Indonesia · Misool
Best Time to Dive in Misool, Raja Ampat
2.22°S 130.59°E
Aim for October to February, when the downpours ease — 9 days a month of heavy rain instead of 12. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month.
- Best time
- Oct–Feb
- Water
- 28–30 °C
- Visibility
- 10–30 m
- Dived from
- liveaboard
- Tidal range
- 0.8–1.6 m
- Species logged
- 13
Worth knowing: 11 days a month of heavy rain.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Misool, Raja Ampat — 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 | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Poor | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Good |
| Water temp (°C) | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 |
| Visibility (m) | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 20–30 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 10–20 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 15–25 | 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 Oct–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 Misool, Raja Ampat diving season
April to May · Shoulder season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 30–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 27 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind eases. The sea is calmer.
Marine lifeReef manta (near-guaranteed), Golden jellyfish (hit-or-miss) peak at Misool, Raja Ampat in these months.
June to August · Off season
3 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 28–29 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 24 days a month
Diving conditionsThe sea is rougher. The wind is up.
Marine lifeReef manta (near-guaranteed) peaks at Misool, Raja Ampat in these months.
September to March · Peak season
7 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 28–30 °C
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Rain
- 25 days a month
Diving conditionsThe sea is calmer. The wind eases.
Marine lifeReef manta (near-guaranteed), Oceanic manta (likely), Golden jellyfish (hit-or-miss) peak at Misool, Raja Ampat in these months.
- Spring tides run 1.6 m against 0.8 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
325 underwater observation records · 18 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Misool, Raja Ampat 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 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
25
wet days a month
11 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.8 m | 0% | 25 | 10 | 29 °C | 12.1 h |
| February | 0.9 m | 0% | 25 | 11 | 29 °C | 12.1 h |
| March | 0.7 m | 0% | 27 | 12 | 29 °C | 12.0 h |
| April | 0.7 m | 0% | 26 | 13 | 29 °C | 12.0 h |
| May | 1.2 m | 0% | 28 | 14 | 29 °C | 11.9 h |
| June | 1.2 m | 1% | 27 | 15 | 28 °C | 11.9 h |
| July | 1.6 m | 6% | 24 | 14 | 28 °C | 11.9 h |
| August | 1.6 m | 6% | 21 | 9 | 27 °C | 11.9 h |
| September | 1.4 m | 3% | 23 | 9 | 28 °C | 12.0 h |
| October | 0.8 m | 0% | 23 | 7 | 28 °C | 12.1 h |
| November | 0.5 m | 0% | 23 | 8 | 29 °C | 12.1 h |
| December | 0.7 m | 0% | 27 | 11 | 29 °C | 12.1 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: Good | March week 1: Good | April week 1: Moderate | May week 1: Good | June week 1: Poor | July week 1: Poor | August week 1: Moderate | September week 1: Moderate | October week 1: Good | November week 1: Excellent | December week 1: Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Good | February week 2: Good | March week 2: Good | April week 2: Moderate | May week 2: Moderate | June week 2: Poor | July week 2: Poor | August week 2: Poor | September week 2: Moderate | October week 2: Excellent | November week 2: Excellent | December week 2: Good |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Good | February week 3: Good | March week 3: Good | April week 3: Good | May week 3: Poor | June week 3: Poor | July week 3: Poor | August week 3: Moderate | September week 3: Good | October week 3: Excellent | November week 3: Excellent | December week 3: Good |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Good | 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: Moderate | September week 4: Excellent | October week 4: Excellent | November week 4: Excellent | December week 4: Good |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: fourth of October
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 19 km/h | 84% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 19 km/h | 84% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.9 m | 20 km/h | 81% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 21 km/h | 78% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 22 km/h | 80% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 22 km/h | 84% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 21 km/h | 87% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 20 km/h | 88% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 19 km/h | 90% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 19 km/h | 86% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 19 km/h | 83% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 20 km/h | 92% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 19 km/h | 89% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 17 km/h | 86% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 16 km/h | 88% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 16 km/h | 85% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 17 km/h | 87% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 18 km/h | 91% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 1.2 m | 20 km/h | 91% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 22 km/h | 91% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 23 km/h | 85% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 25 km/h | 87% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.3 m | 25 km/h | 92% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 24 km/h | 92% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 29 °C | 1.2 m | 26 km/h | 93% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 29 km/h | 85% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.7 m | 31 km/h | 74% |
| Week 4 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.7 m | 32 km/h | 66% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 31 km/h | 61% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 31 km/h | 62% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 32 km/h | 69% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.6 m | 30 km/h | 76% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.5 m | 28 km/h | 77% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 28 km/h | 75% |
| Week 3 | Good | 28 °C | 1.4 m | 26 km/h | 72% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 22 km/h | 77% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 1.1 m | 20 km/h | 79% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 1.0 m | 20 km/h | 78% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 19 km/h | 75% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 17 km/h | 64% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 16 km/h | 65% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 15 km/h | 74% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 15 km/h | 80% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 16 km/h | 84% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 16 km/h | 86% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 19 km/h | 88% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 21 km/h | 91% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 20 km/h | 87% |
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: skin | March: skin | April: skin | May: skin | June: skin | July: skin | August: 3 mm | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: skin |
- Sep–Julskin or 3 mm shorty
- Aug3 mm full suit
Swell through the year
The rough end of each month — nine days in ten come in under it.
Amber is over 2.5 m.
Tides
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
Misool, Raja Ampat marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napoleon wrasse | All year | Near-guaranteed | 68 | ||
| Hawksbill turtle | Jan, Mar–May | Near-guaranteed | 34 | ||
| Reef manta | All year | Near-guaranteed | 28 | ||
| Bigeye trevally | Dec–Jan, Mar | Near-guaranteed | 29 | ||
| Blackfin barracuda | All year | Likely | 19 | ||
| Bumphead parrotfish | Dec–Jan, Apr–May | Near-guaranteed | 32 | ||
| Blacktip reef shark | Jan–Feb, Apr, Sep | Likely | 21 | ||
| Green turtle | Apr–Jun, Dec | Likely | 20 | ||
| Walking shark | Mar, Sep–Nov | Likely | 17 | ||
| Oceanic manta | Mar, Nov–Dec | Likely | 13 | ||
| Whitetip reef shark | Mar, Sep, Dec | Likely | 11 | ||
| Bluespotted ribbontail ray | Dec–Jan, May, Jul | Hit-or-miss | 10 | ||
| Golden jellyfish | May, Dec | Hit-or-miss | 8 |
Peak Present No survey data
- 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 Misool, Raja Ampat — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Misool, Raja Ampat?
- Aim for October to February, when the downpours ease — 9 days a month of heavy rain instead of 12. The marine life holds steady all year, so the weather picks the month.
- When is the diving season in Misool, Raja Ampat?
- The diving season in Misool, Raja Ampat runs October to February.
- Is the diving in Misool, 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 in Misool, Raja Ampat?
- Between 28 and 30 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in August and warmest in April. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need in Misool, Raja Ampat?
- 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 Misool, Raja Ampat?
- Roughly 10 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 Misool, Raja Ampat?
- The most consistently recorded species are Napoleon wrasse (near-guaranteed), Hawksbill turtle (near-guaranteed) and Reef manta (near-guaranteed), from 325 records within 60 km.
- Does Misool, Raja Ampat get tropical storms?
- No. None has passed within 250 km in 30 years of records.
- Is there current in Misool, Raja Ampat?
- The tide rises and falls 1.6 m around the full and new moon, against 0.8 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid Misool, Raja Ampat?
- June–July are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Misool, Raja Ampat?
- Mostly from liveaboards. Trips run through the season, Oct–Feb.