Solomons
Best Time to Dive in the Solomon Islands
8.10°S 157.20°E
The wildlife shows no season worth planning around, so the weather picks your month: May to July.
- Best time
- May–Jul
- Water
- 29–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Dived from
- liveaboard and day boat
- Tidal range
- 0.4–0.9 m
- Species logged
- 2
Worth knowing: 11 days a month of heavy rain.
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in the Solomon Islands — 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 | Poor | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Excellent | Moderate | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Moderate | Moderate |
| Water temp (°C) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| 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 | Busy | Quiet | Busy | Steady | Quiet | Steady | Quiet | Steady | Steady | Steady | Quiet | Steady |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorPeak season May–Jul
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Solomon Islands diving season
January · Shoulder season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 30–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 28 days a month
Diving conditionsThe sea is calmer. The wind eases.
February · Off season
1 monthJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 30–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 27 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up. The sea is rougher.
March to October · Peak season
8 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 29–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 27 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind eases.
November to December · Shoulder season
2 monthsJFMAMJJASOND
- Water temperature
- 30–30 °C
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Rain
- 27 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind eases.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
- Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a.
Solomon Islands water temperature and weather
114 underwater observation records · 13 surveyed years of ocean data · 10 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
Solomon Islands 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
27
wet days a month
10 of them bring heavy rain
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.6 m | 0% | 28 | 11 | 30 °C | 12.4 h |
| February | 0.7 m | 0% | 27 | 13 | 29 °C | 12.3 h |
| March | 0.6 m | 0% | 27 | 12 | 29 °C | 12.1 h |
| April | 0.6 m | 0% | 27 | 10 | 29 °C | 11.8 h |
| May | 0.7 m | 0% | 28 | 10 | 29 °C | 11.6 h |
| June | 0.7 m | 0% | 27 | 9 | 29 °C | 11.5 h |
| July | 0.8 m | 0% | 27 | 9 | 28 °C | 11.6 h |
| August | 0.9 m | 0% | 28 | 11 | 28 °C | 11.7 h |
| September | 0.8 m | 0% | 27 | 10 | 29 °C | 12.0 h |
| October | 0.6 m | 0% | 27 | 8 | 29 °C | 12.2 h |
| November | 0.5 m | 0% | 26 | 11 | 29 °C | 12.4 h |
| December | 0.5 m | 0% | 28 | 12 | 30 °C | 12.5 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: Excellent | February week 1: Poor | March week 1: Moderate | April week 1: Moderate | May week 1: Moderate | June week 1: Excellent | July week 1: Good | August week 1: Good | September week 1: Good | October week 1: Excellent | November week 1: Moderate | December week 1: Moderate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 2 | January week 2: Good | February week 2: Poor | March week 2: Good | April week 2: Moderate | May week 2: Moderate | June week 2: Excellent | July week 2: Moderate | August week 2: Good | September week 2: Good | October week 2: Excellent | November week 2: Good | December week 2: Moderate |
| Week 3 | January week 3: Excellent | February week 3: Poor | March week 3: Moderate | April week 3: Moderate | May week 3: Moderate | June week 3: Excellent | July week 3: Moderate | August week 3: Good | September week 3: Excellent | October week 3: Excellent | November week 3: Moderate | December week 3: Good |
| Week 4 | January week 4: Good | February week 4: Moderate | March week 4: Excellent | April week 4: Good | May week 4: Good | June week 4: Good | July week 4: Moderate | August week 4: Good | September week 4: Excellent | October week 4: Excellent | November week 4: Moderate | December week 4: Moderate |
Excellent Good Moderate PoorBest week to go: first of June
January, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 14 km/h | 88% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 14 km/h | 89% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 89% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 14 km/h | 94% |
February, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 16 km/h | 94% |
| Week 2 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 18 km/h | 90% |
| Week 3 | Poor | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 15 km/h | 89% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 13 km/h | 90% |
March, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.8 m | 13 km/h | 89% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 88% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 13 km/h | 85% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 12 km/h | 87% |
April, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 92% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 12 km/h | 92% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 11 km/h | 89% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 11 km/h | 87% |
May, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 12 km/h | 87% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 12 km/h | 88% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 12 km/h | 89% |
| Week 4 | Good | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 13 km/h | 92% |
June, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 12 km/h | 93% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 88% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 14 km/h | 86% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 14 km/h | 89% |
July, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 14 km/h | 90% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 14 km/h | 89% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 14 km/h | 87% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 14 km/h | 87% |
August, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 14 km/h | 90% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 14 km/h | 91% |
| Week 3 | Good | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 14 km/h | 91% |
| Week 4 | Good | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 15 km/h | 93% |
September, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Good | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 15 km/h | 93% |
| Week 2 | Good | 29 °C | 0.9 m | 15 km/h | 91% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.8 m | 14 km/h | 91% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 14 km/h | 89% |
October, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.7 m | 14 km/h | 86% |
| Week 2 | Excellent | 29 °C | 0.6 m | 13 km/h | 83% |
| Week 3 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 84% |
| Week 4 | Excellent | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 90% |
November, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 91% |
| Week 2 | Good | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 12 km/h | 89% |
| Week 3 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 13 km/h | 86% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 13 km/h | 86% |
December, week by week
| Week | Conditions | Water | Swell | Wind | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 12 km/h | 91% |
| Week 2 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.7 m | 12 km/h | 91% |
| Week 3 | Good | 30 °C | 0.4 m | 12 km/h | 88% |
| Week 4 | Moderate | 30 °C | 0.5 m | 13 km/h | 86% |
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: skin | September: skin | October: skin | November: skin | December: 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.
Amber is over 2.5 m.
Tides
Tropical storms
1 of the last 30 Aprils saw a tropical storm pass within 250 km. Anything has been recorded Apr, Jul, Dec.
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
Solomon Islands marine life — what you'll see diving
Only 114 records have been logged within 60 km. A thin record is not an empty reef.
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blacktip reef shark | Jan | Likely | 52 | ||
| Napoleon wrasse | Jan, Mar | Likely | 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 Solomon Islands — common questions
- When is the best time to dive the Solomon Islands?
- The wildlife shows no season worth planning around, so the weather picks your month: May to July.
- When is the diving season at the Solomon Islands?
- The diving season at the Solomon Islands runs May to July.
- Is the diving at the Solomon Islands 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 Solomon Islands?
- Between 29 and 30 °C at the surface across the year, coldest in August and warmest in January. It runs cooler below the thermocline.
- What wetsuit do I need at the Solomon Islands?
- 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 Solomon Islands?
- 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 the Solomon Islands?
- The most consistently recorded species are Blacktip reef shark (likely) and Napoleon wrasse (likely), from 114 records within 60 km.
- Does the Solomon Islands get tropical storms?
- Yes. Over 30 years of records a storm passed within 250 km in Apr, Jul, Dec, most often in April at 1 of 30 years.
- Is there current at the Solomon Islands?
- The tide rises and falls 0.9 m around the full and new moon, against 0.4 m in between. How much of that becomes current depends on the shape of the channel.
- When should I avoid the Solomon Islands?
- February is the weakest month for conditions.
- How do you dive the Solomon Islands?
- Mostly from liveaboards and day boats. Trips run through the season, May–Jul.