 km/h | 45% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 32 km/h | 44% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 32 km/h | 42% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 33 km/h | 47% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 26 °C | 2.1 m | 34 km/h | 53% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.1 m | 33 km/h | 46% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 26 °C | 2.1 m | 33 km/h | 46% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 26 °C | 2.0 m | 33 km/h | 59% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.9 m | 34 km/h | 62% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.8 m | 33 km/h | 56% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.7 m | 31 km/h | 61% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.9 m | 29 km/h | 63% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.8 m | 26 km/h | 57% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 26 km/h | 58% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 27 km/h | 63% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 28 km/h | 68% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 28 km/h | 68% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 27 km/h | 70% |
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: 3 mm | December: skin |
- Dec–Mayskin or 3 mm shorty
- Jun–Nov3 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
6 of the last 30 Aprils saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Oct–May.
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
Beqa Lagoon, Fiji marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bull shark | Mar, May, Jul | Near-guaranteed | 123 | ||
| Grey reef shark | All year | Near-guaranteed | 27 | ||
| Whitetip reef shark | May–Jun | Likely | 95 | ||
| Camouflage grouper | Jul, Sep | Hit-or-miss | 34 | ||
| Blacktip reef shark | Dec–Jan, Mar–Apr | Likely | 17 | ||
| Scalloped hammerhead | Mar | Hit-or-miss | 82 | ||
| Tiger shark | Mar, Jul | Likely | 56 | ||
| Silvertip shark | Jan, Jul, Sep | Likely | 19 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | Jan, Aug | Hit-or-miss | 16 | ||
| Bigeye trevally | Apr, Oct | Hit-or-miss | 8 |
Peak Present No survey data
- 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 Beqa Lagoon, Fiji — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Beqa Lagoon, Fiji?
- Go March to July for bull shark. 41% of days see seas over 1.5 m then. The calmest water is August to September.
- When is the diving season in Beqa Lagoon, Fiji?
- Conditions are good August to September, but most divers come March, May, July for the marine life.
- Is the diving in Beqa Lagoon, Fiji 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 Beqa Lagoon, Fiji?
- Between 26 and 29 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in September and warmest in February. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Beqa Lagoon, Fiji?
- 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 Beqa Lagoon, Fiji?
- 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 Beqa Lagoon, Fiji?
- The most consistently recorded species are Bull shark (near-guaranteed), Grey reef shark (near-guaranteed) and Whitetip reef shark (likely), from 522 records within 60 km.
- Does Beqa Lagoon, Fiji get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Oct–May, most often in April at 6 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Beqa Lagoon, Fiji?
- The tide rises and falls 1.6 m around the full and new moon, against 1.0 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Beqa Lagoon, Fiji?
- August–February, April, June are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Beqa Lagoon, Fiji?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Aug–Sep.