Philippines
Best Time to Dive in Oslob
9.42°N 123.39°E
Aim for February to June, when the downpours ease — 3 days a month of heavy rain instead of 6. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. Diving holds up from January to September.
- Best time
- Feb–Jun
- Water
- 27–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Season runs
- Jan–Sep
- Dived from
- day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.9–1.9 m
- Species logged
- 7
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Oslob — 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 | Excellent | Good | Good | Excellent | Good | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| Water temp (°C) | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
| Visibility (m) | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 |
| 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 Feb–Jun
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Oslob diving season
January to September · Peak season
9 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 27–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 20 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind eases. It rains less.
Marine lifeWhale shark (near-guaranteed) peaks at Oslob in these months.
October to December · Off season
3 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 29–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 26 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. The sea is calmer.
Marine lifeWhale shark (near-guaranteed) peaks at Oslob in these months.
- Spring tides run 1.9 m against 0.9 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.
Oslob water temperature and weather
633 underwater observation records · 19 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Oslob 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
0
blowy days a month
Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port
22
wet days a month
5 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.7 m | 0% | 22 | 5 | 29 °C | 11.5 h |
| February | 0.7 m | 0% | 17 | 2 | 29 °C | 11.7 h |
| March | 0.6 m | 0% | 17 | 3 | 30 °C | 11.9 h |
| April | 0.5 m | 0% | 20 | 2 | 31 °C | 12.2 h |
| May | 0.5 m | 0% | 25 | 4 | 30 °C | 12.4 h |
| June | 0.3 m | 0% | 22 | 5 | 30 °C | 12.5 h |
| July | 0.4 m | 0% | 22 | 5 | 30 °C | 12.5 h |
| August | 0.3 m | 0% | 17 | 4 | 30 °C | 12.3 h |
| September | 0.3 m | 0% | 20 | 5 | 30 °C | 12.0 h |
| October | 0.3 m | 0% | 26 | 10 | 29 °C | 11.8 h |
| November | 0.6 m | 0% | 25 | 6 | 30 °C | 11.6 h |
| December | 0.5 m | 0% | 27 | 7 | 29 °C | 11.5 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: Good | April week 1: Excellent | May week 1: Good | June week 1: Good | July week 1: Good | August week 1: Excellent | September week 1: Good | October week 1: Poor | November week 1: Poor | December week 1: Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Good | February week 2: Excellent | March week 2: Excellent | April week 2: Excellent | May week 2: Excellent | June week 2: Good | July week 2: Good | August week 2: Excellent | September week 2: Good | October week 2: Poor | November week 2: Poor | December week 2: Poor |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Good | February week 3: Good | March week 3: Excellent | April week 3: Excellent | May week 3: Excellent | June week 3: Good | July week 3: Good | August week 3: Excellent | September week 3: Good | 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: Excellent | June week 4: Good | July week 4: Good | August week 4: Good | September week 4: Good | October week 4: Poor | November week 4: Poor | December week 4: Poor |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: second of April
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 28 °C | 0.6 m | 14 km/h | 77% |
| Week 2 | Good | 28 °C | 0.7 m | 14 km/h | 70% |
| Week 3 | Good | 28 °C | 0.7 m | 14 km/h | 68% |
| Week 4 | Good | 28 °C | 0.7 m | 14 km/h | 65% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 27 °C | 0.7 m | 14 km/h | 62% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 27 °C | 0.7 m | 15 km/h | 61% |
| Week 3 | Good | 27 °C | 0.7 m | 16 km/h | 58% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 27 °C | 0.8 m | 15 km/h | 48% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 28 °C | 0.7 m | 14 km/h | 47% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 56% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 56% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 58% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 61% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 28 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 62% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 13 km/h | 63% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 71% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 76% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 80% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.4 m | 11 km/h | 83% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 11 km/h | 81% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 11 km/h | 76% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.2 m | 11 km/h | 73% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 11 km/h | 75% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 11 km/h | 75% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 11 km/h | 78% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 0.3 m | 11 km/h | 80% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 0.4 m | 11 km/h | 74% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 0.4 m | 11 km/h | 62% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.3 m | 11 km/h | 54% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.2 m | 12 km/h | 48% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.2 m | 12 km/h | 52% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 0.3 m | 12 km/h | 56% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 0.3 m | 11 km/h | 62% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 0.4 m | 11 km/h | 74% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 0.4 m | 11 km/h | 72% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 0.3 m | 12 km/h | 64% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 11 km/h | 68% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.2 m | 11 km/h | 80% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.3 m | 10 km/h | 88% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 11 km/h | 86% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 12 km/h | 83% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 81% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 12 km/h | 84% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 88% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 89% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 88% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 86% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 84% |
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: 3 mm | March: 3 mm | April: skin | May: skin | June: skin | July: skin | August: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: skin |
- Apr–Janskin or 3 mm shorty
- Feb–Mar3 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 Novembers saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Oct–Mar, Jun–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
Oslob marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green turtle | All year | Near-guaranteed | 344 | ||
| Whale shark | All year | Near-guaranteed | 124 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | All year | Near-guaranteed | 65 | ||
| Spinner dolphin | Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug | Likely | 18 | ||
| Blacktip reef shark | Nov–Jan | Hit-or-miss | 8 | ||
| Bigeye trevally | Mar, Jun, Oct–Nov | Likely | 28 | ||
| Whitetip reef shark | Jan–Feb, Jun–Jul | 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 Oslob — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Oslob?
- Aim for February to June, when the downpours ease — 3 days a month of heavy rain instead of 6. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month. Diving holds up from January to September.
- When is the diving season in Oslob?
- The diving season in Oslob runs January to September, and it is at its best February to June.
- Is the diving in Oslob good for beginners?
- Yes. It suits Open Water divers, so it works for a first trip after certification.
- How warm is the water in Oslob?
- 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 Oslob?
- 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 Oslob?
- Roughly 20 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 Oslob?
- The most consistently recorded species are Green turtle (near-guaranteed), Whale shark (near-guaranteed) and Hawksbill turtle (near-guaranteed), from 633 records within 60 km.
- Does Oslob get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Oct–Mar, Jun–Jul, most often in November at 6 of 30 years.
- Is there current in Oslob?
- The tide rises and falls 1.9 m around the full and new moon, against 0.9 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Oslob?
- November–December are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Oslob?
- Mostly from day boats. Trips run through the season, Jan–Sep.