Australia
Best Time to Dive in Lord Howe Island
31.56°S 159.07°E
Aim for November to February for the long days — 13.6 hours of light against 11.2. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month.
- Best time
- Nov–Feb
- Water
- 19–25 °C
- Visibility
- 5–20 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 1.0–1.8 m
- Species logged
- 4
Worth knowing: 95% of days see seas over 1.5 m.
Where it is
1776 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Lord Howe Island — 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 | Excellent | Moderate | Poor | Good | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Excellent | Good |
| Water temp (°C) | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 23 |
| Visibility (m) | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 5–15 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 10–20 | 5–15 | 10–20 |
| Marine life | Busy | Steady | Quiet | Busy | Quiet | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Busy | Busy | Steady |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Nov–Feb
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Lord Howe Island diving season
February to March · Shoulder season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 24–25 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 11 days a month
Diving conditionsSwell is common, and crossings can be rough.
April to September · Off season
6 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 19–24 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 12 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains more.
Marine lifeGreat hammerhead (hit-or-miss) peaks at Lord Howe Island in these months.
October · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 20–20 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 11 days a month
Diving conditionsSwell is common, and crossings can be rough.
November to January · Peak season
3 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 21–24 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Rain
- 9 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains less.
Marine lifeGreat hammerhead (hit-or-miss) peaks at Lord Howe Island in these months.
- Spring tides run 1.8 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.
Lord Howe Island water temperature and weather
551 underwater observation records · 18 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Lord Howe Island 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
28
rough days a month
Seas top 1.5 m on 93% of days. Enough to cancel a day boat
9
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
11
wet days a month
3 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.1 m | 15% | 9 | 2 | 24 °C | 13.8 h |
| February | 3.7 m | 22% | 9 | 2 | 24 °C | 13.1 h |
| March | 3.5 m | 24% | 12 | 3 | 24 °C | 12.2 h |
| April | 4.0 m | 24% | 12 | 3 | 22 °C | 11.2 h |
| May | 4.4 m | 32% | 11 | 3 | 21 °C | 10.4 h |
| June | 4.7 m | 38% | 14 | 4 | 19 °C | 10.0 h |
| July | 5.0 m | 48% | 14 | 3 | 19 °C | 10.1 h |
| August | 3.8 m | 37% | 12 | 3 | 18 °C | 10.8 h |
| September | 3.9 m | 36% | 9 | 3 | 19 °C | 11.8 h |
| October | 3.6 m | 30% | 11 | 3 | 20 °C | 12.8 h |
| November | 3.3 m | 24% | 9 | 3 | 21 °C | 13.6 h |
| December | 3.6 m | 18% | 9 | 2 | 23 °C | 14.0 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: Excellent | February week 1: Good | March week 1: Poor | April week 1: Moderate | May week 1: Moderate | June week 1: Poor | July week 1: Poor | August week 1: Poor | September week 1: Poor | October week 1: Poor | November week 1: Good | December week 1: Moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Excellent | February week 2: Good | March week 2: Moderate | April week 2: Moderate | May week 2: Moderate | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Poor | August week 2: Moderate | September week 2: Moderate | October week 2: Moderate | November week 2: Excellent | December week 2: Moderate |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Good | February week 3: Good | March week 3: Moderate | April week 3: Good | May week 3: Moderate | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Poor | September week 3: Poor | October week 3: Good | November week 3: Good | December week 3: Excellent |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Excellent | February week 4: Good | March week 4: Moderate | April week 4: Good | May week 4: Poor | June week 4: Poor | July week 4: Poor | August week 4: Poor | September week 4: Poor | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Good | December week 4: Excellent |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: first of January
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.9 m | 29 km/h | 23% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 24 °C | 2.8 m | 28 km/h | 28% |
| Week 3 | Good | 24 °C | 3.2 m | 29 km/h | 31% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 25 °C | 3.3 m | 30 km/h | 26% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 25 °C | 3.7 m | 32 km/h | 26% |
| Week 2 | Good | 25 °C | 3.8 m | 32 km/h | 29% |
| Week 3 | Good | 25 °C | 3.3 m | 32 km/h | 34% |
| Week 4 | Good | 25 °C | 3.4 m | 32 km/h | 41% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 25 °C | 3.9 m | 33 km/h | 44% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 24 °C | 3.7 m | 34 km/h | 39% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 24 °C | 3.4 m | 31 km/h | 35% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 24 °C | 3.4 m | 30 km/h | 34% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 24 °C | 4.0 m | 32 km/h | 39% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 24 °C | 4.6 m | 32 km/h | 43% |
| Week 3 | Good | 23 °C | 4.2 m | 32 km/h | 41% |
| Week 4 | Good | 23 °C | 3.5 m | 32 km/h | 39% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 23 °C | 3.5 m | 32 km/h | 38% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 22 °C | 4.0 m | 34 km/h | 37% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 22 °C | 4.5 m | 35 km/h | 36% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 21 °C | 5.2 m | 37 km/h | 39% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 21 °C | 5.1 m | 39 km/h | 43% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 21 °C | 4.8 m | 36 km/h | 44% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 20 °C | 4.7 m | 35 km/h | 48% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 20 °C | 4.2 m | 36 km/h | 49% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 20 °C | 4.3 m | 39 km/h | 46% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 20 °C | 4.7 m | 40 km/h | 49% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 20 °C | 4.8 m | 40 km/h | 48% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 19 °C | 5.3 m | 38 km/h | 41% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 19 °C | 5.0 m | 35 km/h | 38% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 19 °C | 3.4 m | 34 km/h | 36% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 19 °C | 3.5 m | 36 km/h | 39% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 19 °C | 4.0 m | 37 km/h | 39% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 19 °C | 4.1 m | 36 km/h | 33% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 19 °C | 3.9 m | 34 km/h | 31% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 19 °C | 3.4 m | 35 km/h | 31% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 20 °C | 3.6 m | 37 km/h | 29% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 20 °C | 3.9 m | 37 km/h | 30% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 20 °C | 3.4 m | 35 km/h | 30% |
| Week 3 | Good | 20 °C | 3.3 m | 32 km/h | 34% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 21 °C | 3.6 m | 33 km/h | 39% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 21 °C | 3.4 m | 34 km/h | 33% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 21 °C | 3.2 m | 34 km/h | 30% |
| Week 3 | Good | 21 °C | 3.5 m | 32 km/h | 29% |
| Week 4 | Good | 22 °C | 3.4 m | 31 km/h | 30% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 22 °C | 3.2 m | 32 km/h | 34% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 23 °C | 3.4 m | 31 km/h | 31% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 23 °C | 3.5 m | 30 km/h | 26% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 23 °C | 3.6 m | 29 km/h | 25% |
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: 5 mm | February: 5 mm | March: 5 mm | April: 5 mm | May: 5 mm + | June: 5 mm + | July: 5 mm + | August: 5 mm + | September: 5 mm + | October: 5 mm + | November: 5 mm + | December: 5 mm |
- Dec–Apr5 mm full suit
- May–Nov5 mm with hood and gloves
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 Februarys saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Feb–Mar.
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
Lord Howe Island marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green turtle | Jun | Hit-or-miss | 458 | ||
| Bottlenose dolphin | Oct–Nov | Likely | 17 | ||
| Great hammerhead | Jul, Nov | Hit-or-miss | 39 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | Jan, Apr | Likely | 11 |
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 Lord Howe Island — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Lord Howe Island?
- Aim for November to February for the long days — 13.6 hours of light against 11.2. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month.
- When is the diving season in Lord Howe Island?
- The diving season in Lord Howe Island runs November to February.
- Is the diving in Lord Howe Island good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Lord Howe Island?
- Between 19 and 25 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in August and warmest in February. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Lord Howe Island?
- A 5 mm with hood and gloves covers the coldest water of the year. In the warmest months a 5 mm full suit is enough.
- What is the visibility like in Lord Howe Island?
- Roughly 5 to 20 m depending on the month. That is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a rather than measured in the water.
- What will I see diving Lord Howe Island?
- The most consistently recorded species are Green turtle (hit-or-miss), Bottlenose dolphin (likely) and Great hammerhead (hit-or-miss), from 551 records within 60 km.
- Does Lord Howe Island get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Feb–Mar, most often in February at 1 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Lord Howe Island?
- The tide rises and falls 1.8 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 Lord Howe Island?
- May is the weakest month for conditions.
- How do you dive Lord Howe Island?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Nov–Feb.