Asia-Pacific

Best Time to Dive in Komodo

2 dive areas, each scored on its own. The season peaks June–October at Komodo North, and December–March at Komodo South. Between them there is somewhere worth diving in 9 months of the year. The one that asks for experience is Komodo South.

The 2 dive areas in Komodo, compared month by month
JFMAMJJASOND
Komodo NorthJanuary: Off seasonFebruary: Off seasonMarch: ModerateApril: Off seasonMay: GoodJune: GoodJuly: GoodAugust: GoodSeptember: GoodOctober: GoodNovember: GoodDecember: Off season
Komodo SouthJanuary: GoodFebruary: GoodMarch: GoodApril: Off seasonMay: Off seasonJune: Off seasonJuly: Off seasonAugust: Off seasonSeptember: Off seasonOctober: Off seasonNovember: Off seasonDecember: Good
Off season Moderate Good

Komodo compared

Side by side
The 2 dive areas in Komodo, compared on season, water, visibility and how they are dived
Dive areaBest timeWaterVisibilityDived fromSuits
Komodo NorthJun–Oct2830 °C1030 mliveaboard and day boatAdvanced Open Water
Komodo SouthDec–Mar2729 °C525 mliveaboardexperienced divers

Water and visibility are the whole year's range at each area, coldest month to warmest. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.

Which area to pick

Komodo North
The only one in season from June to October. It has the clearest water, up to 30 m and is dived only from liveaboards and day boats.
Komodo South
The only one in season from December to March. It has the lowest visibility, 525 m, is for experienced divers and is dived only from liveaboards.

Komodo month by month

Jan–Feb
Good at Komodo South. Off season at Komodo North.
Mar
Good at Komodo South.
Apr
Nowhere at its best.
May–Nov
Good at Komodo North. Off season at Komodo South.
Dec
Good at Komodo South. Off season at Komodo North.

Komodo North

Jun–Oct

Go June to October, when the rain backs off — 6 wet days a month instead of 19. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. The full season runs May to November.

Komodo North conditions month by month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
January: Off seasonFebruary: Off seasonMarch: ModerateApril: Off seasonMay: GoodJune: GoodJuly: GoodAugust: GoodSeptember: GoodOctober: GoodNovember: GoodDecember: Off season
Off season Moderate Good
Water
2830 °C
Wear
skin or 3 mm shorty
Dived from
liveaboard and day boat
Suits
Advanced Open Water

Known for Reef manta

Komodo North month by month

Komodo South

Dec–Mar

Go December to March for reef manta. The calmest water is August to November, outside their window.

Komodo South conditions month by month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
January: GoodFebruary: GoodMarch: GoodApril: Off seasonMay: Off seasonJune: Off seasonJuly: Off seasonAugust: Off seasonSeptember: Off seasonOctober: Off seasonNovember: Off seasonDecember: Good
Good Off season
Water
2729 °C
Wear
3 mm full suit
Dived from
liveaboard
Suits
experienced divers

Known for Reef manta

Komodo South month by month

Diving in Komodo: common questions

When is the best time to dive Komodo?
It depends which area. The season peaks June–October at Komodo North, and December–March at Komodo South.
Can you dive Komodo all year?
Not everywhere at once. Counting both areas, 9 months of the year have somewhere at its best; the rest are workable but off peak.
How warm is the water in Komodo?
27 to 30 °C across the year, depending on the area and the month. Each area's page gives its own month-by-month temperatures.
What can you see diving in Komodo?
The headline animals are reef manta. Each area's page lists everything recorded near it, with the months it was seen.