Philippines
Best Time to Dive in Malapascua
11.32°N 124.15°E
The wildlife is much the same all year (pelagic thresher), so pick your month on the sea and the sky: January to May.
- Best time
- Jan–May
- Water
- 27–30 °C
- Visibility
- 15–30 m
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 1.1–2.4 m
- Species logged
- 3
Worth knowing: 6 days a month of heavy rain.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Malapascua — 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 | Good | Poor | Poor | Good | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 |
| Visibility (m) | 15–25 | 15–25 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 20–30 | 15–25 | 15–25 |
| Marine life | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Jan–May
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Malapascua diving season
January to May · Peak season
5 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 27–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 12 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains less. The wind is up.
Marine lifePelagic thresher (near-guaranteed) peaks at Malapascua in these months.
June to December · Off season
7 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 28–30 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 24 days a month
Diving conditionsIt rains more. The wind eases.
Marine lifePelagic thresher (near-guaranteed) peaks at Malapascua in these months.
- Spring tides run 2.4 m against 1.1 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.
Malapascua water temperature and weather
284 underwater observation records · 18 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Malapascua 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
Rarely
rough enough to cancel
Seas top 1.5 m on under 1% 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
19
wet days a month
6 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.9 m | 7% | 15 | 5 | 28 °C | 11.4 h |
| February | 0.8 m | 3% | 12 | 3 | 28 °C | 11.6 h |
| March | 0.8 m | 2% | 9 | 2 | 28 °C | 11.9 h |
| April | 0.5 m | 2% | 6 | 1 | 29 °C | 12.3 h |
| May | 0.4 m | 0% | 17 | 3 | 30 °C | 12.5 h |
| June | 0.3 m | 0% | 25 | 9 | 29 °C | 12.7 h |
| July | 0.6 m | 2% | 26 | 11 | 29 °C | 12.6 h |
| August | 0.5 m | 1% | 24 | 10 | 29 °C | 12.4 h |
| September | 0.6 m | 3% | 25 | 9 | 29 °C | 12.1 h |
| October | 0.7 m | 4% | 27 | 10 | 29 °C | 11.7 h |
| November | 0.6 m | 4% | 20 | 5 | 29 °C | 11.5 h |
| December | 0.7 m | 7% | 19 | 5 | 28 °C | 11.3 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: Good | May week 1: Excellent | June week 1: Poor | July week 1: Moderate | August week 1: Good | September week 1: Poor | October week 1: Poor | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Good | February week 2: Good | March week 2: Excellent | April week 2: Excellent | May week 2: Good | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Moderate | August week 2: Good | September week 2: Poor | October week 2: Poor | 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: Good | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Good | September week 3: Poor | 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: Good | June week 4: Poor | July week 4: Poor | August week 4: Good | September week 4: Poor | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Poor |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of April
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 28 °C | 0.8 m | 27 km/h | 54% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 0.9 m | 28 km/h | 51% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 0.9 m | 28 km/h | 47% |
| Week 4 | Good | 27 °C | 0.9 m | 27 km/h | 44% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 0.8 m | 28 km/h | 42% |
| Week 2 | Good | 27 °C | 0.7 m | 28 km/h | 44% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 27 °C | 0.8 m | 28 km/h | 42% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 27 °C | 0.9 m | 27 km/h | 33% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.9 m | 26 km/h | 29% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.8 m | 25 km/h | 29% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.7 m | 25 km/h | 25% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.6 m | 25 km/h | 28% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 28 °C | 0.6 m | 26 km/h | 28% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 25 km/h | 22% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 25 km/h | 18% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.4 m | 24 km/h | 19% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.4 m | 23 km/h | 30% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 23 km/h | 41% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 21 km/h | 59% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 21 km/h | 76% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 21 km/h | 81% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 20 km/h | 79% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 19 km/h | 81% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 18 km/h | 91% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 19 km/h | 94% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 20 km/h | 92% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 22 km/h | 85% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 24 km/h | 73% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 23 km/h | 68% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 21 km/h | 71% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 20 km/h | 79% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 21 km/h | 82% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 21 km/h | 78% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 21 km/h | 84% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 22 km/h | 87% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 21 km/h | 88% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 19 km/h | 90% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 20 km/h | 88% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 21 km/h | 84% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.0 m | 23 km/h | 80% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 25 km/h | 76% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 25 km/h | 69% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 25 km/h | 62% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 25 km/h | 59% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 25 km/h | 58% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 26 km/h | 63% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 0.7 m | 27 km/h | 65% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 0.9 m | 27 km/h | 60% |
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: skin | April: skin | May: skin | June: skin | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: skin |
- Jan–Feb3 mm full suit
- Mar–Decskin or 3 mm shorty
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
10 of the last 30 Novembers saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Sep–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
Malapascua marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelagic thresher | All year | Near-guaranteed | 189 | ||
| Whitetip reef shark | All year | Near-guaranteed | 57 | ||
| Green turtle | Jun, Sep, Dec | Likely | 9 |
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 Malapascua — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Malapascua?
- The wildlife is much the same all year (pelagic thresher), so pick your month on the sea and the sky: January to May.
- When is the diving season in Malapascua?
- The diving season in Malapascua runs January to May.
- Is the diving in Malapascua 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 Malapascua?
- Between 27 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 Malapascua?
- 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 Malapascua?
- 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 Malapascua?
- The most consistently recorded species are Pelagic thresher (near-guaranteed), Whitetip reef shark (near-guaranteed) and Green turtle (likely), from 284 records within 60 km.
- Does Malapascua get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Sep–Jul, most often in November at 10 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Malapascua?
- The tide rises and falls 2.4 m around the full and new moon, against 1.1 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Malapascua?
- October–December are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Malapascua?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Jan–May.