Indonesia · Dampier Strait

Best Time to Dive in the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat

0.56°S 130.69°E

Go January to March. Conditions are at their best, and the draw is the reef fish diversity of Cape Kri.

Best time
Jan–Mar
Water
29–30 °C
Visibility
15–30 m
Dived from
liveaboard and day boat
Tidal range
0.7–1.5 m
Species logged
14

Worth knowing: 7 days a month of heavy rain.

Where it is

Indonesia
25 kmN

111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m

Diving in the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat — monthly breakdown

Best months at this destination

A year of scuba diving conditions at a glance. Hover a month to isolate it.

Month by month conditions, water temperature, visibility and marine life
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
ConditionsExcellentExcellentExcellentModeratePoorPoorPoorModeratePoorModerateExcellentModerate
Water temp (°C)292930303029292929303030
Visibility (m)15–2515–2515–2515–2515–2520–3020–3020–3020–3020–3020–3015–25
Marine lifePeakPeakPeakBusyBusySteadyBusyBusySteadyBusyPeakBusy
Best timePeakPeakPeak
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season Jan–Mar

Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.

The Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat diving season

4 seasons

January to March · Peak season

3 months
Water temperature
29–30 °C
Visibility
15–25 m
Rain
25 days a month

Diving conditionsThe wind eases.

Marine lifeReef manta (near-guaranteed), Oceanic manta (likely) peak at Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat in these months.

April · Shoulder season

1 month
Water temperature
30–30 °C
Visibility
15–25 m
Rain
26 days a month

Diving conditionsThe sea is calmer. The wind eases.

May to August · Off season

4 months
Water temperature
29–30 °C
Visibility
20–30 m
Rain
27 days a month

Diving conditionsThe sea is calmer.

September to December · Shoulder season

4 months
Water temperature
29–30 °C
Visibility
20–30 m
Rain
26 days a month

Diving conditionsThe sea is calmer. The wind eases.

Marine lifeReef manta (near-guaranteed) peaks at Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat in these months.

  • Spring tides run 1.5 m against 0.7 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.

Raja Ampat water temperature and weather

1,006 underwater observation records · 19 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature

Water & weather

Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat water temperature by month

The dashed line is the monthly average. Eight days in ten fall inside the band.

28293031JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSea temperature (°C)

10th to 90th percentile rangemonthly mean

Rarely
rough enough to cancel

Seas top 2.5 m on under 1% of days. Enough to cancel a liveaboard crossing

0
blowy days a month

Gusts over 40 km/h, about where a day boat stays in port

26
wet days a month

9 of them bring heavy rain

Monthly sea state, wind, rain, air temperature and daylight
MonthSwellGusts over 40 km/hWet daysHeavy rainAirDaylight
January0.4 m0%25729 °C12.0 h
February0.4 m0%23629 °C12.0 h
March0.4 m0%26829 °C12.0 h
April0.4 m0%261029 °C12.0 h
May0.3 m0%281129 °C12.0 h
June0.3 m0%281329 °C12.0 h
July0.4 m0%271329 °C12.0 h
August0.4 m0%25929 °C12.0 h
September0.3 m0%251029 °C12.0 h
October0.3 m0%26929 °C12.0 h
November0.3 m0%27830 °C12.0 h
December0.4 m0%27930 °C12.0 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.

Conditions by week, four weeks per month
Week 1January week 1: ExcellentFebruary week 1: ExcellentMarch week 1: ExcellentApril week 1: PoorMay week 1: PoorJune week 1: PoorJuly week 1: PoorAugust week 1: PoorSeptember week 1: PoorOctober week 1: ModerateNovember week 1: ExcellentDecember week 1: Moderate
Week 2January week 2: ExcellentFebruary week 2: ExcellentMarch week 2: ExcellentApril week 2: PoorMay week 2: PoorJune week 2: PoorJuly week 2: PoorAugust week 2: PoorSeptember week 2: ModerateOctober week 2: ModerateNovember week 2: ExcellentDecember week 2: Moderate
Week 3January week 3: ExcellentFebruary week 3: ExcellentMarch week 3: ExcellentApril week 3: ModerateMay week 3: PoorJune week 3: PoorJuly week 3: PoorAugust week 3: ModerateSeptember week 3: ModerateOctober week 3: ModerateNovember week 3: ExcellentDecember week 3: Moderate
Week 4January week 4: ExcellentFebruary week 4: ExcellentMarch week 4: ExcellentApril week 4: ModerateMay week 4: PoorJune week 4: PoorJuly week 4: PoorAugust week 4: ModerateSeptember week 4: ModerateOctober week 4: ModerateNovember week 4: ExcellentDecember week 4: Moderate
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of February

February, week by week

WeekConditionsWaterSwellWindRain chance
Week 1Excellent29 °C0.4 m13 km/h72%
Week 2Excellent29 °C0.4 m14 km/h81%
Week 3Excellent29 °C0.5 m13 km/h85%
Week 4Excellent29 °C0.4 m12 km/h83%

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.

Wetsuit thickness by month
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
SuitJanuary: skinFebruary: skinMarch: skinApril: skinMay: skinJune: skinJuly: skinAugust: skinSeptember: skinOctober: skinNovember: skinDecember: skin

One suit covers the whole year: a skin or 3 mm shorty.

Swell through the year

The rough end of each month — nine days in ten come in under it.

JanJanuary: 0.4 metresFebFebruary: 0.4 metresMarMarch: 0.4 metresAprApril: 0.4 metresMayMay: 0.3 metresJunJune: 0.3 metresJulJuly: 0.4 metresAugAugust: 0.4 metresSepSeptember: 0.3 metresOctOctober: 0.3 metresNovNovember: 0.3 metresDecDecember: 0.4 metres

Amber is over 2.5 m.

Tides

springs 1.7 mneaps 0.6 mneapsone lunar month
Daily tidal range across one lunar month.

Tropical storms

No tropical storm has come within 250 km in 30 years of records. Swell and wind set the season, not cyclones.

  • 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

Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat marine life — what you'll see diving

1,006 records within 60 km
SpeciesWhenObserved windowReliabilityEvidenceRecords
Reef mantaJan–Mar, NovNear-guaranteed
16/19
98
Walking sharkAll yearNear-guaranteed
14/19
98
Hawksbill turtleAll yearNear-guaranteed
14/19
129
Blacktip reef sharkAll yearNear-guaranteed
13/19
136
Napoleon wrasseAll yearNear-guaranteed
13/19
139
Bumphead parrotfishAll yearNear-guaranteed
13/19
54
Bigeye trevallyAll yearNear-guaranteed
12/19
94
Bluespotted ribbontail rayAll yearLikely
11/19
47
Whitetip reef sharkDec–Jan, MarLikely
9/19
37
Oceanic mantaJan, MarLikely
8/19
32
Green turtleAll yearLikely
8/19
72
Blackfin barracudaDec–Jan, Mar, JulLikely
9/19
29
Grey reef sharkJan, Mar, AugLikely
7/19
12
DugongFeb–Mar, JulHit-or-miss
4/19
8
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 the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat — common questions

When is the best time to dive the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat?
Go January to March. Conditions are at their best, and the draw is the reef fish diversity of Cape Kri.
When is the diving season at the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat?
The diving season at the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat runs January to March.
Is the diving at the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat 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 at the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat?
Between 29 and 30 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in August and warmest in November. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
What wetsuit do I need at the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat?
A skin or 3 mm shorty covers the coldest water of the year. The same suit works all year.
What is the visibility like at the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat?
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 the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat?
The most consistently recorded species are Reef manta (near-guaranteed), Walking shark (near-guaranteed) and Hawksbill turtle (near-guaranteed), from 1,006 records within 60 km.
Does the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat get tropical storms?
No. None has passed within 250 km in 30 years of records.
Is there current at the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat?
The tide rises and falls 1.5 m around the full and new moon, against 0.7 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
When should I avoid the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat?
June is the weakest month for conditions.
How do you dive the Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat?
Mostly from liveaboards and day boats. Trips run through the season, Jan–Mar.

Elsewhere in Raja Ampat

2 other sites

Misool

View site →

Wayag / North

View site →