USA
Best Time to Dive in Maui / Molokini
20.63°N 156.50°W
The wildlife shows no season worth planning around, so the weather picks your month: October to November.
- Best time
- Oct–Nov
- Water
- 25–27 °C
- Visibility
- 25–40 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.5–0.9 m
- Species logged
- 7
Worth knowing: 43% of days see seas over 1.5 m.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Maui / Molokini — 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 | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Excellent | Good | Good |
| Water temp (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
| Visibility (m) | 25–35 | 30–40 | 30–40 | 30–40 | 25–35 | 30–40 | 30–40 | 25–35 | 30–40 | 25–35 | 25–35 | 25–35 |
| Marine life | Steady | Steady | Steady | Busy | Busy | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Busy |
| Best time | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Oct–Nov
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Maui / Molokini diving season
February to June · Shoulder season
5 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 25–26 °C
- Visibility
- 30–40 m
- Rain
- 5 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. It rains more.
July to August · Off season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 27–27 °C
- Visibility
- 30–40 m
- Rain
- 3 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains less.
September · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 27–27 °C
- Visibility
- 30–40 m
- Rain
- 3 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains less.
October to January · Peak season
4 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 25–27 °C
- Visibility
- 25–35 m
- Rain
- 5 days a month
Diving conditionsSwell is common, and crossings can be rough.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Maui / Molokini water temperature and weather
9,909 underwater observation records · 31 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Maui / Molokini 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
7
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 24% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
1
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
4
wet days a month
0 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.6 m | 2% | 6 | 1 | 26 °C | 10.9 h |
| February | 2.1 m | 6% | 5 | 1 | 26 °C | 11.3 h |
| March | 1.8 m | 2% | 6 | 1 | 26 °C | 11.9 h |
| April | 1.8 m | 2% | 6 | 1 | 27 °C | 12.5 h |
| May | 1.8 m | 1% | 5 | 0 | 28 °C | 13.0 h |
| June | 1.7 m | 0% | 3 | 0 | 29 °C | 13.2 h |
| July | 1.6 m | 0% | 2 | 0 | 29 °C | 13.1 h |
| August | 1.7 m | 1% | 4 | 0 | 29 °C | 12.7 h |
| September | 1.4 m | 1% | 3 | 0 | 30 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 1.4 m | 0% | 4 | 0 | 29 °C | 11.5 h |
| November | 1.9 m | 3% | 3 | 0 | 28 °C | 11.0 h |
| December | 1.8 m | 4% | 5 | 1 | 27 °C | 10.8 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: Poor | May week 1: Poor | June week 1: Excellent | July week 1: Poor | August week 1: Poor | September week 1: Good | October week 1: Excellent | November week 1: Good | December week 1: Moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Good | February week 2: Moderate | March week 2: Moderate | April week 2: Moderate | May week 2: Moderate | June week 2: Good | July week 2: Poor | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Moderate | October week 2: Excellent | November week 2: Good | December week 2: Moderate |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Good | February week 3: Poor | March week 3: Moderate | April week 3: Moderate | May week 3: Moderate | June week 3: Moderate | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Poor | October week 3: Excellent | November week 3: Moderate | December week 3: Moderate |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Moderate | February week 4: Poor | March week 4: Moderate | April week 4: Poor | May week 4: Good | June week 4: Moderate | July week 4: Moderate | August week 4: Poor | September week 4: Moderate | October week 4: Excellent | November week 4: Moderate | December week 4: Excellent |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: second of October
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 25 °C | 1.7 m | 19 km/h | 15% |
| Week 2 | Good | 25 °C | 1.6 m | 18 km/h | 18% |
| Week 3 | Good | 25 °C | 1.5 m | 19 km/h | 18% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.6 m | 20 km/h | 20% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 25 °C | 2.0 m | 22 km/h | 20% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 25 °C | 2.1 m | 22 km/h | 17% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 25 °C | 2.2 m | 23 km/h | 19% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 25 °C | 2.2 m | 23 km/h | 17% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 25 °C | 1.9 m | 21 km/h | 15% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.7 m | 19 km/h | 23% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.7 m | 20 km/h | 24% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.8 m | 22 km/h | 18% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.9 m | 23 km/h | 17% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.9 m | 21 km/h | 18% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.7 m | 20 km/h | 18% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.7 m | 20 km/h | 24% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 25 °C | 1.9 m | 21 km/h | 22% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 25 °C | 1.9 m | 22 km/h | 15% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.7 m | 22 km/h | 18% |
| Week 4 | Good | 26 °C | 1.6 m | 22 km/h | 17% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 26 °C | 1.5 m | 22 km/h | 9% |
| Week 2 | Good | 26 °C | 1.6 m | 23 km/h | 7% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.6 m | 24 km/h | 9% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.6 m | 24 km/h | 11% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 26 °C | 1.6 m | 24 km/h | 10% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.6 m | 23 km/h | 7% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.7 m | 23 km/h | 7% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.7 m | 22 km/h | 6% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.7 m | 22 km/h | 9% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.7 m | 22 km/h | 11% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.5 m | 23 km/h | 14% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.5 m | 23 km/h | 13% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 21 km/h | 7% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 21 km/h | 12% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 22 km/h | 13% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 23 km/h | 12% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.3 m | 21 km/h | 15% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.2 m | 20 km/h | 15% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.4 m | 20 km/h | 12% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 27 °C | 1.6 m | 20 km/h | 13% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 27 °C | 1.8 m | 19 km/h | 10% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 1.9 m | 19 km/h | 6% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 27 °C | 1.9 m | 20 km/h | 7% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.7 m | 21 km/h | 11% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.8 m | 20 km/h | 17% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.9 m | 20 km/h | 20% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 26 °C | 1.7 m | 19 km/h | 18% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 26 °C | 1.6 m | 19 km/h | 15% |
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: 3 mm | May: 3 mm | June: 3 mm | July: 3 mm | August: 3 mm | September: 3 mm | October: 3 mm | November: 3 mm | December: 3 mm |
One suit covers the whole year: a 3 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
5 of the last 30 Augusts saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Jul–Sep.
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
Maui / Molokini marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humpback whale | Jan–Mar | Near-guaranteed | 9198 | ||
| Green turtle | All year | Near-guaranteed | 569 | ||
| Spinner dolphin | All year | Near-guaranteed | 50 | ||
| Whitetip reef shark | All year | Likely | 26 | ||
| Grey reef shark | Apr–May, Jul | Hit-or-miss | 8 | ||
| Bottlenose dolphin | Apr–May, Dec | Likely | 24 | ||
| Ocellated eagle ray | Jan–Feb, Aug, Nov | Hit-or-miss | 14 |
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 Maui / Molokini — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Maui / Molokini?
- The wildlife shows no season worth planning around, so the weather picks your month: October to November.
- When is the diving season in Maui / Molokini?
- The diving season in Maui / Molokini runs October to November.
- Is the diving in Maui / Molokini good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Maui / Molokini?
- Between 25 and 27 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in February and warmest in September. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Maui / Molokini?
- A 3 mm full suit covers the coldest water of the year. The same suit works all year.
- What is the visibility like in Maui / Molokini?
- Roughly 25 to 40 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Maui / Molokini?
- The most consistently recorded species are Humpback whale (near-guaranteed), Green turtle (near-guaranteed) and Spinner dolphin (near-guaranteed), from 9,909 records within 60 km.
- Does Maui / Molokini get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Jul–Sep, most often in August at 5 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Maui / Molokini?
- The tide rises and falls 0.9 m around the full and new moon, against 0.5 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Maui / Molokini?
- August is the weakest month for conditions.
- How do you dive Maui / Molokini?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Oct–Nov.